We need a membership drive, Alex

[Poseidon]

I should have added that I see this forum like really good friends: we don't need to talk often to stay close. If anyone of you showed up at my 'stead, I couldn't say no to having you over!

Also, I owe it to LATOC and all of you guys for giving me the courage to get rid of the lemon car before the end of the 5-year loan, in 2008: I borrowed from my parents to pay off the loan, then dumped the car (it was effectively worthless), paid off that loan, then borrowed from the bank to pay off a large credit card balance, then a year later borrowed from my parents at half the rate to pay that off, and paid my parents off a year later, then asked them for another loan to pay off the total remaining LOC balance I had, I think, which I paid off a year later. All in all, in 5 years, I saved nearly 40k which went to paying off loans and credit cards and a line of credit, and put a lot of money in savings, all the while occasionally traveling by train or coach and saving over 5k for an overseas trip. The next year, I also acquired a big chunk of land that will become a working 'stead one day.

Without you guys, I would have never had the courage to stand up to DH and constantly promising him another car "soon" yet knowing that the longer we waited, the better we were going to be financially. It took a while, but when his own savings account's balance started going up fast, he really understood the wisdom of all the sacrifices we were making. Since then, we haven't had any debt aside from a mortgage and new car's loan.

By becoming more aware of the macros of finance while knowing who I could trust in the financial blogosphere, I could anticipate rate changes and renewed my mortgage at the lowest rate, while keeping my payments the same, thereby shaving 7 months of payments "for free".

Let's not put ourselves down, even those who don't post much!

[BigGreenFrog]

I should have added that I see this forum like really good friends: we don't need to talk often to stay close. If anyone of you showed up at my 'stead, I couldn't say no to having you over!

Also, I owe it to LATOC and all of you guys for giving me the courage to get rid of the lemon car before the end of the 5-year loan, in 2008: I borrowed from my parents to pay off the loan, then dumped the car (it was effectively worthless), paid off that loan, then borrowed from the bank to pay off a large credit card balance, then a year later borrowed from my parents at half the rate to pay that off, and paid my parents off a year later, then asked them for another loan to pay off the total remaining LOC balance I had, I think, which I paid off a year later. All in all, in 5 years, I saved nearly 40k which went to paying off loans and credit cards and a line of credit, and put a lot of money in savings, all the while occasionally traveling by train or coach and saving over 5k for an overseas trip. The next year, I also acquired a big chunk of land that will become a working 'stead one day.

Without you guys, I would have never had the courage to stand up to DH and constantly promising him another car "soon" yet knowing that the longer we waited, the better we were going to be financially. It took a while, but when his own savings account's balance started going up fast, he really understood the wisdom of all the sacrifices we were making. Since then, we haven't had any debt aside from a mortgage and new car's loan.

By becoming more aware of the macros of finance while knowing who I could trust in the financial blogosphere, I could anticipate rate changes and renewed my mortgage at the lowest rate, while keeping my payments the same, thereby shaving 7 months of payments "for free".

Let's not put ourselves down, even those who don't post much!

Cheers!

[Syn]

I left because some dingo friend of QLD wombats , who would drown in a half glass of water , said I was domineering and never contributed anything to the forum and no one spoke a single word otherwise so I thought fine, lets see what she contributes.

[Changer]

Cripes, Syn, I hope it wasn't me!

Mind you, I couldn't fit in half a glass of water ....


Otherwise, I largely agree with everyone else ... like it the way it is, and really do like the sense that I can post things privately.
Although I am on facebook, I tell SilCoers more about my life than I ever post on fb, mainly because it feels more private.

[Syn]

No Changer, not you at all. She was the younger one with the psych problem and i don't even remember her name . She wasn't any kind I would care to associate with so I left . Since then I moved and have been building up a new hobby farm .

[Changer]

Phew! I am pleased to hear that!

Hope the hobby farm (aka doomstead! ) is going well.

[Syn]

It is going reasonably well , I renovated the grow op into a regular but large home , I have planted a baby orchard in, about 60 mixed fruit and nut trees , a small vineyard slope with grapes and oriental kiwi , a fenced garden with a small greenhouse , built a bear proof coop and chicken yard , built a barn, and have chickens, muscovey ducks , rex rabbits, way too many goats, and horses , dogs and cats , and a bear 3/4 of the year amoung other wildlife ( he feels a bit like one of the family) . Half the land is in huge majestic temperate coastal rain forest with huge ravines cutting me off from adjoining neignbours ( hooray ) . I have been fencing the last year and its going good just slow with gardening and beasties and the materials I am using is too heavy for one person .

[Changer]

Yeah - I would say it's going reasonably well! That is an impressive amount of work you have achieved!

[Jag Farlane]

From my female point of view, it seems sometimes waay too much conservative white male territory ....

And there are those who really don't want to hear voices that are different to their own.

And then there are those great people who enjoy a diversity of views and ideas - and that is why I stay.

I think for many of us, doom seems further away than it used to be, so a doomer forum is less attractive than it used to be, and discussion of doom has devolved to partisan politics in some cases.

Doom is coming, it's just the timing that is up for debate!

This is about it for me, and I say that as a moderate white male. Got tired of the continual descent into further and further right wing, and really away from doom. Got tired of it, and honestly, too busy to deal with it. Still am, but just wanted to chime in on this excellent point.