Fast Tracks: Paying to Cut the Line

[DomB]

I was thinking of breaking it out:

Paying Cash for a Depreciating Asset while the Equity Markets Rise

Honestly I think I've done that ^^ before. Can you still get a hall pass if you are also investing in stocks at the same time?

At least once, maybe twice, I wrapped a car into a refi. That seemed kind of dicey to me, but hey.

I am pretty sure every American has paid cash for a depreciating asset. You can make an argument that that is better than taking on debt to do it. The reason you/we pay interest is to compensate someone for giving us money now. That is, debt to some degree restricts our future choices/cash flow. Is what it is, and may be a good play or a bad play.

Yes, over the long haul you can arbitrage with a 3-5% car loan and 7% in the market after inflation and taxes, but keep in mind there are years where the market goes up 30% and down 30% (2 of those types of cycles in the past 12 years).

And, yes, imo, you get a free pass if you are also investing at the same time.

Benny had a few good bullet points about the market, but he noted you can get nailed by timing. The antidote to that (or rather the mitigant) is don't time: just keep investing over time. It doesn't matter if it is 80 a month, or 800 etc. (Yes, of course any investing can be a challenge if like so many of us people are starting out with a negative net worth). Yes, at some point you draw down, but there are plenty of drawdown calculators that show even if you retired in '08, there are relatively safe rules of thumb on what you can withdraw. Many folks have posted about it, but check out tools like firecalc on the google machine.

These are strange times. As camp noted, terrible depreciating assets like cars are actually going up in value. Never heard of used cars going up in value (absent classics etc) pre Covid.

 

[Harvey]

I was kidding about breaking it out. Dom is always reassurring tho.

Can someone complain about line cutters to make me feel better?

 

[DomB]

I was kidding about breaking it out. Dom is always reassurring tho.

Can someone complain about line cutters to make me feel better?

Woops . . . Line cutters are bad! So much of what we need to know in life our teachers told us in kindegarden.

The only way this might be reasonable if this money went to stakeholders that make the places go/spin like employees. Fat chance of that.

 

[Tjf1967]

The more I think about it I actually like the way they structure the fast pass. Limiting it to 2% is going to have very little effect on wait time for the common folk. The extra 10k per day the resorts get can have a positive effect on everyone's experience.

 

[Tjf1967]

I only cut the line when it's long.

 

[Campgottagopee]

I only cut the line when it's long.

Right, and I never pay for it.

 

[DomB]

My son is reading over my shoulder and just said 'we never cut' the ski line.

I do think taking your group and separating into singles lines is a good work around (but you might not be on the lift together). My 10 is just getting old enough for that.

 

[tirolski]

I only cut the line when it's long.

I only ski where or when there isn’t a line.
I like people just not a lot of people at the same place.

 

[MarzNC]

Woops . . . Line cutters are bad! So much of what we need to know in life our teachers told us in kindegarden.

The only way this might be reasonable if this money went to stakeholders that make the places go/spin like employees. Fat chance of that.

I heard that the new parking fees at Crystal in the PacNW are supposed to help fun fund alternative bus transportation. Season pass holders get free parking. Others with less than 4 people in the car have to pay Fri, Sat, Sun.

 

[Campgottagopee]

Back on topic… this is how I feel too. It makes me think though of something @Milo Maltbie posted in another thread,

This reminded me of the time my 4 year old son was in a serious car crash. When I asked him what happened, he described how the entire right side of the car was violently destroyed. When I asked if he was afraid, he said "No. I was sitting in the other side of the car." Sometimes problems stay where they begin, but usually the consequences spread all over the place.

mm

and I agree with what @Dmoss said on the front page comments,

My worry is that it spreads to Ski3 or other “smaller” mountains.

Say no to fast tracks before this bullshit gets out of hand.

Good point.

I'm sure if I was a young buck, still charging hard, I'd be pissed as well, but I'm not.