twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,248 
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Nov 12, 2024 9:47:31 GMT
Update 12.22.24. I purchased a new stove and fridge from Costco today, and I’m pretty happy with the prices.
LG induction oven with air fry and pro-bake convection; regular price $2250, sale price $1550.
Samsung 31 cu.ft. fridge; regular price $2400, sale price $1600.
We got an additional $600 off with Costco’s current appliance deal. I got an additional surprise at checkout when there was a set of Cangshan knives included with the oven.
All together with delivery and taxes, we paid $2700 for really nice appliances (good reviews on both).
No luck on phones, though.
Original post:
DH and I bought a “new to us” van yesterday to replace our 2007 Honda Odyssey. We knew we would probably need a new one over the next 2 years and we’re worried about an upcoming shortage similar to what happened post-COVID.
We bought new appliances when we moved in 12 years ago, so we are living on borrowed time with our stove and fridge. We have a second fridge in the basement, so if the kitchen one kicks the bucket, we could make do for a while if a replacement was outrageously priced, so we would at least have time to shop around. However, I have been noticing signs that our stove may be on its last legs (one burner had some “blank spots” that don’t heat up well, and oven temps seem inconsistent). I’m ready for an induction stove to replace it, and there are some good end of the year deals out there, so I think we are going to buy one now. We might be able to bundle it with a new fridge for a better deal, too.
DH an I both have iPhone SE 2nd Gen phones. I was looking at 3rd Gen replacements on Walmart.com last month but did not order them. I wish I had! They were under $200 each but out of stock now. We can get refurbished ones with a 2yr service plan for just over $200, so that might have to do. We don’t do anything major with our phones to justify the higher cost of the latest and greatest, and we are on a prepaid plan so we purchase them outright instead of getting the “free” phones available with other plans.
Anyone else planning out purchases for items expected to get more expensive (and maybe hard to get?) with tariffs?
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Post by Katie on Nov 12, 2024 11:20:39 GMT
Our fridge is 20 years old, so I plan to start shopping for a new one this week. My car is 12 years old and I was planning to upgrade next year, but now I’ll have to hope and pray it lasts a few more years because I really can’t afford a car payment right now.
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Post by Bridget in MD on Nov 12, 2024 12:43:59 GMT
DH's truck is in the shop, he hit a deer a couple of weeks ago. hoping they can fix it (so far, they said they would but both side air bags deployed, which usually means they wont, esp on an older vehicle).
the problem is, I feel like prices never go back down, so even if you buy something now, eventually we all get screwed when we have to buy/replace stuff later...
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 12, 2024 12:58:58 GMT
I hadn’t really thought about it yet, but now I’m wondering if I should get a new vehicle now or wait like I had planned. But then I guess cost of the car aside, we will be less able to make a car payment in the future if the economy is bad. Especially if the government shuts down.
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Post by epeanymous on Nov 12, 2024 13:18:04 GMT
We are going to need a new washer/dryer in the next two years and I am thinking they may be our Hanukkah gift.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:36:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2024 13:53:58 GMT
We are replacing our hot water heater, and I just realized we should probably get a new microwave as well.
Beyond that, the plan is to pay on debts, increase savings, and cut back on discretionary spending.
I’ve started canceling subscriptions like Fabletics and Kindle Unlimited.
We live in a small condo, so unfortunately we won’t be able to start a garden, and we don’t have space for a well prepped pantry. I do plan to stock up on some staples however.
At least eggs will be cheaper!!!! /s
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 12, 2024 13:57:37 GMT
We’re good on a lot of fronts (appliances all reliable, new second upright freezer, new water heater, new A/C, added solar this year, just bought a new TV, etc.). We also just hired a new accountant and plan to do a first ever end of the year assessment which our previous accountant never did, which cost us $$$ in corporate taxes last year that could have been spent on a new company work van while DH was driving around a 13 year old beater. 🙄 We no doubt will have more questions now with all the tariff talk.
The only other things I can think of is our boiler is over 30 years old and will need to be replaced at some point, and we were planning on upgrading my car in two years when DD will be able to drive. I can’t imagine DH wanting to buy another car now and just have my current one in the way for the next two years though.
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Tearisci
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,966
Member is Online
Nov 6, 2018 16:34:30 GMT
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Post by Tearisci on Nov 12, 2024 14:04:32 GMT
I paid off all of my bills last year and besides living a little more frugally, there's not much else I can do.
I have an almost 7 year old car bur it only has 37k miles on it so I'm keeping it. I am the original owner and I don't drive very much so I know the history on the car.
I rent from my sister so I know my rent won't be going up any time soon.
I'm just going to buckle down and hopefully wait it out.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,317
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Nov 12, 2024 14:40:29 GMT
I applied to a job I can walk to if, if it still exists by the time they look at my application. Education related... DH works from home, and we live walking distance from two grocery stores. If one of our older cars kicks the bucket (knock on wood) we will just use one of the other two. I refuse to replace perfectly good appliances because whichever one I predict will die (knock on wood) and replace will not be the one that has an untimely death. If I had to pick one it would be our water heater. Living more frugally, and fixing things ourselves will be how we deal with things. That being said, next year I will have two kids in college  |
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Post by leftturnonly on Nov 12, 2024 14:46:58 GMT
Anyone else planning out purchases for items expected to get more expensive (and maybe hard to get? More expensive for the immediate short term, maybe, but prices will drop as more Americans will have better jobs with less competition as the US returns to manufacturing more goods and the unskilled labor market shrinks. |
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Post by Merge on Nov 12, 2024 14:51:56 GMT
Anyone else planning out purchases for items expected to get more expensive (and maybe hard to get? More expensive for the immediate short term, maybe, but prices will drop as more Americans will have better jobs with less competition as the US returns to manufacturing more goods and the unskilled labor market shrinks. And how long do you think that will take? How many families will starve or end up on the streets waiting for these factory jobs to show up? How will companies deal with the economic reasons they stopped manufacturing here in the first place? How will Americans afford the more expensive goods they will produce? How do you factor in the fact that unemployment is at record lows so there aren't exactly throngs of American citizens lining up to take these factory jobs? How will you balance the need for factory employees with the need to entice Americans back into agricultural work (once all the undocumented immigrants are gone) so we can eat? I think Trump's forgotten that he can't force private companies to invest in a losing business model. And if he's intending for the government to build and operate these factories, that's literally socialism. Like for real. |
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,248
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Nov 12, 2024 15:32:01 GMT
“Americans with better jobs “ would indicate more discretionary income which is an indicator of higher prices, not lower. Sort of like how the COVID checks led to inflation. And isn’t that the argument against a higher minimum wage—that it would lead to increased costs across the board? And I’m not sure how a shrinking unskilled labor force due to immigration restrictions would lead to lower prices. Agriculture and construction will have to increase unskilled labor wages if they hope to attract American workers to replace the immigrant labor pool. And as Merge mentioned, it will be years before those new factories will be built, if ever. www.wsj.com/business/trump-tariffs-domestic-investors-9bc50df3 If you put tariffs on Chinese imports, they will just move manufacturing to other low cost countries. “ Other company executives said raising tariffs on goods from countries like China would likely cause them to shift production to other low-cost countries. They said their customers won’t support paying more for U.S.-made items. ‘Our experience has been that, for our products, the ship has literally sailed for U.S. manufacturing,’ said Steve Greenspon, chief executive of Illinois-based housewares company Honey-Can-Do International. ‘I have not heard stories about success moving these products back to the United States.’” |
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Post by Merge on Nov 12, 2024 15:43:49 GMT
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Post by Scrapper100 on Nov 12, 2024 15:50:43 GMT
I wish I knew what we should be doing. Obviously saving money where we can.
How many factories and jobs did he bring last time? He ran on this in 2016 and it never materialized. He has said he will kill the chip act that is doing this very thing. We need these built here vs depending on foreign companies. I am all for being more self reliant especially on essentials Covid really shed a light on the importance of this. Interestingly enough he outsourced the coding for his truth social to Mexico lol factories take years to build so it won’t happen overnight if at all. Adding tarrifs on foreign components won’t help either.
I was going through my house to look for consumables and while many were made here they were made with foreign components.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,635
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Post by amom23 on Nov 12, 2024 15:53:46 GMT
I just bought a new Christmas tree. I was going to hold off another year then I remembered how expensive they were under asshole's tariffs. Otherwise I think our plan is to hunker down and greatly reduce our discretionary spendng.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Nov 12, 2024 15:54:45 GMT
Another Thing to consider last time tariffs went into effect American made product also increased in price because they could maybe not to the rate of foreign made but …
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Post by peano on Nov 12, 2024 15:57:08 GMT
Yes. Everyone needs to give up the fantasy that manufacturing jobs are returning to the US, and they will look like, and pay like the jobs in the postwar economy. But because of MAGA's disdain for knowledge, for science, for education, who knows what higher education--hell, all education in the US will look like. DS will be getting his master's soon in a biological sciences field and has thought about working in government. I advised him to wait and see what the election brings. Now I'm going to tell him to run far, far away. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Nov 12, 2024 15:57:11 GMT
I just bought a new Christmas tree. I was going to hold off another year then I remembered how expensive they were under asshole's tariffs. Otherwise I think our plan is to hunker down and greatly reduce our discretionary spendng. I think that’s where we are at. I will stock up on a few consumables and medications where I can but just not sure what else we can do and what’s reasonable. |
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Post by hopemax on Nov 12, 2024 16:02:56 GMT
Anyone else planning out purchases for items expected to get more expensive (and maybe hard to get? More expensive for the immediate short term, maybe, but prices will drop as more Americans will have better jobs with less competition as the US returns to manufacturing more goods and the unskilled labor market shrinks. So here's the deal, since you obviously missed this part of supply & demand. If you and your neighbor, and thousands of people have better jobs with more money, y'all will want to spend it. Sometimes on the same thing. Businesses may not have enough stock to go around because they are used to selling 1000 units and not 1300 units. Demand goes up, supply not changed... what happens? The economy people *really* want in their heads is an anemic one. You might get a pay raise, or a promotion or something that you, and only you have more money. So when you go to the store you have more money, but prices are low and stable, and there is no chance of an empty shelf because all the other people are watching their pennies. Growing economies are hard because it takes awhile for supply to catch up with the increase in demand, and allow prices to reach a new equilibrium point. Prices and availability jump all over the place, and apparently it makes people MAD. It happened post WWII, but people today don't know that. |
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Post by hopemax on Nov 12, 2024 16:17:41 GMT
Anyway, for the thread. Paying off debt, which for us, is our mortgage, has been #1 priority for us for 2 years. I saw Trump wasn't going away, and feared this would happen, and it would be bad, so we've been throwing money at it, and doing our YOLO International vacations, expecting we'd be limited to domestic trips and fewer trips in the future. We got a new TV last January because I was concerned, long term. Cars are good. We were already planning on replacing our phones in December, that is still the plan. I asked DH about replacing his laptop, but he said he was good. Otherwise, it's shifting to needs not wants, while during and after pandemic it was more wants and needs.
We need to replace our dishwasher and stove/oven and remodel the kitchen and bathroom, but that's not going to happen soon, and we'll have to eat it. Which is why cutting down on discretionary spending to divert to savings is on the agenda.
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Post by Merge on Nov 12, 2024 16:23:17 GMT
Yes. Everyone needs to give up the fantasy that manufacturing jobs are returning to the US, and they will look like, and pay like the jobs in the postwar economy. But because of MAGA's disdain for knowledge, for science, for education, who knows what higher education--hell, all education in the US will look like. DS will be getting his master's soon in a biological sciences field and has thought about working in government. I advised him to wait and see what the election brings. Now I'm going to tell him to run far, far away. We're getting a preview here in Houston of what public education will look like under Republican rule: factory-style "teaching" of slides and worksheets all day, every day, focus on test prep to the exclusion of all else, AI-generated lessons and grading done by AI, no professional teachers - just minders as kids work online or do worksheets and a small cadre of lesson presenters who are prohibited from modifying lessons to meet their students' diverse needs. None of this prepares students to have the independent thinking skills and problem solving skills that will be needed for jobs now and in the future. Treating kids like widgets in the classroom will produce workers who perhaps could have spent 40 hours a week installing widgets at the car factory, but who will have no idea how to program and troubleshoot in a robotic manufacturing environment. They will not know their accurate history because they weren't allowed to learn it. They will never have read a novel or book in school (short passages only) so they're not prepared to fill in the gaps in their learning by reading. They will have had little/no exposure to the arts and humanities, which is how you end up with soulless monsters who view their fellow human beings as acceptable collateral in the latest culture war. Families with means will switch to private schools, some of which will be excellent, and some of which - the lower cost ones that take vouchers (these will be a replacement for publicly funded charter schools) - will be mediocre or poor and will refuse enrollment to kids with special needs that are more expensive to accommodate. This isn't conjecture. It's happening right now in real time in the 8th largest district in the country. Coming soon to all of Texas, I have no doubt. |
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Post by blueswede on Nov 12, 2024 16:27:26 GMT
I just bought a new TV and have started stocking up on food.
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Post by blueswede on Nov 12, 2024 16:30:43 GMT
We have seen that style of teaching in charter schools for some time now.
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Post by katlady on Nov 12, 2024 16:34:30 GMT
We probably need to replace our water heater and we had been thinking of a new car since one of ours is over 10 years old. But, I don’t know if we will actually replace them. Other than that, we have no big pressing needs. Just try to save money and hope that things don’t get too bad. Knock on wood.
I did joke that I am going to stock up on my Japanese and German art supplies. And make a run to Daiso and IKEA.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 12, 2024 16:38:15 GMT
Anyone else planning out purchases for items expected to get more expensive (and maybe hard to get? More expensive for the immediate short term, maybe, but prices will drop as more Americans will have better jobs with less competition as the US returns to manufacturing more goods and the unskilled labor market shrinks. In many places there aren’t workers for the factories that are already in place. Take Springfield, Ohio. They had a shrinking population and actively brought in manufacturing jobs. The owners of those companies said that before the Haitian immigrants came (legally) they couldn’t hire enough workers. That would be the case in many, if not all, parts of the country. |
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Post by katlady on Nov 12, 2024 16:42:01 GMT
More expensive for the immediate short term, maybe, but prices will drop as more Americans will have better jobs with less competition as the US returns to manufacturing more goods and the unskilled labor market shrinks. In many places there aren’t workers for the factories that are already in place. Take Springfield, Ohio. They had a shrinking population and actively brought in manufacturing jobs. The owners of those companies said that before the Haitian immigrants came (legally) they couldn’t hire enough workers. That would be the case in many, if not all, parts of the country. I feel for the people. Trump wants to revoke their special visa status. The Haitian and the people of Springfield will suffer. |
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,248
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Nov 12, 2024 17:01:18 GMT
I saw some trumpers on Facebook getting a little worked up over coffee and chocolate since most of it is imported and they are worried about those prices next year. Wait till they figure out tequila—that will cut into their margarita time around the pool next summer.
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Post by katlady on Nov 12, 2024 17:05:06 GMT
I saw some trumpers on Facebook getting a little worked up over coffee and chocolate since most of it is imported and they are worried about those prices next year. Wait till they figure out tequila—that will cut into their margarita time around the pool next summer. And no more bananas! |
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,248
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on Nov 12, 2024 17:12:33 GMT
I saw some trumpers on Facebook getting a little worked up over coffee and chocolate since most of it is imported and they are worried about those prices next year. Wait till they figure out tequila—that will cut into their margarita time around the pool next summer. And no more bananas! Which makes me sad! |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:36:14 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2024 17:39:21 GMT
Bananas, avocados, chocolate AND coffee? There goes my will to live.
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