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Post by chummer16 on Mar 15, 2020 7:18:26 GMT -6
I just went to our small grocery/butcher store to get a few things for the week. I am avoiding the big store because lines are crazy and they are packed. There were probably 50 people waiting when they opened the door. I was at the back of the line and went straight to the deli counter. I was surprised I was the only one there. Everyone else went to the meat department. I took a stroll through after I got my 3lbs of cold cuts. They almost emptied the meat cooler in 10 minutes. I stocked up on bread and cold cuts. I have enough meat in the freezer for a few months. So glad I have the ability and know how to obtain my own meat. Going to the meat counter never crossed my mind.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 15, 2020 7:48:42 GMT -6
I dropped the wife off at the local grocery store/pharmacy yesterday to pick up a couple scripts. Told her to check for T.P. if they had any. Plenty there I guess, customers were limited to two packs so she grabbed a couple. We had heard that on Friday there was zero T.P. to be had there.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Mar 15, 2020 7:53:23 GMT -6
Daughter went to target this morning and waited in line for the door to open with 30 other idiots. They were out of 10 of the 15 things she wanted.
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Post by Bob on Mar 15, 2020 7:55:09 GMT -6
There will be a time when retirement homes will be affordable again but not likely with interest rates this low. Interest rates will not go up much compared to historical rates in our lifetime. one of the big issues with low rates is that it makes it risky for seniors (everyone) to obtain a decent rate of return (yield) without going out on the risk curve. Historically seniors had money in CDs, utilities and bonds and was able to comfortably live off the interest. If you think we have it bad think about those people who are 75+ who have to be in stocks to make money and are now seeing their nest egg disappear. Scary stuff. its a good lesson to make certain your debt and living costs are in line when you retire. I think the era of bonds and risk free returns is over. There aren't enough millions to be made to safely live off bond income any longer. Time to figure out how to extract more income from less wealth, or figure out how to make an enormous amount of money before you get there. I know stock picking isn't in every cat's wheelhouse, and frankly doesn't need to be. However, the new normal is that loose monetary policy has brought us to a point where debt is rewarded and cash is trash. 2-4% returns ain't gonna cut the mustard vs inflation, especially in things we consume at that age like healthcare, housing, transportation, food, and energy. If I were there today, I'd be ripping off every mutual fund and ETF portfolio I could find. Anyone can do exactly what passive funds are doing, and beat them, simply because you don't have to have the cash component, or the fund fees, no matter how low they are. You can go find your 2-5% dividends, but also find those that will keep up with or even beat inflation. Stocks are risky, but that's what mutual funds are full of anyway. Take the XLU utilities index. Top 4 holdings: NextEra Energy: 2.5% dividend, dividend raise rate of 12%/year Dominion Energy: 4.8% dividend, dividend rase rate of 8%/year Duke Energy: 4.4% dividend, dividend raise rate of 4%/year Southern Company: 4.6% dividend, dividend raise rate of 3.5%/year You could build your own portfolio of old, boring, low beta fart stocks that just pump out reliable returns, but have strong records of keeping pace with and beating inflation. If I had retirement money, I'd own about 50 stocks like this, have a few years in cash just in case. Get low and wide, and there is no longer a single stock/single sector risk, and you don't have to fork over tens of thousands in fees per year to do it. I believe that is in the realm of $1,000/hr jobs that you can do yourself. $1 million managed at a 0.8% fee = $667/mo $3 million managed at a 0.5% fee = $1,250/mo $5 million managed at a 0.15% fee = $625/mo Give me a few books and a laptop, I'll do that job myself. Might even be able to afford grid power with those savings.
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Post by Tooln on Mar 15, 2020 8:17:11 GMT -6
Better watch out Wu Tang Cat. If the country goes into a lockdown, riots could start. Store shelves will be empty. People will start to starve. Wu Tang Cat may just end up as Wu Tang Stew.
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Post by Bob on Mar 15, 2020 8:23:51 GMT -6
Better watch out Wu Tang Cat. If the country goes into a lockdown, riots could start. Store shelves will be empty. People will start to starve. Wu Tang Cat may just end up as Wu Tang Stew. You mess with the meow meow, you gonna get the peow peow.
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Post by batman on Mar 15, 2020 9:30:23 GMT -6
Sounds like a good chance my kids won't see the inside of schools again for the rest of the year. 9 days off to calculate logistics of distant learning. Maybe its time teachers are replaced by technology.
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 15, 2020 11:07:39 GMT -6
Sounds like a good chance my kids won't see the inside of schools again for the rest of the year. 9 days off to calculate logistics of distant learning. Maybe its time teachers are replaced by technology. My daughter was scheduled to teach two classes on Wed and Thursday.
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 15, 2020 11:49:58 GMT -6
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Post by biglakebass on Mar 15, 2020 12:18:24 GMT -6
Wow. Walmart in monti is raped. Zero bread of any kind. Meat on the verge of empty. Cereal aisle 98% empty. Freezer section amost empty.
It looks like a bomb went off its so torn up.
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Post by kooch on Mar 15, 2020 12:54:43 GMT -6
Smart people *always* have enough stuff on hand to last a while without resupply. We just came out of Winter and live in MN. It astounds me to think that people aren’t at least a little bit prepared to stay inside for a while.
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Post by biglakebass on Mar 15, 2020 13:08:18 GMT -6
Exactly. We went for basics for the week. Wife and daughter got back from mexico last night. I pretty much emptied the fridge. Freezer stock is fine. Toilet paper hoarding was in full force too.
Water cases. Zero. Wtf is going to happen to water with this shit?
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 15, 2020 13:20:25 GMT -6
Exactly. We went for basics for the week. Wife and daughter got back from mexico last night. I pretty much emptied the fridge. Freezer stock is fine. Toilet paper hoarding was in full force too. Water cases. Zero. Wtf is going to happen to water with this shit? CWD prions will kick the shit out of Corona particles in water.
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Post by batman on Mar 15, 2020 13:53:11 GMT -6
Told the boys we may have to race for toilet paper so they threw some new plugs in are checking things over.
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Post by Reagan on Mar 15, 2020 14:26:39 GMT -6
Ohio is now forcing restaurants to shut down.
I have had a wicked cough since Wednesday. It started with sneezing and runny nose and progressed to severe congestion. I don’t think I had a fever but was out of town when it first hit. Started checking my temp when I got home Thursday. Picked up some bronchitis meds yesterday and feel a little better. My kids keep saying I have corona.
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