Wasted Money or How to Save Money

   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #63  
Many years ago WA State tried to have the State Patrol nab out of state buyers of large purchases by stopping and inspecting trucks and trailers at the first truck weigh station inside the state line. It created so much hate and discontent that it died almost as fast as it started. They still may but don't know they still do but they had a scheme to pay a percentage of collected tax to whistle blowers for solid info on evasion of sales/use/excise taxes. This rumor came out of the attempt by the state to intercept liquor sales from Nevada in that folks swore up and down someone at the NV liquor stores alerted the WA State Patrol when tour buses loaded up all the riders purchases into the belly bus compartments. I had a couple friends caught in this entrapment. Stop the bus, inspect the loads, NV tax stickers, dump all the booze roadside, give them back the empties, and write a healthy ticket.

An earlier poster mentioned big on-line retailer Amazon, they quit fighting the states; I believe they now have a business license in all states and collect the taxes on all their transactions the ones broker. That probably created several full time accountant jobs.

It would be interesting to know how much the Gov admin overhead is required to enforce and collect taxes. Now that WA has privatized liquor sales the taxes are a lot higher
with levies at the wholesale and the consumer level.

Ron
Ron

Ron
 
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #64  
I use a credit card for my business. Paid in full every month with 2% cash back. We charge well into the six figures a year for business expenses. Every year around November I redeem my cash back and it completely covers Christmas for our family of four.

I have read the studies on people spending more on credit than with cash. I am not sure I believe it. In some instances maybe. If you are buying a new tv on credit and they say you ca get a bigger one for $3 a month more people might jump at that before they would shell out extra cash but I don’t think people at grocery stores, gas stations, restraints etc spend more just because they are using a card.

Debt is dumb and I do follow a lot of Dave Ramsey’s teachings and am 100% debt free but a lot of his advice is geared toward people who have no self control. I have had and used credit cards for the past ten years and have never once carried a balance or paid them a penny.

Another thing I really like are hotel reward programs. With my business I book around 500 hotel room nights a year. With their reward programs I literally have over a month of free nights that the family uses for vacations and such.
 
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #65  
I use a credit card for my business. Paid in full every month with 2% cash back. We charge well into the six figures a year for business expenses. Every year around November I redeem my cash back and it completely covers Christmas for our family of four.

I have read the studies on people spending more on credit than with cash. I am not sure I believe it. In some instances maybe. If you are buying a new tv on credit and they say you ca get a bigger one for $3 a month more people might jump at that before they would shell out extra cash but I don’t think people at grocery stores, gas stations, restraints etc spend more just because they are using a card.

Debt is dumb and I do follow a lot of Dave Ramsey’s teachings and am 100% debt free but a lot of his advice is geared toward people who have no self control. I have had and used credit cards for the past ten years and have never once carried a balance or paid them a penny.

Another thing I really like are hotel reward programs. With my business I book around 500 hotel room nights a year. With their reward programs I literally have over a month of free nights that the family uses for vacations and such.

EXACTLY CORRECT!

I do not eat more food, buy more gas, go to restaurants more often, buy more tires/batteries, or pay for more auto repairs, etc., because I use a credit card.
Like you "bdog", I too have NEVER PAID a penny in interest, but over the years, have instead BEEN PAID...THOUSANDS!
I have never figured out why credit card companies (3) keep me around, but I just LOVE it that they do.
I do wish that I could also pay my real estate tax bills with a CC.
I recently paid nearly $18,000 USD, for an out of country hospital bill, with my credit card.
I was out of pocket $3800 for my deductible, but was credited with almost $360 cash back, that being based on the nearly $18,000 FULL payment amount charged to my card! LOVE IT!
Medicare does not cover out of country hospitalization, but my supplemental health insurance company, reimbursed ( $14,386) 80% of the total cost, per policy. I got 2% back ($287 of the almost $360 total) on that $14,386 reimbursed amount, money that was actually returned to me by the insurance company.
Thus my final TOTAL outlay was $3800, but I got $360 cash back!
Oh how I LOVE my cash back cards !!!
 
Last edited:
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #66  
I haven稚 heard about that law if it exists. Online retailers don稚 collect sales tax unless they have a location in your state. I don稚 think someone who negotiates a lower price committed tax fraud. I think technically the seller committed tax fraud.

Nope... it is the buyers responsibility to pay the sales tax. Call your state Dept of Revenue.
 
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #68  

Had to chuckle about this line in the linked article:
"The action by DOR prompted a border war between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. New Hampshire recently passed a new law prohibiting retailers from sharing private customer information with Massachusetts auditors".


There has been a "border war" between Mass. and N.H. for as long as I can remember with various Mass. agencies trying to nab people buying big ticket items or booze here where there's no sales tax, especially in Salem & Nashua. Liquor stores here in N.H. are state run, and tend to be "conveniently" located right on heavily traveled highways just this side of the state line.
 
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #69  
We are credit adverse and never carry a balance.

That said, you really can't exist if you have to travel for business without a card.

I liked the American Express and Discover through Costco... not thrilled with the new one.

For many years I would have to turn in my work expenses every two weeks... during times of expansion I was able to rack up a lot of airline miles... last year I got an official company card... more trouble than it is worth and not always does it work but that is a different story.

I think realizing where you money goes is just as important as knowing where it comes from... some are excellent at making money but can't hold onto it... others are super frugal but miss opportunities for income.

Realizing that you have choices is the first step in my thinking...

One thing I detest is reoccurring bills... probably why I never have had cable or cell phone and that cell service is spotty here.

I manage rentals and to a last one... my low income families all spend a lot of TV... some spend $2,000 a year... it boggles my mind.

A more simplistic approach is to "Pay" yourself first... set a portion aside from each paycheck as if you don't even have it...
https://koko.bet/sports/
My very first real job was $50 a week at age 12... payday was every Friday... $20 to my savings, $20 each week to my folks for room and board a couple of bucks to with holding and about $6 left for me to spend... kind of followed this my entire life... using savings only for things like buying property.
I like how you tie personal discipline with financial awareness. “Pay yourself first” is such timeless advice; most people underestimate how powerful consistent saving really is. Totally agree that tracking where the money goes matters just as much as where it comes from.
 
   / Wasted Money or How to Save Money #70  
We are debit only right now as far as cards we carry, although wife has the Amazon buy now, lay later which is basically a virtual credit card. I have considered switching to credit only. What I think the trouble is, debit and credit...

There are pains with debit only, so, anything over $1000, you have to call, during reg business hours, and get pre approved to use your money, or go to the bank and get cash. Last Friday, to pay for my concrete, i had to do COD, with an envelope of cash.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2001 BOMAG BW141AD-2 SMOOTH DBL DRUM ROLLER (A52707)
2001 BOMAG...
ASSET DESCRIPTIONS & CONDITION (A56138)
ASSET DESCRIPTIONS...
2010 Ford Transit Connect Cargo Van (A53422)
2010 Ford Transit...
2005 PETERBILT 379 (A53843)
2005 PETERBILT 379...
20 ft. Shipping Container (A53117)
20 ft. Shipping...
2018 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV (A55853)
2018 Chevrolet...
 
Top