tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59077547581501272412024-03-05T18:15:18.429-08:00Road To A TeslaThe details of one man's quest to buy a Tesla, originally using passive income, but it didn't turn out that way.Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-19547506967232763502021-06-24T07:39:00.001-07:002021-06-24T07:39:18.930-07:002 Year Post-Finale Follow Up<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Last updated:</b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px;"> June, 2021</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Net Worth:</b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px;"> $2,006,775</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Change from May, 2020:</b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px;"> +$777,524</span><br />
<br />Now, we have finally come to the end. The absolutely-final, no-more-to-come-after-this <i>last</i> post of this blog.<h3 style="text-align: left;">Another Year Gone</h3><div>Sadly, COVID is still with us. At least now there is a vaccine. Everyone in my family is fully vaccinated and I am fortunate that no one I know got sick or died from it. It's looking like we are over the hump now and things are starting to open up again. People are planning trips once more, including us. After one and a half years of being away, we are finally returning to <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/07/making-most-of-your-las-vegas-budget.html">Las Vegas</a> for our <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/06/no-post-this-week-im-in-las-vegas.html">vacation tradition</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>We were very lucky to be minimally impacted by the virus. Neither I nor my wife got laid off or even had our work hours reduced. We both switched to working from home full time and my daughter was able to attend school from home as well. Raises were cancelled at my wife's employer, but the virus was actually a huge boon for my employer. We had a record year in 2020 and we are doing even better this year. As a result, I actually got a significant 5-figure bonus for 2020!<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">All My Teslas Are Paid Off</h3><div>My last car payment has been made! All our cars are now paid off! <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2020/05/1-year-post-finale-follow-up.html">Last year</a>, I thought it would take me 1.25 years to finish paying off the last loan and it took about 2 months less than that, partly due to that huge bonus I received.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is an accounting from the bank of the total interest I paid on the loan:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqseEyv67Qwn2xUBNXwT2wIGOITwTpd0HJxVCyFdL2wMJinfAKnOHAhWUnElLpZEPKIu2ZzScOUA69_eAMvwS8XPK1MQmtvZcHEWuyqV9rWbOQ_0vTjpqv-adwt-zs9ZlhLb8zKm7GeWet/s694/Total+interest+paid+Model+S.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="86" data-original-width="694" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqseEyv67Qwn2xUBNXwT2wIGOITwTpd0HJxVCyFdL2wMJinfAKnOHAhWUnElLpZEPKIu2ZzScOUA69_eAMvwS8XPK1MQmtvZcHEWuyqV9rWbOQ_0vTjpqv-adwt-zs9ZlhLb8zKm7GeWet/w640-h79/Total+interest+paid+Model+S.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Had I paid off my loan on schedule, I would have paid a total of <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-first-week-of-tesla-ownership.html">$5,682 in interest</a>. However, I paid the loan off early, taking only 2.75 years to retire the 6 year loan. As a result, I ended up only paying <b>$3,232.56 in interest</b>. I received a <b>$7,500 electric vehicle tax credit </b>on my 2018 federal income tax for buying the car, so that means not only was my car loan free, I came out <b>ahead by $4,267.44</b>. Not bad.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Tesla Is Still Amazing</h3><div>It's now been almost three years of ownership and I still love the car. At the end of 2020, we made a second road trip from Washington to Arizona, just like the one I did at the <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">end of 2018</a>. We took the same basic route and stopped at most of the same charging stations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Much has changed in the two years since our last trip. First, there are a lot more Teslas on the road these days. Second, I noticed many improvements to the charging network. Some of the locations have been expanded with more chargers and some had the new <a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/introducing-v3-supercharging">faster V3 chargers</a> installed. And, of course, there are more charging locations in general.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, I've noticed almost all of the <b>Safeway</b> grocery stores near me have installed one or two <b>free electric vehicle chargers</b> in their parking lots. They are level 2, non-Tesla chargers, which means they are somewhat slow and require an adapter for me to use, but free energy is free energy! I can usually gain about a 5% charge while I do my weekly grocery shopping.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Three Years Old And Going Strong</h3><div>The car has performed admirably for the three years I've been an owner. I currently have 35,173 miles on the car. That's somewhat low for a 3 year old car, mainly because with COVID, I haven't been driving to work at all. Or driving anywhere, really.</div><div><br /></div><div>The car was <a href="https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/39840.shtml">rated by the EPA</a> as using 350 Wh/mi (or 35 kWh/100 miles, as their website lists it). As the below image from the car's odometer shows, I'm actually getting 342 Wh/mi over the life of the car. For this statistic, lower is better, so I'm actually coming out ahead of the official estimate.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ44HO4XOLPI7JKu4pHeigvnUsu6ucyxTavIt1FCQr_4nsBIW2go7zydDmSS4O2xMffUDweqf1fKWszCcff19bSOcBXW-y6SVaNRMCtBFjaQrk9d1YEOjjG-CUiZ7VPWjWGqawQyGrIrZ/s2048/PXL_20210607_231649248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ44HO4XOLPI7JKu4pHeigvnUsu6ucyxTavIt1FCQr_4nsBIW2go7zydDmSS4O2xMffUDweqf1fKWszCcff19bSOcBXW-y6SVaNRMCtBFjaQrk9d1YEOjjG-CUiZ7VPWjWGqawQyGrIrZ/w480-h640/PXL_20210607_231649248.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Maintenance costs are just about non-existent. Apart from getting it washed, I can't even think of any maintenance I had done. Not routine maintenance, anyway. I have yet to even rotate the tires!</div><div><br /></div><div>Oops. Turns out, that's not true. I had them <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-tesla-service-wheel-damage-and.html">rotated once</a>, at 6,250 miles. At the time, that was Tesla's recommended guidance. Since then, the official guidance from Tesla for their dual motor vehicles has changed and they now say that the tires only need to be rotated if the tread difference between the front and rear tires is 2/32 of an inch or more (with the rear having less). That hasn't happened yet. I also still have a fair amount of tread left on the tires, although I can see they are wearing. I will probably need to replace them in another 15,000 miles or so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Total maintenance costs so far: <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-tesla-service-wheel-damage-and.html">$68 plus tax</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which isn't to say I haven't spent money on the car. As the above linked-to post shows, I did scrape my wheel once and had to have that repaired at a cost of <b>$350</b>. My paint was also chipped by a flying rock, so I spent <b>$100</b> on a Tesla paint repair kit to fix that. Apart from car washes, I can't think of any other maintenance-ish things I've had to pay for.</div><div><br />
I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the <b>Full Self-Driving</b> functionality, which I purchased when I bought the car. <b>Autopilot </b>has seen vast improvements during my ownership and, from what I've been reading, FSD should perform even better.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Some Interviews</h3></div><div>During the past year, I did a couple of interviews for the <a href="https://esimoney.com/">ESI Money blog</a>. I was <a href="https://esimoney.com/six-figure-interview-11/">Number11</a> in their Six Figure Interview series and was <a href="https://esimoney.com/millionaire-interview-237/">Millionaire Interview #237</a> in the Millionaire Interview series.</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Investment Performance</h3></div><div>My stock portfolio has recovered from the initial COVID drop and has continued to grow.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwHYFIm8Yz21pbXU9V-4niGZwOMAbzpJbQyg4m1tuX2GyRrNuDDc8yilZHUIcUPKOg_8W9wF5t3-SEV770HaPBlLCWOCcEvuqJsKDTBAB_k826qhGXbjzLwcKXxOIYgACPlOkOAXy7giF/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="1458" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwHYFIm8Yz21pbXU9V-4niGZwOMAbzpJbQyg4m1tuX2GyRrNuDDc8yilZHUIcUPKOg_8W9wF5t3-SEV770HaPBlLCWOCcEvuqJsKDTBAB_k826qhGXbjzLwcKXxOIYgACPlOkOAXy7giF/w400-h75/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>That chart perfectly illustrates why it's important to practice buy-and-hold in the stock market and not panic sell. Despite my big loss at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, by August 2020, the market had recovered. Not only did it recover, but it continued to rise and I'm now at an all-time high.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it wasn't just not selling and letting the market recover that helped my portfolio performance. I continued to invest and buy stocks during the downturn. This let me buy at depressed prices and, when the market did recover, it supercharged my growth.<br /><br /><br /></div><div>
<h3>
Net Worth</h3>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVO5REDO5MT7u38-Nsz_aTOGKOlhNsGknKowQChJ6Gz2KpIS7fPVT7Niki4Ah4dL_MB01MEPryth1A4O2csUJpQVPP2iG_IyO0F8HA-If-MkMQwUFso8sKbIs428rMKzZ6rcDUAg6BpfZ/s1600/Net+worth+2020-05.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVO5REDO5MT7u38-Nsz_aTOGKOlhNsGknKowQChJ6Gz2KpIS7fPVT7Niki4Ah4dL_MB01MEPryth1A4O2csUJpQVPP2iG_IyO0F8HA-If-MkMQwUFso8sKbIs428rMKzZ6rcDUAg6BpfZ/s400/Net+worth+2020-05.png" width="240" /></a></td>
<td><br /></td><td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUBvdGQr9Jyz8QxXell8kLBgIKPvZN_bmEaZncwuW7vSD5XQl7knB3qfV-Ko-bfAArVTjaa3ifQO9r5SVF5lI7WUzJETRkMwcBmX-EfmZdP3ZFvBSJY9JiEJ2rA4GBEnGkGBcvfaC96XP/s540/net+worth+June+2021.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUBvdGQr9Jyz8QxXell8kLBgIKPvZN_bmEaZncwuW7vSD5XQl7knB3qfV-Ko-bfAArVTjaa3ifQO9r5SVF5lI7WUzJETRkMwcBmX-EfmZdP3ZFvBSJY9JiEJ2rA4GBEnGkGBcvfaC96XP/w238-h400/net+worth+June+2021.png" width="238" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
May 2020</div></td><td><br /></td><td><div style="text-align: center;">June 2021</div></td></tr>
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<br />Our net worth took off over this past year, growing by <b>over $750,000</b>! We have surpassed a net worth of <b>$2 million dollars</b>! Amazing. If I wasn't looking at the numbers myself, I would not believe it.</div><div><br /></div><div>As the above figures show, the growth was mainly fueled by investment gains, but around $60,000 was due to the property value increase of my house. I also paid down <b>over $85,000</b> in loans. Some of that was principal repayment on my mortgage, but most of that was my car loan. In May 2020, I <b>owed $72,000</b> on my Model S. Thirteen months later, I owe <b>nothing</b>.<br /><div><br /></div><div>As I previously mentioned, the huge drop in my stock portfolio from when COVID first hit has more than been made up. And with our final car loan paid off, I'm going to be redirecting that money towards investments and paying down our mortgage, so I expect our net worth to continue to grow, possibly even faster.</div><div><br /></div><div>I first started tracking my net worth in <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/04/goal-update-end-of-march-2016.html">March, 2016</a>. At that time, it was <b>$621,556.05</b>. Now, five years later, it's <b>more than tripled</b>. Not bad!<br />
<br />So as we come out of COVID isolation and life starts to return to normal, things are looking bright. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading!</div></div>Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-13986720645639201902020-05-11T09:02:00.001-07:002020-05-11T09:02:05.513-07:001 Year Post-Finale Follow Up<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Last updated:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> May, 2020</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Net Worth:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> $1,229,251</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Change from May, 2019:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> +$202,172</span><br />
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I did not expect to be writing another blog post, but I felt an update would be in order, given all that has gone on recently.<br />
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It is mid-May, almost one year exactly after I wrote what I thought would be my <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/05/net-worth-update-end-of-may-2019-and.html">final post</a>. A lot has happened since then. <b>COVID-19</b> struck, killing and infecting thousands and also decimating the stock market and causing unemployment to skyrocket. My wife and I have been lucky in that neither of us has been laid off, although we suspect some sort of temporary furlough may be in my wife's future. Both of us have been working from home for the past month and a half and my daughter's school has switched to online classes, so she is home full time as well.<br />
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This new arrangement has taken some getting used to, to say the least.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKq8ctRtZgwkO-_cOYvurY_wcYcUg4KoM9t8VVDyQhhRvj5vvMttAsSpm1wXwut1Dauo2p57mgMYWi-t88VZaaskbn88XCd-eMtURtR-IJIcNzUcbT5RXDXyiQxP53OD5TxZ30aTBG1My/s1600/Overall+value.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="604" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKq8ctRtZgwkO-_cOYvurY_wcYcUg4KoM9t8VVDyQhhRvj5vvMttAsSpm1wXwut1Dauo2p57mgMYWi-t88VZaaskbn88XCd-eMtURtR-IJIcNzUcbT5RXDXyiQxP53OD5TxZ30aTBG1My/s400/Overall+value.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not pretty - but it's not the end of the world either.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As the above chart shows, our stock accounts have declined in value about $150,000 on paper. This actually represents a rebound from the all-time low of mid-March, which was a decline of close to $300,000. Surprisingly, our net worth has manged to remain above $1,000,000, even with this huge decline.<br />
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I'm actually eager to buy more shares of index funds, as I think this downturn is a great buying opportunity. I'm torn between building up a cash reserve in case either I or my wife gets furloughed and investing that cash now to buy while the market is low.<br />
<h3>
What I Learned From The Coronavirus</h3>
I am very grateful I had an emergency fund established. It has provided me with a measure of relief, knowing that we have some funds available should our situation <i>really</i> turn south. However, the stock market crash has made me realize I need to adjust my emergency fund philosophy a bit.<br />
<br />
Back in 2 B.C. (<i>before COVID-19</i>), my emergency fund consisted of $2,000 cash and the remainder (about $18,000) invested in low cost index mutual funds and a handful of <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/investing-for-monthly-income-dividend.html">dividend king stocks</a>. Some people say that investing your emergency funds in the stock market is crazy. However, <i>not</i> investing it in the stock market incurs a <b>huge opportunity cost</b> - you will lose out on all the stock market growth for the (hopefully) rare case when you will need cash someday. The concept of opportunity cost has been written about very nicely over at the <b>Early Retirement Now</b> blog in <a href="https://earlyretirementnow.com/2018/04/18/emergency-fund-in-stocks/">this post</a>. (Also be sure to read the three other posts he links to at the start of that post.)<br />
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So what has happened over the past two months is exactly what many people feared - a stock market crash has really cut into the value of my emergency fund. I'll admit I was worried. The market tanked and my first thought was "Shit! Those goes my emergency fund right when I need it the most!"<br />
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But when I stopped to think about it, I realized it wasn't so bad. Yes, if I needed more than $2,000 cash, I would be forced to sell some stock at really low prices. Thankfully, I haven't had to do that so far. But did I actually lose money in my emergency fund with this downturn? Here's a screenshot of my emergency fund stock holdings:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0U2QXCIvVVhVyy_kyzpelEa4rKb0bRVo4v0Y1pGcHRUnrH4BnIGIDf9NixX0cCyrytMdxoy98CkHuTNWRZwtQgMVtAGZ4u5f3doSuiMFOKYfuEtzGZPo9wiPROxtDSEZhKCYXxkWjw7d/s1600/Emergency+fund.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="853" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0U2QXCIvVVhVyy_kyzpelEa4rKb0bRVo4v0Y1pGcHRUnrH4BnIGIDf9NixX0cCyrytMdxoy98CkHuTNWRZwtQgMVtAGZ4u5f3doSuiMFOKYfuEtzGZPo9wiPROxtDSEZhKCYXxkWjw7d/s640/Emergency+fund.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, my <b>cost basis</b>, the amount of money I paid for these stocks ($18,822.26), is still <i>lower</i> than their current market value ($19,346,74). Even after the huge market losses of the past month, I'm still ahead. Even if I had to sell stocks to raise cash after the market crashed, I <i>still</i> would not have lost money.<br />
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However, I'm not completely immune to the emotional ups and downs of huge market swings, so I have decided to adjust my emergency fund strategy a bit. Rather than keeping $2,000 in cash, I'm going to keep an amount of cash equal to two month's mortgage payments, because my mortgage is really the biggest monthly expense that I am worried about covering in an emergency. I'm going to go ahead and accept the opportunity cost of keeping about $5,000 in cash. It's a small price to pay for some peace of mind during the next market crash.<br />
<h3>
And Speaking of Mortgages...</h3>
Right before the coronavirus crisis hit, I had started to <b>refinance my mortgage</b>. Interest rates had dropped a fair amount and my back-of-the-envelope calculations showed I could save a couple hundred dollars a month.<br />
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I had a 30 year mortgage at 4.125% and decided to refinance to a <b>5/5 ARM</b> at <b>2.75%</b> with no points. It's an adjustable rate mortgage, but the rate stays the same for the first five years. My daughter will be going off to college in 2 or 3 years and there's a high probability we will move shortly thereafter, so I'm OK with just a five-year adjustable rate.<br />
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The refi process took longer than normal. Banks are swamped with people wanting to lock in lower rates and then, on top of that, the virus hit, slowing everything down more and causing havoc as people were laid off or furloughed. I was asked about three times during the refinancing process to verify my and my wife's employment status. 😀 Anyway, that all wrapped up a couple days ago and now my monthly mortgage is just over <b>$400 less a month</b> than it was. Part of that savings will be going to paying down my car loan and the rest will be invested in the stock market.<br />
<h3>
One Tesla Is Paid Off!</h3>
This month also featured another milestone! We've paid off my wife's Model 3! We managed to pay it off in just about 1 year - we <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/03/model-3-delivered.html">took delivery</a> in March, 2019 and it was paid off in May, 2020! This was well ahead of the four years I had planned.<br />
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Because we paid it off so fast, we actually ended up coming out much further ahead than I had <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-one-in-which-i-buy-second-tesla.html">hoped</a> we would. We received a <b>$3,750 federal tax credit</b> (which I collected when I filed our taxes last month). At the time of purchase, I figured we would pay about $3,552 in interest on the loan over four years and we ended up only paying <b>$1,084.37</b> over the life of the loan, which was one year. That means the purchase price of the car was effectively reduced by $2,665.63 (the $3,750 tax credit minus the $1,084.37 interest charges). To put it another way, <b>we were paid $2,665.63</b> to take out the car loan!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ64uOti0LX1_RpPKcNl6N-ghs1NFxgeqONwa8oJ1TxfVLhyphenhyphenp4B-1fUjn1_rWtljoj2NRFYkUfM2Mzu6vLSJx_NASovfC90Y4RpnSDJUo6dutE9qdEBPLwKy5UzxXabgI0EKRCYrd7akOu/s1600/Model+3+total+Interest+Paid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="731" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ64uOti0LX1_RpPKcNl6N-ghs1NFxgeqONwa8oJ1TxfVLhyphenhyphenp4B-1fUjn1_rWtljoj2NRFYkUfM2Mzu6vLSJx_NASovfC90Y4RpnSDJUo6dutE9qdEBPLwKy5UzxXabgI0EKRCYrd7akOu/s400/Model+3+total+Interest+Paid.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, I am going to concentrate on <b>paying off my Model S</b> by redirecting the money we were sending to my wife's car loan to mine. I estimate we should have our final car loan paid off in about 1.25 years.<br />
<h3>
Net Worth</h3>
<table><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVt3iqkPTdIS64Ko4a8ri5Qlcd7L_blGGZVhnXClthnIzsSWuIRYc4fh00wkivDbBytj8mDoYjJzZ0BZGbi2oBNnh_zwhuJ1QsyzsdBSHjyN-6uy4O4XmctifDojcXucSvvsYd8xiGgb/s1600/net+worth+2019-05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVt3iqkPTdIS64Ko4a8ri5Qlcd7L_blGGZVhnXClthnIzsSWuIRYc4fh00wkivDbBytj8mDoYjJzZ0BZGbi2oBNnh_zwhuJ1QsyzsdBSHjyN-6uy4O4XmctifDojcXucSvvsYd8xiGgb/s400/net+worth+2019-05.png" width="240" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVO5REDO5MT7u38-Nsz_aTOGKOlhNsGknKowQChJ6Gz2KpIS7fPVT7Niki4Ah4dL_MB01MEPryth1A4O2csUJpQVPP2iG_IyO0F8HA-If-MkMQwUFso8sKbIs428rMKzZ6rcDUAg6BpfZ/s1600/Net+worth+2020-05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLVO5REDO5MT7u38-Nsz_aTOGKOlhNsGknKowQChJ6Gz2KpIS7fPVT7Niki4Ah4dL_MB01MEPryth1A4O2csUJpQVPP2iG_IyO0F8HA-If-MkMQwUFso8sKbIs428rMKzZ6rcDUAg6BpfZ/s400/Net+worth+2020-05.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">
May 2019</div>
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<td><div style="text-align: center;">
May 2020</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Despite the poor stock market performance of the last two months, our net worth still increased over the year since my last blog post.<br />
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The gain came from the usual sources you would expect when you are looking over a full year - a combination of constantly investing some money each paycheck, paying down our outstanding car loans and mortgage, and property appreciation. Slow and steady wins the race.<br />
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<h3>
Back Into Hiding</h3>
That's all for now. I'll likely do one <i>really</i> final update in a year or so when my Model S is paid off. Check back then!<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-67435451385843086282019-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:002019-05-29T06:00:02.550-07:00Net Worth Update: End of May, 2019 (and End Of Blog)<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Last updated:</b> End of May, 2019<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $1,027,079<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> +$29,192 (<b>!!</b>)<br />
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<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
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My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$56.20</b> of income. This is my <b><a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/04/after-six-years-time-to-end-my-online.html">last payment</a></b> from Udemy and it takes my total lifetime income from my courses to $11,368.76. Not too shabby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjx8EVwrtIliM8Yi2XIzfTiOqhdsJpVk6MxIXNduUPPYswh20BBTY9ia33MyxGwBcbpsb-yVZYzYFcfichc5RmfjMjkW-FQzfrLsiL1hEZ3oRocBYaLzXKjv1I-Q1ucPMawMmSzTO6AlZ/s1600/Total+Udemy+income.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjx8EVwrtIliM8Yi2XIzfTiOqhdsJpVk6MxIXNduUPPYswh20BBTY9ia33MyxGwBcbpsb-yVZYzYFcfichc5RmfjMjkW-FQzfrLsiL1hEZ3oRocBYaLzXKjv1I-Q1ucPMawMmSzTO6AlZ/s1600/Total+Udemy+income.png" /></a></div>
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My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$30.03</b>.<br />
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<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
We've been flirting with it for months, but now, we finally reached the next achievement:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzR-DJLBTGGwTCcUxX4CJOdgoo1Bpc7DoFWyvG2r376q-YVLPRWO_yQmvfyusBU5Tu1XsePP_u-zCP3gW9fNA0PJz7zC2ETmMCIHYDqmMV3a6d1J4rbTmQRFPht2OX0hTVLD-tQ_CbxmT0/s1600/double+comma+club.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="79" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzR-DJLBTGGwTCcUxX4CJOdgoo1Bpc7DoFWyvG2r376q-YVLPRWO_yQmvfyusBU5Tu1XsePP_u-zCP3gW9fNA0PJz7zC2ETmMCIHYDqmMV3a6d1J4rbTmQRFPht2OX0hTVLD-tQ_CbxmT0/s1600/double+comma+club.png" /></a></div>
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Our net worth increased by <b>$29,192! </b>We are now officially millionaires!<br />
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Sadly, I can't say it was anything specific we did this month to push us over the edge. Turns out, we probably crossed over the one million dollar mark a <b>couple months ago</b> but I never noticed.<br />
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About two weeks ago, I received an email telling me the quarterly statement for my <b>wife's retirement plan</b> was available. As I was downloading the statement, I realized I didn't recall seeing this account in <b>Mint.com</b>. I checked and, yup.. I had <b>never added</b> it to Mint, so it was not being included in my net worth calculations. Well, I fixed that mistake!<br />
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The value of the account at the time was a tad over <b>$59,000</b>. The stock market has dropped quite a bit since that day, but we were already close enough the last couple months that this "<b>new found</b>" money was enough to get us into the <b>double comma club</b>, even with the decline.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e_ZDO2fX5sYO83ZsXcI0hhk0EOxwbLlvPFd2Ky1Qxx5LJ8eFuR8A8K6vsqLWBQWTo9XmkQ-iGRLV74NvrqJahBUQhhjGx3BfL0E3TMRIRDimY-RBFrEvtftTjRxMN8k1LVEmkqCkrUFd/s1600/2019-04+net+worth-new.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e_ZDO2fX5sYO83ZsXcI0hhk0EOxwbLlvPFd2Ky1Qxx5LJ8eFuR8A8K6vsqLWBQWTo9XmkQ-iGRLV74NvrqJahBUQhhjGx3BfL0E3TMRIRDimY-RBFrEvtftTjRxMN8k1LVEmkqCkrUFd/s400/2019-04+net+worth-new.png" width="236" /></a></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVt3iqkPTdIS64Ko4a8ri5Qlcd7L_blGGZVhnXClthnIzsSWuIRYc4fh00wkivDbBytj8mDoYjJzZ0BZGbi2oBNnh_zwhuJ1QsyzsdBSHjyN-6uy4O4XmctifDojcXucSvvsYd8xiGgb/s1600/net+worth+2019-05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UVt3iqkPTdIS64Ko4a8ri5Qlcd7L_blGGZVhnXClthnIzsSWuIRYc4fh00wkivDbBytj8mDoYjJzZ0BZGbi2oBNnh_zwhuJ1QsyzsdBSHjyN-6uy4O4XmctifDojcXucSvvsYd8xiGgb/s400/net+worth+2019-05.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">April 2019</td>
<td align="center">May 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
And That's A Wrap!</h3>
With this milestone, I've decided I'm going to <b>stop writing</b> for this blog. My goal has been accomplished - I've <b>got a Tesla</b> (two, even!). My "stretch goal," if you will, was to get a <b>net worth</b> of over a million dollars, which has also been achieved.<br />
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I say this is a "stretch goal" because I never really explicitly stated it was something I was striving for, but it's always been in the back of my mind.<br />
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Our net worth has increased from the <b>$600,218</b> it was when I <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/03/goal-update-end-of-february-2016.html">started tracking</a> this figure in <b>February, 2016</b> to our current value. That's a pretty good-sized increase for three years! I haven't been consciously trying to grow it. Rather, it's happened simply as a <b>natural outgrowth</b> of managing our money better. <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-magical-budget-spreadsheet.html">Creating and sticking to a budget</a> does wonders.<br />
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As I <b>looked forward</b> to what I might write about in the future, honestly, there wasn't much that excited me. The <b>next major milestones</b> for me are getting our two car loans paid off. The first should be gone in about <b>one year</b>, then the second <b>two years</b> after that. One of my initial reasons for starting this blog was to <b>provide incentive</b> for me to keep saving for my Tesla. I don't need any such motivation for paying off those loans. I am <b>highly motivated</b> to pay them off ASAP!<br />
<h3>
Other Topics</h3>
A lot of personal finance blogs focus on ways to <b>stay motivated</b> or <b>be frugal</b>. I've never really had a problem doing that, so it's not something I feel I have a lot of experience with.<br />
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My wife and I are also <b>fortunate enough</b> to have relatively high-paying jobs. We don't live paycheck to paycheck and don't have to scrape together enough money to make it to the end of the month. Through <b>luck </b>or <b>hard work</b> or (at least in some part) all the <b>societal privileges</b> that come with being college-educated Caucasians, we've never been in that situation. As a result, I don't feel like I can authoritatively tell others in that situation how to live. It's easy to say "save at least 10% of your income," but doing that while you are barely making ends meet has to be real hard and it would be <b>hypocritical </b>of me to tell others how to do it.<br />
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I written about many of the <b>financial topics</b> I wanted to - <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search/label/credit%20cards">credit cards</a>, <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search?q=stocks">stocks</a> and <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search?q=stock%20options">stock options</a>, <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search?q=debt">paying down debt</a>, <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search/label/don%27t%20leave%20money%20on%20the%20table">things to look for</a> to get as much value as you can. Anything else I have to say on those subjects would just be <b>repeating myself</b>. (What else can be said about <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/search?q=expense+ratios">mutual fund expense ratios</a> besides "they suck" and "get them as low as possible?")<br />
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I've even shared some of my <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/06/two-reasons-growing-older-is-good-thing.html">darkest secrets</a> here.<br />
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The reality is there is <b>nothing difficult</b> or complicated about personal finance. It's easy to make it as complicated as you want. For example, you can dive into <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/08/why-i-got-out-of-my-annuity.html">annuities</a> or other esoteric instruments. But the reality is <b>no one needs those</b> to get rich. Once you have learned a handful of <b>basic concepts</b>, you'll have more than enough knowledge to increase your wealth.<br />
<h3>
Tomorrow There'll Be Sunshine...</h3>
Rather than start repeating myself, I'm going to close the door here and move on to something else. I'm not sure what yet.<br />
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Thanks for reading. I hope this blog has been <b>useful</b>, <b>educational</b>, and at least <b>somewhat entertaining</b>. I've enjoyed sharing my experiences and had fun writing the blog. I hope you had fun reading it. I hope you <b>find success</b> in your financial journey and I hope that you will eventually find your way to the land of hope and dreams.<br />
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<i>Grab your ticket and your suitcase</i><br />
<i>Thunder's rolling down this track</i><br />
<i>You don't know where you're goin' now</i><br />
<i>But you know you won't be back</i><br />
<i>Darlin' if you're weary</i><br />
<i>Lay your head upon my chest</i><br />
<i>We'll take what we can carry</i><br />
<i>And we'll leave the rest</i><br />
<i>Big wheels roll through fields</i><br />
<i>Where sunlight streams</i><br />
<i>Meet me in a land of hope and dreams</i><br />
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-65922330481003290942019-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:002019-05-22T06:00:06.854-07:00Work - Now With More 401(k)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd22tXWwx9Vgi4B4VTUUPhI9YgZgu45BfSdGNVrUyZQvXRmZi6k5TZUJR19_uw9nHI5kmvp3CgA_Px7sTQmk2CvcME6tAsuxYqzhFdENcgy9FtBH_zcl5bYRivS_WXtKTx_cHWkbCdnPUT/s1600/money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd22tXWwx9Vgi4B4VTUUPhI9YgZgu45BfSdGNVrUyZQvXRmZi6k5TZUJR19_uw9nHI5kmvp3CgA_Px7sTQmk2CvcME6tAsuxYqzhFdENcgy9FtBH_zcl5bYRivS_WXtKTx_cHWkbCdnPUT/s1600/money.jpg" /></a></div>
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Last year, I <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/04/call-me-crazy-but-i-purposely-went-to.html">wrote</a> about how I willingly went to work for a company that <b>did not offer</b> a 401(k) plan. At my previous company, I was contributing <b>19%</b> to a 401(k), so when I took my new job and lost that option, I just started putting 19% of my pay into a regular brokerage account for saving.<br />
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<b>Unfortunately</b> (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), my salary was high enough to disqualify me from contributing to any kind of IRA, so I just put it into a regular, taxable account.<br />
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A year later, my company <b>now offers a 401(k)</b> plan! In the competitive, tech-centric job market of the Seattle area, if a company wants to attract and retain good talent, it needs to offer such a basic benefit and the lack of a retirement plan was a serious drawback when it came to hiring.<br />
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To my surprise, they plan they came up with is <b>surprisingly good</b>.<br />
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<ul>
<li>They offer a <b>Roth 401(k)</b> option, which I took. (But keep in mind, the company match portion still goes into a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/01/your-roth-401k-isnt-really-roth-401k.html">regular non-Roth</a> 401(k) account.) </li>
<li>Employee contributions are matched <b>20%</b> up to the first <b>5%</b> of your salary.</li>
<li>The plan investment options are pretty good. There are several <b>low cost mutual funds</b> available, including some Admiralty share options from <b>Vanguard funds</b>. There are also retirement date target funds.</li>
<li>Employees are <b>automatically enrolled</b> at 3% of their salary unless they opt to change that.</li>
</ul>
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This is actually a <b>double win</b> for me. As I mentioned in the above linked post, when I accepted this job, I was able to get an <b>additional $5,000 salary</b> because of the company's lack of a 401(k). Now that they offer one, I get <b>both</b> benefits!<br />
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I enrolled and am <b>contributing 5%</b> - just enough to get the full company match - and I'm continuing to save 14% to the brokerage account I was contributing to before. This was simply to let me retain some <b>flexibility</b>.<br />
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While my company's 401(k) plan offers good choices, I like having access to that additional 14% of my pay at any time. I can also adjust that amount more easily as my budget needs change. I have a wider range of investment options outside of the 401(k) plan. Yes, I may be paying a bit more in taxes, but that is the price I have to pay for the increased flexibility.<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-72455293888326060872019-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:002019-05-08T11:32:27.373-07:00Video Recording Issues<div style="text-align: left;">
My Tesla software was upgraded a month or two ago and one of the new features I got was <b>Sentry Mode</b>. When this mode is activated, the car will monitor its surroundings while parked. If a threat is detected, such as someone leaning on the car, attempting to break in, <a href="https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-keyed-sentry-mode-video/">keying it</a>, pulling a <a href="https://electrek.co/2019/04/15/tesla-sentry-mode-catch-politician-hit-and-run/">hit-and-run in a parking lot</a>, etc., the car will start recording video using its cameras, as well as display a warning on the large screen. If that doesn't deter the offender, the car will eventually start blasting classical music. It's sort of a <b>car alarm on steroids</b>.</div>
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I've been turning Sentry Mode on pretty much whenever I park my car outside my house now and, occasionally, when I get back in, I will see an alert telling me some sentry events have been recorded. When I get home, I plug the USB drive into my computer to see what happened.</div>
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This is how I noticed that my cameras seem to be malfunctioning. The recorded video is often glitchy and corrupted.</div>
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Here's an example from my front camera:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7oMhWX2snxM" width="560"></iframe></center>
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This doesn't only happen to the front camera. I've also seen it happen from the left camera.<br />
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And here is another issue I've seen with the left camera. The picture degrades over the course of the 1 minute recording:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nvaRbIu9CHE" width="560"></iframe></center>
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Sometimes, the recording from the left camera is simply an empty file.<br />
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At this point, I'm not sure if the issue is with the camera or something related to the video recording process. Autopilot, which uses the cameras, seems unaffected. I've tried two different USB drives for the recording media and the problems do not go away.<br />
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A <a href="https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/corrupt-video-files-in-sentry-mode.146924/">discussion</a> at Tesla Motors Club seems to point to the problem being related to the USB drive the files are stored on. One person said he got rid of the problems by using a drive with a metal housing and he thought it might be related to better heat dissipation. I can't say I've noticed if my drive is hot when I take it out, but it's possible.<br />
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It's also possible the quality of the USB drive is an issue. Drives that have a faster write response time might not have problems. I've been using cheap USB drives I received for free as promotions from somewhere or another, so who knows what their quality is. I ordered <a href="https://amzn.to/2YdoWXs">one</a> that the poster at TMC said worked, a device from SanDisk, which is a reputable company. We'll see how that works.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I've scheduled a service appointment for June 1, so if the new USB drive doesn't fix the problem, we'll see what Tesla says.Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-90439137353460487072019-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:002019-05-01T06:00:03.385-07:00Net Worth Update: End of April, 2019<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Last updated:</b> End of April, 2019<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $997,888<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> +$47,360 (!!)<br />
<br />
<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
<br />
My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$68.65</b> of income. My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$31.28</b>. This income will be dropping over the next month or two. I wrote about why <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/04/after-six-years-time-to-end-my-online.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
We've made <b>good progress</b> on paying down our two car loans. I obtained one loan last September and the other two months ago in February, so neither loan is more than 7 months old. The outstanding balances have been reduced by over <b>$10,000 each</b> - for the smaller loan, that amounts to about <b>25%</b> of the original loan amount. While we are paying more than the minimum each month, these big reductions were due to a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/03/new-worth-update-end-of-february-2019.html">work bonus</a> and a nice <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/04/net-worth-update-end-of-march-2019.html">tax refund</a> this year, so I don't expect any more big drops any time soon, just a slow and steady reduction.<br />
<h3>
</h3>
Also - Happy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day">May Day</a>!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
Our net worth had a <b>crazy big increase</b>: <b>$47,360! </b>Holy smokes!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQPvcM5-NWi0HyiSf2Z0AMjWBqMgkf_0AS_lUCDCBaNS5YeeyHBb5JZSKdbVSGgHCp2RwtqyWgwzhb1Ra30qRFaQJuNnW6JeCLZx967VGluQfxZt-5QN9RZLAbBefjVS6KWcL9MWBylX6/s1600/2019-03+net+worth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQPvcM5-NWi0HyiSf2Z0AMjWBqMgkf_0AS_lUCDCBaNS5YeeyHBb5JZSKdbVSGgHCp2RwtqyWgwzhb1Ra30qRFaQJuNnW6JeCLZx967VGluQfxZt-5QN9RZLAbBefjVS6KWcL9MWBylX6/s400/2019-03+net+worth.png" width="237" /></a></td>
<td align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e_ZDO2fX5sYO83ZsXcI0hhk0EOxwbLlvPFd2Ky1Qxx5LJ8eFuR8A8K6vsqLWBQWTo9XmkQ-iGRLV74NvrqJahBUQhhjGx3BfL0E3TMRIRDimY-RBFrEvtftTjRxMN8k1LVEmkqCkrUFd/s1600/2019-04+net+worth-new.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e_ZDO2fX5sYO83ZsXcI0hhk0EOxwbLlvPFd2Ky1Qxx5LJ8eFuR8A8K6vsqLWBQWTo9XmkQ-iGRLV74NvrqJahBUQhhjGx3BfL0E3TMRIRDimY-RBFrEvtftTjRxMN8k1LVEmkqCkrUFd/s400/2019-04+net+worth-new.png" width="236" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">March 2019</td>
<td align="center">April 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
This took me quite by surprise. In digging in to the details, I can see the gain came from <b>three sources</b>:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>A roughly $5,000 increase in our <b>home value</b>. I have no control over this. </li>
<li>A $10,000 decrease in our <b>outstanding loans</b> (combined car loans and mortgage). This I do have control over. When you look at our all our loans, we're paying down about $3,000 in principal each month. Any reduction in our outstanding loan principal translates directly into an equal increase in our net worth.</li>
<li>A roughly $35,000 increase in our<b> stock portfolio</b>. Another item I have no control over. I've mentioned before that we've crossed an <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/goal-update-end-of-july-2018.html">inflection point</a> in our stock portfolio - that point where market fluctuations have more of an effect on the total value of our portfolio than our contributions - but this is probably the most extreme example of it yet. Fortunately, this was a swing to the upside! But Mr. Market giveth and Mr. Market can take away. We'll see if the gains stick around to next month.</li>
</ul>
Credit card debt saw a big increase this month, but that is because we took a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/04/on-vacation.html">vacation</a> to <b>Washington D.C.</b> I put all our expenses on our <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/03/credit-card-showdown-costco-visa-vs_21.html">Chase Freedom credit card</a> to earn <b><a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/2018-cash-back-rewards-wrap-up.html">cash back</a> <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/dont-leave-money-on-table-my-credit.html">awards</a></b>, but I've got money saved in the bank to cover them. That payment goes out next week.<br />
<br />
So, so close to that <b>seven figure</b> milestone! I was hoping we'd get there this month, but no such luck. This is the closest we've ever been....<br />
<br />
If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, please drop me a line in the comments section!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-20876127444781283162019-04-24T06:00:00.001-07:002019-04-24T06:00:02.590-07:00Think You're Good At Spotting Scams? I Bet I Can Fool You.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kiJAPeTU4eeNiCYg5xDesoEJ7uo14d2Pj78o0AK2RPLNaZTNySkFBGDUMzBFDtNg2xzfkt_EnAnfJM5EgIcPN2z6xvKkLouyxU3yKo6u6zpBUdpqf0MyJXyOXDRrb5hHLRDG9J00EPFK/s1600/prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kiJAPeTU4eeNiCYg5xDesoEJ7uo14d2Pj78o0AK2RPLNaZTNySkFBGDUMzBFDtNg2xzfkt_EnAnfJM5EgIcPN2z6xvKkLouyxU3yKo6u6zpBUdpqf0MyJXyOXDRrb5hHLRDG9J00EPFK/s1600/prince.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/rXRFce8WOnU">Ahmed Syed</a> </span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Not A Real Prince</span></h4>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scams are usually easy to spot. You know that Nigerian
prince did not randomly pick you to help get his $10 million dollars out of
his bank or to avoid government taxes. They're easy to spot, in part, because they
ask you to pay a small amount of money in exchange for a larger amount of
money. You’re probably good at ignoring these scams. You may even pride yourself
in being too smart to fall for them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beware. People who think they are too smart to fall for scams
are often some of the easiest people to fool.</div>
<h3>
Can You Spot This Scam?</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s play a little game and see
if you can spot the scam.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You get an email from someone, let’s call him<b> Sammy The Amazing
Stock Picker</b>, claiming to write a stock trading newsletter that has a 100%
success rate in picking stocks. He’s analyzed the market and has come up with a
<b>secret proprietary formula</b> that can correctly predict when a stock is going to go either
up or down. There’s lots of mumbo jumbo about <b>technical analysis</b>, <b>trading
patterns</b>, <b>candlestick charts</b>, <b>trend lines</b>, etc. It all sounds very impressive and
scientific. For <b>just $1,000</b>, you can subscribe to this newsletter and get stock
picks that are guaranteed to make you money!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But he doesn’t expect you to believe him. To prove his formula
works, he’s going to give you a stock tip today. He predicts that the stock of
<b>Company ABC</b> will go up in three weeks. You are intrigued. You’re not going to buy
the stock, but you decide to watch it and see what happens.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three weeks later, you are surprised to discover that the
stock of Company ABC <i>did</i>, in fact, go up. Huh. You could have made some money
if you listened to that guy’s tip. Still, you reason, he could have just gotten
lucky.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day, you get another email from Sammy. He points
out that his prediction was correct. He’s asking you again for $1,000 to
subscribe to his newsletter, but he understands you may still be <b>reluctant</b>. To
convince you, he’s going to give you <i>another</i> tip. His proprietary formula predicts
that <b>stock XYZ</b> is going to go up in 2 weeks. Once again, you decide not to
invest, but you’ll track the stock for 2 weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Wow</b>.. Two weeks later, you are surprised to find that stock
XYZ did go up. In fact, it went up <i>quite a bit</i>. You could have made a <b>couple
thousand dollars</b> had you bought some shares. You start to think Sammy might be on to something.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sammy sends you another email, again reminding you that he
has now correctly predicted an increase in two stocks. His formula <i>surely
</i>works. He <i>really </i>wants to share this information with people so he can help
others get rich and stick it to those <b>greedy Wall Street traders</b> and again asks
you to subscribe to his newsletter for $1,000. In case you <i>still</i> doubt him, he passes along another tip.
This time, his formula says <b>stock LMN</b> is going to drop in 18 days. He
recommends you <b>short </b>the stock. (Shorting is a way to make money when the price
of a stock goes down.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are really intrigued now. Sammy is 2 for 2. Maybe he is
on to something. Still, shorting a stock can be <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/university/shortselling/shortselling3.asp">dangerous</a>, so you decide to
hold off and again just monitor the price. Eighteen days seems pretty <b>specific</b>.
His formula must be really accurate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sure enough, exactly 18 days later, stock LMN has dropped.
This is amazing! Sammy has <b>correctly picked</b> not 1, not 2, but 3 winning stock trades in a row!
You are slowly starting to believe there might be something to Sammy’s secret
formula after all. Still, $1,000 is a lot to cough up. On the other hand, you
could easily recoup that cost plus more with just one trade...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are a <b>smart guy</b>. You think this still might be a scam, but
how? Sammy is correctly predicting stock prices in the future!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You get two more emails from Sammy, each time he recommends
a stock and each time, the stock does exactly what he predicts. OK, you think,
he’s for real. No one can correctly predict <b>five</b> stock trades in a row!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You start
to think of all the money you can make following Sammy’s recommendations. In
just a couple of months, you can <b>quit your job</b>. You can <b>retire early</b>. You
decide Sammy is somehow legit and you send him $1,000 to subscribe to his
newsletter. After all, you’ll make that money back and more just following his
first tip!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3>
Congratulations! You’ve just been scammed.</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You never
get his newsletter. Or even worse, you get a newsletter with a hot tip and you
invest a couple thousand. Somehow, the trade loses money. You’re stuck with a 75%
loss. Sammy doesn’t return any of your emails. The newsletters stop coming. You
feel sick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What happened? You had proof that Sammy had a magic formula!
The odds of successfully picking five stock trades in a row are tiny. How did
you get scammed?<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3>
<o:p>Hubris</o:p></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You got scammed because you thought you couldn’t be scammed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You thought you had <b>proof </b>that Sammy was a genius. Did you
stop to ask yourself why Sammy would be selling a newsletter to people if he
could correctly predict the stock market? Why wouldn’t he just keep his secret
formula to himself and <b>make millions</b>? If someone could really do this, why
would he share that information?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, you saw what you thought was proof and you started to
get greedy. You started to imagine all the money you could, against all odds, make
just by following someone’s advice and without any thought or work on your
part.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You fell victim to one of the <b>classic blunders</b>! The most famous of which
is “never get involved in a land war in Asia!” But only slightly less well-known is this: “If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how did Sammy do it? How did he know those five stocks
were going to move in the direction he said they would?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He didn’t. It was <b>pure luck</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3>
How Sammy Did It</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you got Sammy’s first email, you were one of 10,000
people Sammy sent it to. What you didn’t know is that 5,000 of those people got
an email saying the stock would go <b>up</b>. The other 5,000 got one saying it would
go <b>down</b>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sammy purposely picked a <b>volatile </b>stock, so he could be pretty sure there would be some serious price movement one way or the other. Whichever way the stock moved, some people would believe Sammy correctly predicted it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After three weeks, Sammy emailed the 5,000 who got the email
that correctly predicted the price of stock ABC. Of those, he now told 2,500 people
that stock XYZ would go up in 2 weeks and he told the other 2,500 it would go
down. Sneaky Sammy <b>can’t lose</b>!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After two weeks, 2,500 people now believe Sammy can predict
the future. Some people have decided to send him $1,000 at this point and Sammy
starts <b>raking in the dough</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He now does the same thing with his next mailing to the 1,250 people
who got the email that correctly predicted stock XYZ and he recommends the LMN
stock trade. Then he does it once more to
625 people. With each mailing, he gets several more people to send him $1,000. By
now, ol’ Sammy has made <b>tens of thousands</b> of dollars and he eventually disappears from
the internet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, probably not. He probably just made some new email accounts
and started the process over with a new batch of <b>suckers</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h3>
Stay Skeptical</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Things are not always what they seem. No one can predict the
future, even if you have what you think is incontestable proof. Don’t be so
sure of your ability to spot scams that you willfully see only what you want to
see.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-70783654497110727142019-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-17T06:00:00.813-07:00After Six Years, Time To End My Online Courses<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCi0Fb1IM4nfV-RsIMk8IAaDSdCph190xBRYXZ8WjVr-eWVVM7dwSGHWSG24lY5s5R-r21WR0qT5W8ixOFHSHRwkjAUbExCM8_opY03H-00SSbKnwc1Aqdk8I0evQJH8GXewvg8OSnoDp/s1600/end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCi0Fb1IM4nfV-RsIMk8IAaDSdCph190xBRYXZ8WjVr-eWVVM7dwSGHWSG24lY5s5R-r21WR0qT5W8ixOFHSHRwkjAUbExCM8_opY03H-00SSbKnwc1Aqdk8I0evQJH8GXewvg8OSnoDp/s1600/end.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Matt Botsford</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Back in 2014, when I started this blog, my goal was to get enough <b>passive income</b> to pay for a Tesla. That goal, of course, <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-one-in-which-i-buy-tesla.html">changed</a>, but passive income is still a <b>great thing</b> to have and to strive for.<br />
<br />
One of my passive income streams has been from teaching <b>online courses</b>. These are courses I created and recorded, uploaded to a couple instructional sites, and then collect money from each month from students who enroll. It's a pretty sweet deal.<br />
<br />
Sadly, I think it's time to <b>end </b>those courses. The courses are getting a bit long in the tooth. I made four of them, all about a database product from Microsoft called <b>SQL Server</b>. That's what I've built my career on and what I know, so it made sense to teach others about it.<br />
<h3>
Why I'm Taking Them Down</h3>
Like all technology products, SQL Server is evolving and changing. My courses were made with the latest version of SQL Server at the time - SQL Server 2012. Since then, versions 2014, 2016, and 2017 have been released. SQL 2019 is due to be released soon. While the information in my courses is still applicable, the graphical interface has changed and new features have been added. In short, someone watching my courses today would think the videos are old. And they are. The first one was made 6 years ago.<br />
<br />
I've seen my sales start to <b>drop off</b>. The last couple of months have only seen 10 - 15 new students per month. New reviews are rare - maybe 1 or 2 per month. I've come to the conclusion that I need to either make <b>new courses with updated content</b> and using the latest software version or take the old courses down before people start leaving bad reviews because the software shown is old.<br />
<br />
Making the courses was a <b>lot of work</b>. Hours and hours writing the scripts, creating demos, then a couple of weekends recording it all. I'm not really looking forward to doing that again and, truthfully, I don't have the burning desire to any more. I already have <b>my Tesla</b>. My wife and I are in a much better place financially than we were six years ago. My <b>passive income stream</b> is now mainly from stock dividends.<br />
<br />
Another (small) factor that contributed to my decision to take the courses down was <b>paperwork</b>. Neither of the sites that sell my courses provide <b>tax forms</b> at the end of the year. This means I have to manually track all the payments they make to report them on my taxes. Further, the IRS considers this <b>self-employment income</b>, meaning I also have to pay the employer share of <b>Social Security</b> and <b>Medicare</b> taxes as well as my own share. For a while, I was also making <b>quarterly estimated tax payments</b>. When I was making $200 to $400 per month, I was fine with this. Now however, the amounts are so small, it's more trouble than it's worth. I've got too many other demands for my time.<br />
<br />
My courses were available on two platforms: <a href="http://udemy.com/">Udemy.com</a> and <a href="http://skillshare.com/">Skillshare.com</a>. Udemy provides <b>lifetime access</b> for students who have purchased courses, so I can't actually delete my courses there. Instead, I'm setting my courses to <b>private</b>. This means they will no longer show up in any search results. The only way new students can enroll is if I give them a link.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Udemy Almost Final Results</h3>
So how much money did these courses make for me? Was it worth it? Without a doubt, <b>yes</b>.<br />
<br />
As I have pointed out <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2015/04/goal-update-end-of-march-2015.html">before</a>, my <b>total initial investment</b> was a $149 <a href="https://amzn.to/2UkzS7f">high quality microphone</a> (which is even cheaper now). All the other tools I used, video editing software, graphics programs, etc. were free. I either used freeware products or program such as PowerPoint, which I already owned.<br />
<br />
From that initial $149 investment, on Udemy, I have earned <b>over $11,000</b>!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiLETepQ8B0pQBnmc-s93366lKcy1EM6QZxbLMyd2RfDo7qE1UfbtIBsR_WdiXqnA_5enYbVw3Cp-mM4Aw1yPDZf3-uCuALIeaNRL5Ahbhg-dfEnvWQcIFgGe4XuntBR5ikCp5Fj-rQ37/s1600/Udemy+almost+final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="1034" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiLETepQ8B0pQBnmc-s93366lKcy1EM6QZxbLMyd2RfDo7qE1UfbtIBsR_WdiXqnA_5enYbVw3Cp-mM4Aw1yPDZf3-uCuALIeaNRL5Ahbhg-dfEnvWQcIFgGe4XuntBR5ikCp5Fj-rQ37/s640/Udemy+almost+final.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My total figure should go up another $120 or so because there are still two months Udemy has not paid me for yet. (They pay one month behind because they offer students a 30 day money back guarantee.) So all in all, I'll have made about <b>$11,500</b>. Not too shabby.<br />
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As the above graphic shows, I had almost<b> two thousand students</b> and my average rating was <b>4.4 out of 5</b> stars. I've helped students in <b>81 different countries</b>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFCFhDg_gpF_oYLoHInfjx0G8uuLRExt3she_htB78-qch6QO5bcP1fEAJyGpv1-cejdqKtm72h9L_5VpRKMXkZqoWq7Af9erP70hv3h03PlQVl85sH06CQ8hPsTqg_2cWw1c_dkdIoGz/s1600/student+reach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1042" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFCFhDg_gpF_oYLoHInfjx0G8uuLRExt3she_htB78-qch6QO5bcP1fEAJyGpv1-cejdqKtm72h9L_5VpRKMXkZqoWq7Af9erP70hv3h03PlQVl85sH06CQ8hPsTqg_2cWw1c_dkdIoGz/s640/student+reach.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's something I'm proud of.<br />
<h3>
SkillShare Almost Final Results</h3>
I earn money differently on SkillShare. Whereas a student on Udemy pays for each course and a portion of each student's purchase price goes to me, a SkillShare student pays a <b>monthly subscription</b> fee and I am paid for <b>each minute</b> of my courses a student views. So on Udemy, earning money is all about recruiting new students. On SkillShare, it's all about getting students to actually watch your courses.<br />
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Based on this income model, I'm going to leave my courses up on SkillShare since I don't have to rely on attracting new students to earn money. Because students pay a monthly fee for all content on the site, I don't think any students would leave a bad review if my courses seem out of date. After all, it's more or less free to them with their monthly subscription. In fact, user reviews seems unimportant on SkillShare. As you can see below, I've only had one review out of almost 300 students.<br />
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I've talked with SkillShare's tech support and it is unclear to me that they will actually pay out minutes viewed once I deactivate my account. So I don't really see a downside to just letting the courses stay up.<br />
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My courses have not been on SkillShare as long as they have on Udemy. I think I first posted them in <b>November 2017</b> and I've made <b>$633</b> so far.<br />
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SkillShare was never meant to replace or outperform Udemy. It was simply a new platform I heard about and, since I already had all the courses created, I just thought I'd put them up there as well and try to get some more money from them. More money for <b>zero extra work</b>.<br />
<h3>
The End Of An Era</h3>
I'm somewhat sad to be taking these courses down. It was <b>crazy fun</b> getting money each month for doing basically nothing. I remember <b>sitting on a beach in Hawaii</b> four years ago and getting email notifications of money coming in. It's a great feeling :-)<br />
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I'm still not sure if I'll make new courses. If I do, they most likely won't be about computer-related topics. I've pondered making some financial-related ones, but can't seem to come up with any good ideas. Does anyone have any suggestions?<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-59344037445398475002019-04-10T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-10T06:00:11.954-07:00On Vacation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D41ug41dsKVmEk_DvhGuslinpc6X__EeJFOo8d9wkHiy3myPhmsJF9M7yipAJJd-ZqMAkiW84we95b30_N6xAVz3P6dIilas9W0h7hvuxltKfgT7LEH5ZARxGkFKhMxF9850IjISywrw/s1600/6986016077_7c4ddfb99f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D41ug41dsKVmEk_DvhGuslinpc6X__EeJFOo8d9wkHiy3myPhmsJF9M7yipAJJd-ZqMAkiW84we95b30_N6xAVz3P6dIilas9W0h7hvuxltKfgT7LEH5ZARxGkFKhMxF9850IjISywrw/s640/6986016077_7c4ddfb99f.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Taking some time off this week as we head to <b>Washington D.C.</b> for spring break! We're taking a train across the country, spending a couple of days in D.C., then flying back home. See you next week!<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-18239712588511918992019-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-03T06:00:04.269-07:00Net Worth Update: End of March 2019<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
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<b>Last updated:</b> End of March, 2019<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $950,528<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> +$15,683<br />
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<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
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My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$59.91</b> of income. My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$47.10</b>. I've decided to scale back on my courses. More details on that next week.<br />
<h3>
Taxes</h3>
Well, this year was better than <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/04/goal-update-end-of-march-2018.html">last year</a>. For the last three or four years, I've had to pay thousands of dollars in taxes come April, despite dramatically increasing the amount withheld from our paychecks each year. For 2018, we're actually getting a <b>$6,199 refund</b>! Yay!<br />
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If we didn't have the Tesla <b>$7,500 tax credit</b>, we would have owed about $1,300. My accountant attributes this to the fact that the IRS changed the tax withholding rates last year. Less money is being withheld each paycheck due to the decrease in tax brackets, but when they set the withholding rates, the IRS did not account for the loss of many deductions - such as the $10,000 deduction cap on state and local taxes, mortgage interest, etc. You may have <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2018/08/04/report-suggests-more-taxpayers-will-owe-tax-in-2019-due-to-withholding/#2fd828475f0f">heard</a> about this last year. There were a ton of stories advising people to adjust their tax withholding.<br />
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Given that we are having an extra $7,200 in taxes withheld during the year, I didn't bother adjusting our withholding. Between that extra and the $7,500 Tesla tax credit, I figured we'd be OK.<br />
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And we were. We're still getting money back. I'm not going to bother adjusting my withholdings for 2019 either because the purchase of my wife's Tesla qualifies us for a $3,750 tax credit for 2019. If things stay the same for 2019, we should get a refund next year as well.<br />
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<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
We had a <b>big increase</b> in our net worth this month: over $15,000!<br />
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<td align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfdabwcK5EGFCzMkyj06NhndK3VRVUiYxwl9geF9K9coldO5ET-Sh6zA-IktMeJr99eONOroUYI8IX1YyVwxvqZsRC0km2EztBopIHK6YsjI5Bk0sc68QZrWXGqKl3oGQI-s-BN5p_2SM/s1600/net+worth+2019-02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfdabwcK5EGFCzMkyj06NhndK3VRVUiYxwl9geF9K9coldO5ET-Sh6zA-IktMeJr99eONOroUYI8IX1YyVwxvqZsRC0km2EztBopIHK6YsjI5Bk0sc68QZrWXGqKl3oGQI-s-BN5p_2SM/s400/net+worth+2019-02.png" width="245" /></a></td>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQPvcM5-NWi0HyiSf2Z0AMjWBqMgkf_0AS_lUCDCBaNS5YeeyHBb5JZSKdbVSGgHCp2RwtqyWgwzhb1Ra30qRFaQJuNnW6JeCLZx967VGluQfxZt-5QN9RZLAbBefjVS6KWcL9MWBylX6/s1600/2019-03+net+worth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="330" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQPvcM5-NWi0HyiSf2Z0AMjWBqMgkf_0AS_lUCDCBaNS5YeeyHBb5JZSKdbVSGgHCp2RwtqyWgwzhb1Ra30qRFaQJuNnW6JeCLZx967VGluQfxZt-5QN9RZLAbBefjVS6KWcL9MWBylX6/s400/2019-03+net+worth.png" width="237" /></a></div>
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<tr><td align="center">February 2019</td>
<td align="center">March 2019</td></tr>
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Our Property category increased due to the <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/03/model-3-delivered.html">new car</a> we bought at the beginning of the month. Our loan amount also went up, as we took a loan for the vehicle. The rest of the gains came from increases in our stock portfolio and our home value.<br />
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Oh, and hey... Look there... We're sneaking up on a net worth milestone....<br />
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If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, please drop me a line in the comments section!<br />
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-15418026552048360092019-03-27T06:00:00.000-07:002019-03-27T06:00:00.172-07:00Here's To Well Defined Goals!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvu9c8H8gMTnS3hw34F2EYGaJQdgq0S0IMDAHtlf6Dc5WOFvMZd8pSNNylt-VtJIy3IzCy5J6uTZXWlDgXCMmCRwRC5Ty9UShIiab8w5oJOsxc1sHqHmQ8UZMDnsHrystFye7GAGdoNk3/s1600/goals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvu9c8H8gMTnS3hw34F2EYGaJQdgq0S0IMDAHtlf6Dc5WOFvMZd8pSNNylt-VtJIy3IzCy5J6uTZXWlDgXCMmCRwRC5Ty9UShIiab8w5oJOsxc1sHqHmQ8UZMDnsHrystFye7GAGdoNk3/s1600/goals.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Vek Labs on Unsplash</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Over the past 7 months, we have purchased <b>two new Teslas</b> – a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-one-in-which-i-buy-tesla.html">Model S P100DL</a> and a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-one-in-which-i-buy-second-tesla.html">Model 3 Dual Motor Long Range</a>. Doing so meant we took out a total of <b>$148,100</b> in loans. Our combined minimum monthly car payments are $2,209. <b>That’s a lot</b>. It’s more than our house payment was a couple years ago when we were living in Arizona.<br />
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We are actually paying $2,625 a month towards the loans. That’s what we have budgeted and we can, thankfully, afford that much while still putting aside enough in other savings accounts for other things such as emergencies, etc.<br />
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You might think that taking on such a huge monthly payment would worry me a bit, and you <b>would be right</b>. The future is uncertain and this is one of the reasons we have an <b>emergency fund</b> built up.<br />
<h3>
Yay For Debt?</h3>
But, now that the loans have actually been taken out, in a strange sort of way, I <b>welcome them</b>. You see, back before we got the cars, we were saving $2,625 each month towards their purchase. So having that monthly loan payment hasn’t really changed anything from the perspective of our budget. The only difference is I’m sending the money to the loan company instead of to a savings account. (I’ve already explained that the <b>EV tax credits</b> we received <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-first-week-of-tesla-ownership.html">more than cover</a> the interest costs of the loans, so we’re not losing money by taking out loans and paying interest.)<br />
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When I was saving up our funds, the money was going into an account and accumulating. Saving seemed like something that was just going to <b>go on forever</b>. Now that the money is paying down a loan balance, the <b>end is in sight</b>. By having a loan, I’ve got a very <b>well-defined end point</b>.<br />
<h3>
It's All About That <strike>Bass</strike> Motivation</h3>
It turns out, I get more excited spending money to pay down the loans than saving the same amount of money for the cars in the first place. I know this is because the finish line is so specific. While I was saving up money over a period of years, my target was <b>always changing</b>. As time went on, the cost of the Model S kept rising, making it seem like I was not making progress. Likewise, I never fully defined what kind of car we planned on getting for my wife. I just threw money into an account each month and figured we’d decide on something when we got a decent sized amount saved up. I never defined what a "decent sized" amount was.<br />
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Both of those goals were <b>very fuzzy</b>. It’s hard to get excited about progress towards a goal when the goal isn’t clearly defined.<br />
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Well, we’ve now got a clearly-defined goal – <b>two paid off loans</b>!<br />
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My wife’s loan has the smallest balance ($44,100) as well as the highest interest rate, so that’s the one I will concentrate on paying off first. This is really exciting to me because I have been saving for a car for her in some form or another for at least 3 or 4 years. Paying that loan off means <b>freeing up money</b> in our budget that had been allocated for years! Once her loan is paid off, the money we sent towards that will get redirected to my car loan, increasing that payment by <b>over 66%</b> and enabling that loan to be paid down <b>even faster</b>!<br />
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And when those two loans are paid off – <b>jackpot</b>! We will have freed up a <b>crapload </b>of additional money each month. No more car payments. No more saving towards a car. Instead, we’ll have an additional $2,625 each month that can be used to <b>save </b>and <b>invest</b>. That is truly exciting to me! That is a goal I can really get motivated to work towards!<br />
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<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-914859868443271852019-03-20T06:20:00.000-07:002019-03-20T06:20:20.911-07:00Audew 12V Portable Air Compressor Pump Review<i>This week, I’m posting a review of a new portable air pump I recently received. Although it was provided to me by the manufacturer, the comments and opinions here are my own. Please see my <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/p/disclosure-privacy-policy.html">disclosure page</a> for full details.</i><br />
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Back when I was 16 years old, I got <b>my first car</b> – a small, used pickup truck. It cost <b>$4,000</b> and I paid for half with money saved from working summers and my parents paid the other half. It was great to finally be able to drive myself places and just head out on my own without my parents. When I was 16, we were still in the <b>Dark Ages</b> – there were no cell phones and the Internet wasn’t around. Us computer nerds dialed up to local <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system">bulletin board systems</a> to post messages on forums. Those were dark days, indeed.<br />
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The <b>lack of cell phones</b> meant if your car broke down somewhere, you had to walk to find a <b>pay phone</b> – another long gone relic – to call someone to come help you. To avoid that, I had some basic repair tools that I kept in my car. A <b>spare tire</b> and <b>jack</b>, of course, but also a <b>small air pump</b> that I could plug in to the cigarette lighter in case I needed to add air to my tires. That thing was <b>bright red</b> and had a short 1 foot long hose to connect to the tire. The hose was so short that if your car was stopped with the valve stem at the top of the wheel, the pump could barely touch the ground when the hose was connected. It was tiny and loud as jack hammer and took forever to pump up a tire. I also used it inflate beach balls, basketballs, air mattresses, and anything else that was too big for me to blow up manually. Using it was somewhat scary because if you ran it for more than 10 minutes, it got <b>really hot </b>and started to <b>smell</b> like something was burning. You had to let it cool before you could pick it up to put away.<br />
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I transferred that pump from one car to another as the years passed and other cars came and went. Believe it or not, it was only a few months ago, when I was transferring items from my old Prius to my new <b>Tesla</b>, that I threw it out. After hauling that thing around for <b>almost 35 years</b>, it was time to say goodbye.<br />
<h3>
Finally, An Upgrade</h3>
But I am pleased to say I now have a replacement. The <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2TjEdrq">Audew Portable Air Compressor</a></b> is a <b>portable 12V pump</b> that is perfect for stowing away in your car for emergencies. Unlike my old compressor, this one features a <b>digital readout</b> of the pressure. You can also set it to your desired pressure and it will automatically shut off once that pressure is reached. Easy-peasy.<br />
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The unit comes with a 2 foot long hose that can connect directly to a tire valve stem and three other adapters – two for inflating things like <b>rafts </b>and <b>mattresses </b>and a needle for <b>basketballs</b>, <b>volleyballs</b>, and the like, as well as a spare fuse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7O3r6IAUKOiMLuq2w3nUjmWBAAqnVSRYXn1fo53_SRIBTHBLKHaIT-7eRORjYZ7IMwqx1P-qNRjJoV_OgNuM8o0yVxRBcD1LV-U4yUCBKgfysZxQzPXP2ndxOa2-bswll-3WcTJ0XTvM/s1600/IMG_20190303_153644+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7O3r6IAUKOiMLuq2w3nUjmWBAAqnVSRYXn1fo53_SRIBTHBLKHaIT-7eRORjYZ7IMwqx1P-qNRjJoV_OgNuM8o0yVxRBcD1LV-U4yUCBKgfysZxQzPXP2ndxOa2-bswll-3WcTJ0XTvM/s320/IMG_20190303_153644+-+Copy.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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As you can see from the pictures, the unit is fairly compact. It’s also lightweight and easy to carry. The air hose is stored on one side of the unit and the 12V power cord on the other. The air hose is sufficiently long enough to connect to a tire without any issues. There are two lights on the top of the unit that can be set to either flash or remain on continuously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8wliKYdEVLoQlFmw5g66A9a5OLC0hlWHTbPKAOUCPY_znkWPVZguRbY4dMvNcPuqsnujsPzzoLimAt45XMTtUp0JRy32nNuuaYxjWW0-1mTLpRX3Rf6p25fIwtLTfNlEgchOc8K5jMOx/s1600/IMG_20190303_153428+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8wliKYdEVLoQlFmw5g66A9a5OLC0hlWHTbPKAOUCPY_znkWPVZguRbY4dMvNcPuqsnujsPzzoLimAt45XMTtUp0JRy32nNuuaYxjWW0-1mTLpRX3Rf6p25fIwtLTfNlEgchOc8K5jMOx/s320/IMG_20190303_153428+-+Copy.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71Qz38td3kzYAx_uJW5BNA_24-Z5d5hsdBhTHsQiuMi2S2oTW5BrmsQdeWUmeH3YdADOv-yAz1wZG_ynXgd1TjdspwlsGGidzWBU25aJAqmfoKfWaobpl-iZBu64WVy25GEMgk3WJycOM/s1600/IMG_20190303_153650+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71Qz38td3kzYAx_uJW5BNA_24-Z5d5hsdBhTHsQiuMi2S2oTW5BrmsQdeWUmeH3YdADOv-yAz1wZG_ynXgd1TjdspwlsGGidzWBU25aJAqmfoKfWaobpl-iZBu64WVy25GEMgk3WJycOM/s320/IMG_20190303_153650+-+Copy.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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I let a bit of air out of one of my tires and used the pump to bring it back up to 45 PSI. Here’s a video of it in action. The pump bounces around a bit as it runs, but that might be due to the sloped and pebbled driveway I was using it on.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1fHojOIcWas" width="560"></iframe>
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The lights point straight up, which may be good as a warning sign to other drivers at night when they are set to flashing. If you need to shine them on something, the pump is light enough to pick and point the lights wherever you need, even while it is in operation.<br />
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My sole complaint is the <b>storage mechanism</b> for the <b>power cord</b>. As shipped, the cord fits nicely in the side of the pump. But I know there is no way in the world I’m going to get it to fit that nicely ever again. As you can see below, the connector end slides nicely into an interior pocket, but the cord just ends up something of a mess that you have to jam into the slot. I would like to see a couple of posts that you can wrap the cord around.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYHFwtRYY1aJ6eF2dmO6TbYbz4Es-PLTSbrO2hbUHVdJXtOOD_bz4FYJtwYmWGoO2aluT8S-NAyUf4eO5uupUOYcMBsU4l056qBt9XjXdq7gzosqX3sE-Qr54EC3ZTJNaTR0UzzBgnpgR/s1600/IMG_20190303_154953+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYHFwtRYY1aJ6eF2dmO6TbYbz4Es-PLTSbrO2hbUHVdJXtOOD_bz4FYJtwYmWGoO2aluT8S-NAyUf4eO5uupUOYcMBsU4l056qBt9XjXdq7gzosqX3sE-Qr54EC3ZTJNaTR0UzzBgnpgR/s320/IMG_20190303_154953+-+Copy.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkqYEep7wL4aaY5r8ouvOzUgaULqPx_Pr_TwnhUnmDk7inhloFZ90A9fz96U254EdXMXzUJZR_DeamYZU-BRc383lTB8RCrG5jTKfQoaqOFoXnSgMArWbOZvuAvXL_DB-NFDvrfHpAvpw/s1600/IMG_20190303_155000+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkqYEep7wL4aaY5r8ouvOzUgaULqPx_Pr_TwnhUnmDk7inhloFZ90A9fz96U254EdXMXzUJZR_DeamYZU-BRc383lTB8RCrG5jTKfQoaqOFoXnSgMArWbOZvuAvXL_DB-NFDvrfHpAvpw/s320/IMG_20190303_155000+-+Copy.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The connector stores away nicely.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mSo30K_smHZWhleLwS8DgQPDBH98YHN7XP8fmX6ysgUVpsgVYB3EJEI2V995EXb59jQlCFizyogzpoDS7loRqsHeIpBP2cwqr-D5lBlOIk3rUsFMu78pTgpA8sWNHqUN8LhNjP-HOS-8/s1600/IMG_20190303_155029+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mSo30K_smHZWhleLwS8DgQPDBH98YHN7XP8fmX6ysgUVpsgVYB3EJEI2V995EXb59jQlCFizyogzpoDS7loRqsHeIpBP2cwqr-D5lBlOIk3rUsFMu78pTgpA8sWNHqUN8LhNjP-HOS-8/s320/IMG_20190303_155029+-+Copy.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The power cord, not so much.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All in all, I think the <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2TjEdrq">Audew 12V Air Compressor</a></b> is a good deal for the price. I plan on keeping one in my frunk for emergencies.<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-12365073222379459842019-03-13T06:00:00.000-07:002019-03-13T06:00:03.410-07:00Model 3 Delivered!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMLzWbSVZ0D7Yn1wQDNuOFnhmtORtxVtqOzLQKhiiT0cwIqdJSlKBzgBtd3rg89K5d0cClfBMO4cZlKbFiGAZd_s877sNd0XRDx8tOfqoQA1RnA21lneBHL5stBvrPm3WxRQ8CeABbQup/s1600/IMG_20190302_105429+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="807" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMLzWbSVZ0D7Yn1wQDNuOFnhmtORtxVtqOzLQKhiiT0cwIqdJSlKBzgBtd3rg89K5d0cClfBMO4cZlKbFiGAZd_s877sNd0XRDx8tOfqoQA1RnA21lneBHL5stBvrPm3WxRQ8CeABbQup/s640/IMG_20190302_105429+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Deliverance</h3>
Wow... The process of buying my wife's Model 3 was so much <b>smoother</b> and <b>faster</b> than what I went through buying my Model S! We pulled the trigger and ordered the car on <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-one-in-which-i-buy-second-tesla.html">February 19</a>. We drove it home on March 2 - just 11 days later. And we could have actually had it as early as February 26, only seven days after ordering it, but we weren't ready that soon. (Because both of our names will be on the title, we both had to be present to pick it up and we just couldn't find a time we were both available.) Compare this with the <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-6.html">6 weeks</a> it took to get my Model S!<br />
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I suspect the increased speed is because the options for the Model 3 are severely limited. Our only options were the paint color (5 choices), interior color (2 choices), wheel size (2 choices), and the enhanced autopilot feature. All cars have the enhanced AP hardware installed, so it's just a software configuration to turn it on. There is no difference in the build process. This means there are very few changes between each Model 3 produced, so they can roll off the assembly line faster.<br />
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The trade-in process was much easier as well. No photos of the trade-in were required, contrasting with <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-5.html">my trade-in experience</a>. As I mentioned last time, it seems how thoroughly they inspect your trade-in is dependent on how expensive your new car is.<br />
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As was the case with my Model S, the timing worked out such that we didn't need to <b>waste money</b> on licensing the old car for another year. My wife's registration on her Prius was set to expire 17 days after we traded it in. Unlike <a href="https://servicearizona.com/contentFAQFolderApp.jsp?clickfromFAQpage&f=Plate+Refund#3218">some states</a>, Washington does not give you a refund if you sell or trade your vehicle before the registration expires, so this saved us $156.<br />
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I did run into one hitch. We were scheduled to pick up our car on Saturday, March 2. On March 1, we got an email asking us to log into our account and verify our pickup location and that we were trading in a car. This was the day after <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/28/tech/tesla-elon-musk-announcement/index.html">Elon Musk announced</a> the <b>$35,000 Model 3</b> was now on sale.<br />
<br />
Friday morning, the Tesla website was getting hammered. I couldn't log in to verify our purchase info! After trying to about 30 minutes, I finally got logged in, only to discover my order was not listed! Considering I had just wired my deposit over the night before, that was a smidge disconcerting, to say the least.<br />
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I called Tesla and they said the site was swamped and they were having the same issues on their end accessing it. The person I spoke with said links weren't going to the correct pages and other weird behavior was happening. He confirmed he still saw my order and that they had people working to get the website fixed. He suggested I try again that evening.<br />
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After about 2 hours, I tried again and was able to get in and confirm my order.<br />
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The pick up went just as smooth as when I picked up my Model S. We signed some paperwork, handed over our old car keys and got our new Model 3 keycards. This time, the car was parked outside, instead of in the showroom like mine was. There were several other people there picking up cars, so space was limited. Since we already knew how most of the stuff worked, there was no need for anyone to give us an overview, so we got in and drove away!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSZLA9CxaY_YmDWC3rFnT_VTNMyLRiKCxBJ0a5S4mi_oFiTHdHrz91VbKRJhM2w8upyI934Z8v81xDYHnono5JZwKkUTgALJvhyphenhyphenK5AfwS5ISL_Y3yq1jTQHYw-ynjCEnZf_PE-KuwpPr9/s1600/IMG_20190302_103053+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="807" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSZLA9CxaY_YmDWC3rFnT_VTNMyLRiKCxBJ0a5S4mi_oFiTHdHrz91VbKRJhM2w8upyI934Z8v81xDYHnono5JZwKkUTgALJvhyphenhyphenK5AfwS5ISL_Y3yq1jTQHYw-ynjCEnZf_PE-KuwpPr9/s640/IMG_20190302_103053+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shiny!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gvQVPu8fPmA4vX1S3knhVhurMXakoOQNcOWapME_3qNKeMFgCF5laiAKSOQxvwPr45-GiiLk7rkE1Fhr6SVK6LmvKOZOPut6D2wmJe6pbrS9mD4Z9CXc_KTHF7ggG-_-RNFDQoKnZubu/s1600/IMG_20190302_105430+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="1166" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gvQVPu8fPmA4vX1S3knhVhurMXakoOQNcOWapME_3qNKeMFgCF5laiAKSOQxvwPr45-GiiLk7rkE1Fhr6SVK6LmvKOZOPut6D2wmJe6pbrS9mD4Z9CXc_KTHF7ggG-_-RNFDQoKnZubu/s640/IMG_20190302_105430+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Accessories</h3>
Once again, I ordered the all weather interior floor mats. We also bought a second high power wall charger. This will be wired in a load balanced configuration with my existing wall charger so they can share the same 100 amp circuit.<br />
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Due to the trade-in, we actually have an extra $5,000 or so we could have applied to our down payment. I didn't want to do this for fear of messing up the loan. I was afraid if the loan amount changed, even if it went down, the approval process would have to start over again. Granted, it went super fast and was completely transparent to me, but I didn't want to do anything that might delay the purchase.<br />
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The extra money will be used for the second high powered wall connector and its installation. There should be a couple thousand left over, which will go towards paying down the car loan and I'll send it in as soon as I get the electronic payment process set up.<br />
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My wife has been enjoying the last couple of days with the car. We're still configuring some of the options like the HomeLink garage door opener and connecting her phone, but it should be all set up the way she likes it in a few days!Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-15848609928322157472019-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:002019-03-06T06:00:03.103-08:00New Worth Update: End of February 2019<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Last updated:</b> End of February, 2019<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $934,845<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> +$26,297<br />
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<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
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<a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-first-week-of-tesla-ownership.html">Ava</a> hit <b>10,000 miles</b>! I still love the car!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJrq0ZwgtDducYhgfrudC5vIod8E2gpQLNwbJ8l8VYOpEA3kgXCg5ALwyPPBqdW_xBWnCkuTnLGKIT-rMdmCZImxyxZ8SRqj8uW-MIk_AIsWz8pnU5wSyJR40htos2mWfQCmifSbitmdw/s1600/10000+miles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJrq0ZwgtDducYhgfrudC5vIod8E2gpQLNwbJ8l8VYOpEA3kgXCg5ALwyPPBqdW_xBWnCkuTnLGKIT-rMdmCZImxyxZ8SRqj8uW-MIk_AIsWz8pnU5wSyJR40htos2mWfQCmifSbitmdw/s400/10000+miles.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading home to charge</td></tr>
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I can't believe I've put 10,000 miles on the car in just over 5 months of ownership, but 3,200 of those miles were from our <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">holiday road trip</a> to Arizona.<br />
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My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$62.69</b> of income. My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$23.59</b>. I also received a year-end bonus from my work. After taxes, I netted <b>$6,300</b>.<br />
<br />
We had some <b>big expenses</b> this month. Foremost, obviously, was the cost of buying a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-one-in-which-i-buy-second-tesla.html"><b>new car</b></a>. The bonus really helped on that.<br />
<br />
We also replaced both my and my wife's cell phones. We each had an old <b>Galaxy 6S Edge</b> that we've dropped several times and each of our phones had cracks in the screens. My wife already had her screen replaced once. Verizon has stopped issuing security and OS updates for the phones, so I felt it was time to get new ones. We went with <b>Google Pixel 3 XL</b>s purchased directly from Google. This ensures we will continue to receive OS upgrades in a timely manner. Of course, the week after we bought them, Google dropped the price $200. <b>*sigh*</b><br />
<br />
I did manage to find a <a href="https://www.iretron.com/">used phone buyback company</a> that paid us $20 for our old phones. It pays to shop around. Several companies I found either wouldn't give us anything at all or only offered $5 or so. <b>iReTron</b> gave us the highest price for our really old phones. Even if you only get a couple bucks, please send your old phones to a recycler rather than throwing them in the trash! They will properly dispose of the materials that do not belong in a landfill.<br />
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We also took a trip to <b>Las Vegas</b>. We have a gambling budget and I plan on losing half of it each trip. This time we did slightly worse than planned, losing about two-thirds of our budget. We had a good time though. Lots of good <b>restaurant eating</b> and we got <b>free tickets</b> to see the <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_String_Cheese_Incident">String Cheese Incident</a></b>, which was... interesting. Good music and lots of good people watching!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
<b>Huge increase</b> in our net worth this month! Most of it came from investment (stock market) growth.<br />
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<tr><td align="center">January 2019</td>
<td align="center">February 2019</td></tr>
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Although it looks like our cash position took a big jump, in reality mostly it's because I moved our Tesla down payment from a brokerage account ("Investments") to our checking account ("Cash"). Given that our investment total went <b>up $12,000</b> even taking into account our moving about $18,000 out of it, we had some really awesome stock market gains!<br />
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My work bonus also helped <b>drive up</b> our cash position.<br />
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Credit card debt looks high, but it's under control. I put the $2,500 Tesla deposit on a credit card plus we paid about $2,000 for new cell phones. (<b>Holy crap</b>, when did cell phones get so expensive?) We've got the money to pay those off, and I actually entered the payment in my credit union's bill pay website already, but I scheduled it 3 weeks after the charges were incurred to take <b>maximum advantage</b> of the <a href="https://www.plastiq.com/blog/2018/08/credit-card-float-the-most-valuable-least-known-benefit-of-using-your-credit-card/">float</a>.<br />
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Next week - photos of the <b>new Tesla</b>!!<br />
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If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, please drop me a line in the comments section!<br />
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-71778210560511885652019-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:002019-02-27T06:00:00.397-08:00The One In Which I Buy A Second Tesla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CjFQIXv6ulWO75gnDvA-fjFhvMFmhlQyx4_0_v_eZzjPIK80ikO_1KqFAEhLt-1wQEca1AkG8zYbGjZknklJ2Yx8aO8SIxfswiWpcExiwIQPq6jpCen7riY2OTAcIzJm7oYbxyXuc7FR/s1600/model+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="645" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CjFQIXv6ulWO75gnDvA-fjFhvMFmhlQyx4_0_v_eZzjPIK80ikO_1KqFAEhLt-1wQEca1AkG8zYbGjZknklJ2Yx8aO8SIxfswiWpcExiwIQPq6jpCen7riY2OTAcIzJm7oYbxyXuc7FR/s640/model+3.png" width="580" /></a></div>
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In August of last year, I gave up on my dream of buying a Tesla using <b>passive income</b> and just bought one using a loan. I explained all the reasons why in <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-one-in-which-i-buy-tesla.html">this post</a>, but to sum up, there were just <b>too many negatives</b> in waiting to get enough passive income.<br />
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Now it's time to replace my wife's car and we opted to get her a Model 3. With this purchase, I'm likely not going to post <b>daily details</b> of the buying process like I did the first time around. I expect the process will be fairly similar, so I'll only post when things are different than they were before.<br />
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We've decided on getting a <b>red Model 3</b> with the <b>dual motor long range battery</b> option. That gives us the same range as the Performance version (<b>310 miles</b>), albeit with a slower 0 - 60 time. But my wife isn't going to be drag racing any time soon (I hope), so we're fine saving the $11,000 extra the Performance version costs. I did want the dual motor version. I've got dual motors in my Model S and it made a big difference in the <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/02/tesla-winter-performance-and-wheel.html">recent snowy weather</a> we had. I also think it makes sense to buy the <b>biggest battery you can</b>. You never know when that extra capacity will come in handy. Look at it this way: if a gas car came with a 5 gallon gas tank or a 12 gallon tank, would you ever opt for the smaller one?<br />
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We did get the <b>Enhanced Autopilot</b>, which is a $5,000 option. After using it during my <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-first-week-of-tesla-ownership.html">daily commute</a> and during our <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">cross-country road trip</a>, I can't imagine owning a Tesla without this.<br />
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My wife also opted for the <b>black interior</b>, which is standard, and the <b>red paint</b>, a $2,500 option.<br />
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Funny story about the color. The Model 3 comes in <b>five colors</b>: black, silver, blue, white, and red. Black is standard and no additional charge. Silver and blue are an extra $1,500. White is $2,000 and <b>red is $2,500</b>. My wife doesn't like white or blue, so those were out. (Sadly. I really like the blue and wanted my car to be that color. Alas, she liked the silver and she won on that decision, but it was ultimately <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-one-in-which-i-buy-tesla.html">the catalyst</a> for buying the car at the time, so I can't complain.) She didn't want silver for her car because that would be the same color as mine. That left black or red.<br />
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Black tends to show dirt really bad. My mom had a black car when I was growing up and I remember having to wash it all the time. On the other hand, we were worried about red attracting police and generating more tickets. That, it turns out, is an <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/red-handed/">urban</a> <a href="https://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/cost-of-car-ownership/red-cars-get-pulled-over-more-often-for-speeding.htm">myth</a>.<br />
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My wife couldn't decide between the two colors, so on our recent trip to <b>Las Vegas</b> she decided to let random chance determine her choice. She played <b>roulette</b>. If black came up, she'd get black. If red, she'd get red. Well, she played two spins and black came up both times. However, she ended up not sticking to her rules and decided to get red after all.<br />
<h3>
Things Are Different From Last Time</h3>
Right off the bat, there are two things that are different in the buying process this time around: The <b>federal income tax credit</b> has been <a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/what-you-need-know-about-federal-ev-tax-credit-phase-out">cut in half </a>to $3,750 and the loan interest rate has gone <b>up to 3.75%</b>.<br />
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When I purchased my Model S, the income tax credit was more than the total interest I would pay over the life of my loan, meaning I was <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-0.html">borrowing money for free</a>. Things aren't <b>quite so rosy</b> this time around. I'm putting down <b>about 25%</b>, so my loan amount will be roughly <b>$44,100</b>. On a 72 month loan at 3.75%, I'll pay <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/calculators/mortgages/loan-calculator.aspx">$5,216</a> in <b>interest charges</b> over the life of the loan. Subtracting the $3,750 tax credit means the true cost to me of borrowing money is <b>$1,466</b>.<br />
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The good news is I can still get my total interest cost down to <b>under the tax credit</b> amount. The monthly payment for the above loan is <b>$685</b>. I am currently saving <b>$967</b> each month towards this car. If I apply that entire amount to my loan, which I will, my total interest paid drops to <b>$3,552</b> and my loan will be paid off in four years instead of six. If I do this, the federal tax credit will <b>more than cover</b> my interest costs, just like it did with my car.<br />
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So, just like with my Model S, even though I am taking out a loan, the cost of borrowing money for me will be <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-0.html"><b>zero</b></a>.<br />
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I may be able to eke some <b>more savings</b> out of this. I am currently paying extra on my Model S loan. That loan has a current balance of <b>$95,365</b> and I'm paying <b>1.74%</b> interest. The loan for the Model 3 will be <b>$44,100</b> at <b>3.75%</b>. I'll need to run the numbers to determine where I save the most money by making extra payments - the higher balance, lower interest loan or the lower balance, higher interest one. I'll wait until we've actually taken possession of the car and everything is finalized before making that calculation.<br />
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I did notice what appeared to be a <b>price discrepancy</b> on the website. The price was shown in two different locations and they were not the same:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaI2y48DF3ES78y1RM3Nu3ctZFF-mnQ0MtWrtdzahTgcfi6jUq8Aui9UPRsCM6ytXrRjj5Oa8ZIORHPTpoQmq9JHZeJYH7UeBQfXrp-eu13pt3lQdJ82OfvkqD0Hi2WPiYjA5ah6hkRpj/s1600/model+3+pricing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="1078" height="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaI2y48DF3ES78y1RM3Nu3ctZFF-mnQ0MtWrtdzahTgcfi6jUq8Aui9UPRsCM6ytXrRjj5Oa8ZIORHPTpoQmq9JHZeJYH7UeBQfXrp-eu13pt3lQdJ82OfvkqD0Hi2WPiYjA5ah6hkRpj/s640/model+3+pricing.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I downloaded the actual purchase agreement and it turns out the difference is due to <b>destination</b> and <b>documentation fees</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumNSj9rYzafGVl3aXhDfbormpbEa_5ytD2cUmDBKCrYp4UwulBblpb6Df3gjhLoFSRew9N3moURrV5_4O00kRMlOjkm_pGTeB4cQnCa_9lcW9Ws_t0p1lyxZiqo1onprgxaR3AfCe4mhr/s1600/model+3+pricing2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="796" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumNSj9rYzafGVl3aXhDfbormpbEa_5ytD2cUmDBKCrYp4UwulBblpb6Df3gjhLoFSRew9N3moURrV5_4O00kRMlOjkm_pGTeB4cQnCa_9lcW9Ws_t0p1lyxZiqo1onprgxaR3AfCe4mhr/s400/model+3+pricing2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I Didn't Forget The Tax This Time</h3>
This time around, I also remembered to reserve enough cash to pay sales tax on the purchase. When I bought the Model S, I assumed the tax would be included in the loan, but it <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-5.html">was not</a>. This left me scrambling for some extra funds.<br />
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Another change in the buying process is you can now enter a <b>dollar amount</b> for your down payment. Back when I bought the Model S, you could only <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-5.html">enter a <b>percentage</b></a><b> </b>of the purchase price. This is a welcome change.<br />
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Home Prep</h3>
I will be purchasing a second<b> high powered wall charger</b>. I could probably get by with the one I have, as I got the longer cord and it will easily reach both cars in the garage. However, that will make charging a <b>pain in the ass</b> because we'd have to remember to move the plug from one car to the other. I suppose we could charge one car one day and the other the next, which might not be too bad, but still.<br />
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I already had the <b>major electrical work</b> of getting a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-3.html">new electrical panel and 100 amp circuit</a> installed done, so I won't need to pay <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-1.html">those costs</a> again. I will need to spend about $500 on a second wall charger plus whatever the electrician charges to hook it up. This nice thing about the wall chargers is they can be connected together in a <b>load balancing configuration</b>. This allows two chargers to share the same 100 amp circuit.<br />
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One thing I am completely ignoring in these calculations is the trade-in value of my wife's car. She has a 2010 Prius with 138,000 miles on it. Honestly, it has <b>several scratches</b> in the paint and it's not in the best of condition. I'm planning on getting about <b>$1,000</b> for it, but I'm doing my calculations assuming I get nothing. I checked the <b>Kelly Blue Book</b> value and, even for a car in fair condition (their lowest rating), they say it's still worth between <b>$3,500 and $5,300</b>. Whatever I get for it will just be icing on the cake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Cybp4s-2fDH-T0HlYS0MdbGEcTz9YdY3e-w79qGC-lqKqx35zB_HV0smTt-bUCd0xUg5T2OyA1QRChWHd2tZeEfaFvPfz4uIYpJlaISXpPO7N2LixFmEfke6zc9vUgIStP2GWbiMiHEy/s1600/Prius+trade+in.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="551" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Cybp4s-2fDH-T0HlYS0MdbGEcTz9YdY3e-w79qGC-lqKqx35zB_HV0smTt-bUCd0xUg5T2OyA1QRChWHd2tZeEfaFvPfz4uIYpJlaISXpPO7N2LixFmEfke6zc9vUgIStP2GWbiMiHEy/s640/Prius+trade+in.png" width="496" /></a></div>
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Wow! While in the process of writing this post, Tesla came back with a trade-in offer of <b>$4,750</b>! That's <b>kinda crazy</b> (but I'll take it). When I traded in my old car for the Model S, I had to take at least <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-tesla-purchase-experience-week-5.html">10 photos</a> of the outside and inside of the car, tire treads, etc. before they valued it. I had to do none of that this time around.<br />
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I called Tesla and asked about this. I was told if the value of the purchased car is under $60,000, they don't make you do all the photos on the trade in. When you pick up your car, they just do a cursory check to make sure the car functions. Either way, I think their offers on trade-ins are <b>really fair</b>.<br />
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One thing I am really surprised at: we placed our order on <b>February 19</b> and Tesla said we could expect the car to be delivered in February! That's only <b>9 days max</b>! We'll see if that holds true.<br />
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My wife has yet to decide on a <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/my-first-week-of-tesla-ownership.html">name</a> for her car... Any suggestions?<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-36197788310951598002019-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:002019-02-20T06:00:09.969-08:00Tesla Winter Performance And Wheel Repair Photos<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qiNm4jyQUHWdRuuNCGOcDjQAUyH8voVcR-WHCb0Jp8iRdqGA1zJmSmP2YMbVXsrbV5ZVdXiZIwQMPc6c1qFFqDEQzumDim5Iyk-Fx2zpymqApOR8VhueJBkozhXZ2h_foJhvTEEoHJQ2/s1600/Winter+Trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qiNm4jyQUHWdRuuNCGOcDjQAUyH8voVcR-WHCb0Jp8iRdqGA1zJmSmP2YMbVXsrbV5ZVdXiZIwQMPc6c1qFFqDEQzumDim5Iyk-Fx2zpymqApOR8VhueJBkozhXZ2h_foJhvTEEoHJQ2/s1600/Winter+Trees.jpg" /></a></div>
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Snow Days!</h3>
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On the first weekend in February, the Seattle area got hit with the <a href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/feb/04/snow-cancels-delays-schools-in-seattle-area/">biggest snowstorm</a> they've had since I moved here last year - <b>8 to 10 inches</b>. Granted, that's not much compared to what the East coast gets, but it's pretty rare for this area. School was cancelled for three days and I worked from home all week instead of just two days,</div>
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The snow itself wasn't bad. It was the <b>icy roads</b> that caused the problems. It was particularly bad around our house. We live near the top of a mountain with <b>curvy roads</b> leading down into town. <b>Evergreen trees</b> overhang much of the road, meaning sunlight doesn't reach the pavement to melt the ice. Driving is quite <b>treacherous </b>in some spots.<br />
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On the third day of staying at home, the snow appeared to be lessening and I attempted to go in to the office. I only made it about 3 miles, before deciding to <b>not risk it</b> and head back home. I posted a couple of the dashcam videos to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeNDsh9cmzpx7q7DCnt31Pw">my YouTube channel</a>.<br />
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<b>Spoiler alert:</b> These are the most boring YouTube videos you will ever see.<br />
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This video shows just one of the hills I have to go down (and up) to leave my house. There is another way I can get into town, but that has more downhill curves, so I figured this was the <b>safer route</b>. In this clip, you can see one car (a Jeep Wrangler) stopped on the side of the road. I'm not sure if he tried to make it up the hill and couldn't or what. The car in front of me was a Jeep Cherokee and I waited to make sure he could get up the other side. I figured if he could, I could too.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HR52RqGZT0" width="560"></iframe>
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The second clip gives you an idea of the conditions I was driving in. It was at this point, I decided to turn around and head back home. Towards the end of the clip, you can see the snow being <b>blown along</b> the ground, which gives you an idea of the wind.<br />
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This last clip is me going back down the dip I just went through. It's only about 4 minutes after the first video and you can see in that short time, a van has <b>spun out</b> and gotten stuck. I'm not sure if the car in front of the van also got stuck or had stopped to help the driver of the van.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HngpmDT2WmU" width="560"></iframe>
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All in all, I actually felt <b>pretty safe</b>. The Model S is <b>heavy </b>and only slipped slightly once, as I passed the van in the last video. I had my foot lightly on the brakes. As soon as I felt my tires slipping, I took my foot off the brake and let the <b>regenerative braking</b> do all the slowing for me.<br />
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Ice Tests</h3>
Because I grew up in Southern California and lived many years in Arizona, I'm pretty inexperienced with driving in the snow, so I was going very slow and being extra cautious. The next day, the street in front of my house had a <b>solid ice patch</b> about 100 feet long. There was no one around and it was a straight stretch of road, so I decided to see how the computerized car handled on ice.<br />
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I drove slowly onto the ice patch and then <b>stomped on the accelerator</b> for about a half a second. I felt the wheels start to slip, then the computer kicked in and limited power, causing the slipping to stop. The car felt under control at all times.<br />
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I then did the opposite test - I drove onto the ice and <b>braked hard</b>. The ABS engaged and I felt the pedal pulse under my foot as the car came to a smooth stop without sliding. This experience wasn't that new to me, as I have experienced ABS in action on other cars.<br />
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The car<b> handled really well</b> on ice. Now, I was going in a straight line, so the chances of me <b>spinning out of control</b> were pretty slim. Still, it was good to get a little bit of experience of the car's traction control systems in action.<br />
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Cold Weather Battery Life</h3>
I typically charge my car every day or two, so I don't worry too much about battery drain due to really <b>cold weather</b>. However, last weekend, we took a weekend trip to <b>Las Vegas</b> and I was a little concerned about how much energy the car would lose while it was <b>parked outside</b> in <b>freezing weather</b> at the airport. The Seattle area had just had 2 weeks of unusually heavy snow and sub-freezing temperatures and I was worried there might be more snow and freezing rain while we were gone.<br />
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I did some Googling to see what other owners have experienced while parking in cold weather and found <a href="https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-s-long-term-parking/">this article</a> on Teslarati. The owner parked his Model S at the airport for two and a half days at an average temperature of 16 degrees Fahrenheit. He lost about <b>2.3% of rated range per day</b> - roughly 14 miles total.<br />
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Based on that, I figured I would be OK leaving my car at the airport for 4 days. Using his recommendation of 3% loss per day, as opposed to Tesla's 1% per day recommendation, I figured I would lose <b>12%</b> of my charge while out of town. To be safe, before I left for the airport, I charged to 100%.<br />
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When I arrived at the airport, my battery was at <b>79%</b> and the temperature was <b>38 degrees F</b>. The article linked to above mentioned putting the car into <b>energy saving mode</b> to help conserve power. I looked for this option on my car, but couldn't find it. A quick check of the owner's manual told me that, while this used to be an option on early versions of the Model S, the functionality has now been <b>automated</b>, so there was no longer an option for users to enable or disable it. (On a side note, I love that the owner's manual is electronic and can be searched from the display screen.)<br />
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We left Thursday afternoon and returned Monday afternoon. Here are the high and low temperatures while we were away:<br />
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<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Day</b></td><td style="text-align: center;"><b>High (°F)</b></td><td style="text-align: center;"><b>Low (°F)</b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Thursday</td><td style="text-align: center;"></td><td style="text-align: center;">37</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Friday</td><td style="text-align: center;">46</td><td style="text-align: center;">35</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Saturday</td><td style="text-align: center;">44</td><td style="text-align: center;">33</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Sunday</td><td style="text-align: center;">44</td><td style="text-align: center;">32</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">Monday</td><td style="text-align: center;">44</td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When I returned, my battery was at <b>74%</b>. That 5% loss represents roughly <b>15 miles</b> of rated range lost over almost exactly 4 days. That is more in line with Tesla's 1% per day guideline than the 2.3% the Teslarati article author experienced. Granted, the temperatures for my test were about 15 degrees warmer than he experienced, but all in all, I was happy the loss was <b>less than I expected</b>.<br />
<br />
Just like my <b><a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">cross-country road trip</a></b> eliminated any last vestiges of <b>range anxiety</b>, this test eliminated my fear of <b>losing charge</b> while parked out in the cold.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Wheel Repair</h3>
As I mentioned <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/first-tesla-service-wheel-damage-and.html">before</a>, I had some <b>curb rash</b> on one of my tires repaired. I'm really pleased with the results. I can't even tell where the work was done!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih05WpXf6EtDMflRYfi8C99jSGNSjB-69vhExAoAPya1LdSCglTbBp18vzWNtWjYWrFIXNe5889Vgz7gYZy3ZGrDRJvP-CiM-5Cc84GFvKgk3YRfqvIbmIH5kbBSmy7u48tMEnE1gCnPmJ/s1600/20190119_122809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih05WpXf6EtDMflRYfi8C99jSGNSjB-69vhExAoAPya1LdSCglTbBp18vzWNtWjYWrFIXNe5889Vgz7gYZy3ZGrDRJvP-CiM-5Cc84GFvKgk3YRfqvIbmIH5kbBSmy7u48tMEnE1gCnPmJ/s320/20190119_122809.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8OQkNppFfG_T4dyP951-YcdHZDN5ijb9POpM-BWN-bE05L43yIZLaF9wEE1aRlyJEKtwJPb7fuWXqM-SmqjQ_pJ4Oag_LMlQC7CV9er5USUF9bam1u7SKLaIJMqMXINKTgiKQcEEsm-Z/s1600/20190119_122801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8OQkNppFfG_T4dyP951-YcdHZDN5ijb9POpM-BWN-bE05L43yIZLaF9wEE1aRlyJEKtwJPb7fuWXqM-SmqjQ_pJ4Oag_LMlQC7CV9er5USUF9bam1u7SKLaIJMqMXINKTgiKQcEEsm-Z/s320/20190119_122801.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJttresRP4boqpSurVDkdjFxAcze7iocqlkbazrtc84m1oUHsbl24niaiUr3txW9EvSAv_H741hpmTo9gBLJafYbsZE1yIHK92D1O5AQETD5J8yg4-xdt8vyZAFhAsJZN1M0Q859LaIUUS/s1600/20190201_092901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJttresRP4boqpSurVDkdjFxAcze7iocqlkbazrtc84m1oUHsbl24niaiUr3txW9EvSAv_H741hpmTo9gBLJafYbsZE1yIHK92D1O5AQETD5J8yg4-xdt8vyZAFhAsJZN1M0Q859LaIUUS/s320/20190201_092901.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxO1-OGsExfBA72DLVcwi_Ex_sr8BtPcX2fzbQYHC05RYqHAk103VTFsJT2QeVASnr-T6HWdhVkhme0FpUmGsDQhGpANjV73qdoo3WbWMvBoP0Ib7rKmuSFgyvAZFndfLqHNV_RG0_J2u/s1600/20190203_123928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxO1-OGsExfBA72DLVcwi_Ex_sr8BtPcX2fzbQYHC05RYqHAk103VTFsJT2QeVASnr-T6HWdhVkhme0FpUmGsDQhGpANjV73qdoo3WbWMvBoP0Ib7rKmuSFgyvAZFndfLqHNV_RG0_J2u/s320/20190203_123928.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I spoke with the person who made the repairs and he said they first grind down and buff out any damage to the metal of the wheel. He said not enough metal is removed to affect the wheel's balance and my particular mark was so slight, barely any metal was removed. Then they mix matching paint, apply it and feather it in with the rest of the wheel, then dry it. They actually get the <b>exact color</b> from Tesla, so the match is perfect.<br />
<br />
Now I just have to keep from hitting another curb!<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-8476635080166997322019-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:002019-02-13T06:00:01.797-08:00Investing For Monthly Income: Dividend Aristocrats And Kings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNCfHb3NPoXq82pnTHCNG737T2TCdI3-c2OZnAOKHk1EMj6N6hQN_lCzK3Vuz1lXHLNdqR0a_Hpac0X28in75P9iCUCKfMgD-BhX8RC7ZcCNLH0toDREMFXMZVjMjEjp4k40uyPm4T9kl/s1600/Aristocrats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNCfHb3NPoXq82pnTHCNG737T2TCdI3-c2OZnAOKHk1EMj6N6hQN_lCzK3Vuz1lXHLNdqR0a_Hpac0X28in75P9iCUCKfMgD-BhX8RC7ZcCNLH0toDREMFXMZVjMjEjp4k40uyPm4T9kl/s1600/Aristocrats.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/QZgm1hjuHSg?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; white-space: nowrap;">Cristina Gottardi</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Why I Closed My Self-Directed Roth IRA</h3>
Many years ago, I <a href="http://shaunsre.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-invenstment-with-self-directed.html">started</a> a <b>self-directed Roth IRA</b> so that I could use my IRA funds to invest in real estate, mainly as a <b>hard money lender</b>. My partner has been having a hard time finding good deals lately, due to the low interest rates. When I started, we could charge borrowers 12%, which is a pretty sweet return. The last couple of years have seen that drop down to 6%. Now that interest rates are rising, we’re back at about 8%, but it’s still not close to what I used to be able to earn.<br />
<br />
Besides the lack of deals, the second reason I’m exiting from this is the account fees are pretty steep. The IRA custodian assesses <b>a yearly fee</b> of around <b>$375</b>. I started out with $35,000 years ago and that fee was about <b>one and a half month’s income</b> at 12%. Over time, the account has grown to roughly $70,000 and at 8%, that fee is now <b>less than 1 month’s income</b>. However, deals have been fairly hard to come by over the past year, so there were many months where I wasn’t generating any income.<br />
<br />
I also felt like the custodian was, shall we say, <b>not the best</b>. I mean, they are a legit company and everything they did was legal, but they just weren’t very <b>technologically savvy</b>. Their website kinda sucked. It just had the feel of a really small, understaffed company to me, even though they are not. I didn’t feel very comfortable using them now that the account value had doubled.<br />
<br />
So I opted to close the account and roll the funds into my <b>Roth IRA</b> at Schwab and invest in the stock market.<br />
<br />
(As a side note, I started the self-directed IRA with $35,000 and I ended up with slightly more than double that in 8.73 years. According to <a href="https://www.calculator.net/roi-calculator.html">this calculator</a>, that works out to an annualized ROI of <b>8.26%</b>. When I started it, I had hoped to earn around 10% - 12%, as that's what I was getting at the time. Still, this was a Roth IRA, so the returns are <b>tax free</b> and, according to <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/calculators/retirement/tax-equivalent-yield-calculator-tool.aspx">this calculator</a>, that's equivalent to an after-tax return of <b>11.0%</b>. My returns could have been better, but I was not invested in anything for the last 9 to 12 months I had the account.)<br />
<br />
Now that the rollover process has been completed, I’ve got <b>$70,000</b> ready to invest in the stock market. The big question is how to invest it.<br />
<h3>
Of Aristocrats and Kings</h3>
One of the financial blogs I follow, <a href="https://wallethacks.com/">Wallet Hacks</a>, recently had a post about building a <a href="https://wallethacks.com/build-a-monthly-passive-dividend-paycheck-with-dividend-stocks/">monthly income portfolio</a>. In other words, build a portfolio that recevies dividend income <b>every month</b>. This isn't a new idea and I've heard of many other investors that have done the same thing, but my recent lump sum transfer into my IRA meant I could <b>jump start</b> this strategy with a big chunk of change instead of building it up from zero.<br />
<br />
Most companies pay dividends <b>quarterly</b>, although some, mostly REITS, pay monthly. The goal of this type of portfolio then, is to own stocks so that their quarterly dividend payout dates are <b>staggered</b>. Have some that pay out during the first month of the quarter, some the second month of the quarter, and some the third month of the quarter. This way, you have income coming in every month. As a real estate investor at heart, I’m really big on <b>cash flow</b> and this concept appeals to me.<br />
<br />
The question becomes which stocks should you buy? Because you will (theoretically) be relying on these dividends for monthly income when you are retired, you want companies that will be around for the <b>long haul</b> and will not reduce or cancel their dividend. Luckily, there is a name for these companies: <b>Dividend Aristocrats</b>.<br />
<br />
A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%26P_500_Dividend_Aristocrats">Dividend Aristocrat</a> is a company that has had a history of at least <b>25 years</b> of <b>increasing dividends</b>. Twenty five years is a long time, so these companies tend to be fairly <b>well established</b> and will likely be around for years to come. (Although age is not a guarantee of a profitable company. Just look at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears">Sears</a>.) These are stable companies that have a history not only of continuing to pay, but of also increasing their dividends. This is important over the long term because inflation will eat away at the value of the payments if they do not increase over time.<br />
<br />
<i>Dividend Aristocrats</i> is not a term that financial bloggers dreamed up. The list is actually compiled and tracked by <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_%26_Poor%27s">Standard & Poors</a></b>.<br />
<br />
But if you want even more security, there is a <b>subset </b>of the Dividend Aristocrats that are even <i>more</i> impressive – the <b><a href="https://www.dividendinvestor.com/what-are-dividend-kings/">Dividend Kings</a></b>. These companies have a record of not twenty five, but <b><i>fifty </i>years</b> of continuous dividend increases! That’s pretty <b>damn impressive</b>. These are stocks you can buy and hold forever and never think about again.<br />
<h3>
My Choices</h3>
I selected three to five companies from the list of Dividend Kings that distribute dividends in the first, second, and third months of each quarter. Below is my list, with my final choices in yellow. The last two entries in the list, the <b>Vanguard </b>and <b>Schwab index funds</b>, I already own and I’ve listed when they pay out dividends as well. I should also note that I already own shares of <b>Coca-Cola</b>, another Dividend King.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv15laasSxO8XJo-CwWKJVULXDUHmqSC_rq_MMySrn6MQc_khzQTyJHFclRaBx-DhTKcM5m5BBpa_HRFQ0Oh_JtYK7A_0ilhMBPoqefu1dfkibkYezlhbBX9fufUddnRo6C26XmigBDvmm/s1600/choices.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="828" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv15laasSxO8XJo-CwWKJVULXDUHmqSC_rq_MMySrn6MQc_khzQTyJHFclRaBx-DhTKcM5m5BBpa_HRFQ0Oh_JtYK7A_0ilhMBPoqefu1dfkibkYezlhbBX9fufUddnRo6C26XmigBDvmm/s640/choices.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h4>
First Month</h4>
One thing you’ll notice is I didn’t just go for the company with the <b>highest dividend yield</b>. Rather, I choose the companies based on my thoughts about them and my existing portfolio positions. For example, <b>Federal Realty Investment</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/frt?ltr=1">FRT</a>) Is a <b>real estate investment trust</b> (REIT) has the highest dividend yield in the bunch, as is common for REITS, but I passed on it. Why? My portfolio already contains a large position in <b>Realty Income</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/O/">O</a>), which is also a real estate trust. As an added bonus, Realty Income already pays dividends <b>each month</b>.<br />
<br />
(On a side note, a <b>Roth IRA</b> is a <b>great place</b> to hold shares of REITs. Due to their unique legal structure, REITs are not taxed at the corporate level, which lets them return more money to investors in the form of dividends, but the trade off is their dividends are <b>taxed as regular income</b> to the recipient instead of at the lower <b>qualified dividend</b> tax rate. Regular income is subject to the <b>highest income tax rate</b>, so by holding shares and receiving dividends in a Roth IRA, where the distributions are tax free, you’ve changed the dividend income from being taxed the highest rate to <b>not being taxed at all!</b>)<br />
<br />
That leaves a choice between <b>Cincinnati Financial Corp</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CINF">CINF</a>) and <b>Genuine Parts Co</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GPC/">GPC</a>). GPC is a company that is a distributor of replacement parts of autos and industrial equipment, office products, and electrical materials. They own the <b>NAPA brand</b> of auto parts. Although they have a higher yield than CINF, I <b>ruled them out</b> because I can see there may be pressure on the auto parts industry years from now. <b>Electric cars</b> have very few parts to wear out and the ones that do will likely not be serviceable by consumers. Granted, gas vehicles will <b>continue to dominate</b> the roads for years and years and GPC is involved in other industries than just automotive, but I just feel like this is a <b>shrinking industry</b>.<br />
<br />
The only choice left is <b>Cincinnati Finanical Corp</b>. They are a property and casualty <b>insurance</b> company. Insurance is something that people will always need and, being a shareholder of <b>Berkshire Hathaway</b>, I’m very familiar with <b>insurance float</b> and how insurance companies use this “borrowed” money to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-insurance-float-2017-4">invest and generate income</a>. Now there will be times when natural disasters strike and that will cause short term hits on income and / or company reserves, but that’s the nature of the business. In short, I like their industry and the company in particular.<br />
<h4>
Second Month</h4>
Three choices here: <b>Colgate-Palmolive</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CL/">CL</a>), <b>Hormel Foods</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/HRL/">HRL</a>), and <b>Lowes</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/LOW">LOW</a>).<br />
<br />
I rejected Colgate-Palmolive because of <b>millennials</b>. (Why not blame <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2017/10/01/hey-procter-gamble-youre-lagging-and-you-can-blame-or-listen-to-millennials/713308001/">something else</a> on them?) Consumer trends change and brands that have been around forever, such as Colgate and Irish Spring, are seeing sales declines as consumers' tastes shift away from huge corporate brands and focus on <b>locally crafted, boutique brands</b>. I don’t think Colgate-Palmolive, or <b>Proctor & Gamble</b>, or any other of these huge old-school conglomerates will be going out of business anytime soon. Rather, they will adapt to changing tastes, either by spinning off their own boutique brands or buying up existing ones. However, it takes a while for companies this large to react, and that may result in losses that could put pressure on dividend payouts.<br />
<br />
Hormel is out because they are, for the most part, a <b>meat company</b>. Like Colgate-Palmolive, they are subject to changing consumer tastes and buying patterns. Does anyone (outside of Hawaii that is) still buy <b><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2017/10/01/hey-procter-gamble-youre-lagging-and-you-can-blame-or-listen-to-millennials/713308001/">Spam</a></b>? I guess they must, since it's still being made, but I don't know anyone who buys it.<br />
<br />
The <b>harmful effects</b> of large scale meat farming on the environment are negative and <a href="http://science.time.com/2013/12/16/the-triple-whopper-environmental-impact-of-global-meat-production/">undeniable</a>. Granted, many articles on this topic seem to be quite <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/04/factory-farming-destructive-wasteful-cruel-says-philip-lymbery-farmageddon-author">alarmist</a>, but the <b>negative consequences</b> to the planet are numerous. Changes will be coming and it remains to be seen how that will affect meat producers.<br />
<br />
That leaves <b>Lowes</b>. As a <b>homeowner</b>, I’m quite familiar with their stores. Their industry seems, to me at least, fairly <b>recession-proof</b>. When the economy is <b>booming</b> and people buy new houses, they will head to Lowes to purchase home improvement items. When the economy is <b>tanking</b>, people will stay in their homes longer, which means trips to Lowes to purchase repair parts. People will always need a place to live and stores like Lowes and <b>Home Depot</b> seem to have a fairly stable and dependable business model.<br />
<h4>
Third Month</h4>
<b>Dover Corp</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/DOV/">DOV</a>), <b>Emerson Electric</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/emr/">EMR</a>), <b>Johnson & Johnson</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/jnj/">JNJ</a>), <b>3M</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/MMM/">MMM</a>), and <b>Stanley Black & Decker</b> (<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SWK/">SWK</a>). I’m going to go against my previous reasoning here and invest in Johnson & Johnson, a <b>large, old conglomerate</b>. I’m not too concerned about <b>millennials</b> or <b>changing consumer patterns</b> here because J & J doesn’t just sell consumer products. They also sell <b>pharmaceuticals</b> and <b>medical devices</b>.<br />
<br />
The other companies either <b>don’t excite me</b> or I <b>know little</b> about their industries (Dover Corp. - manufacturer of industrial products, Emerson Electric - engineering services, and 3M – all kinds of stuff) or they <b>overlap industries with other stocks</b> I own. (For example, Stanley Black & Decker overlaps somewhat with Lowes). So for <b>diversification reasons</b>, I’m investing in <b>Johnson and Johnson</b> as a medical / health care industry stock.<br />
<br />
If I allocate <b>one-third</b> of my $70,000 to each of the above stocks, I’ll have an <b>average monthly income</b> of about <b>$146</b>. Not a bad start. And I figure I’ve got a least 10 years to <b>reinvest dividends</b> before retiring, so that should compound nicely. That $146 is also on top of the <b>$136</b> I'm already getting each month from my shares of <b>Realty Income</b>.<br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
What do you think? Have you made any similar investing plans?<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: This article is not advice to buy or sell any stock. Perform your own due diligence.</span></i></div>
Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-81634762711571884662019-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:002019-02-06T06:00:10.170-08:00Net Worth Update: End of January 2019<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Last updated:</b> End of January, 2019<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $908,548<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> -$2,722<br />
<br />
<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$78.92</b> of income. My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$44.95</b>. I also earned <b>$1.31</b> in royalties from my <a href="http://amzn.to/1O1X5mS">real estate ebook</a>. Someone read almost the whole book in November, so that $1.31 represents the maximum amount I can earn from each reader. (At least, the readers who read it for free on their Kindle. I don't remember what I earn from people who actually buy it outright.) I also received <b>$45</b> from a <b>class action lawsuit settlement</b> and that was sent off to my car loan.<br />
<br />
I missed posting my December net worth update, but that was probably just as well since the stock market <b>tanked </b>that month. No need to relive that <b>bloodbath</b>. The good news is the market has rebounded a bit. I'm still down, but not too much.<br />
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The process of closing my <b>self-directed IRA</b> and transferring the funds to my regular IRA account <i>finally </i>finished! I started this process back in <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/net-worth-update-end-of-september-2018.html">September</a>! In terms of my <b>Mint net worth</b> snapshot below, this means my Property value dropped by $70,400 and my Investments value went up by that amount. This is just due to the way Mint characterizes manual account entries. I've got an interesting idea on how I'm going to invest that money, but more on that in another post.<br />
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Our semiannual trip to <b>Las Vegas</b> is happening later this month. I'm pretty excited about this because the <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/07/goal-update-end-of-june-2018.html">last time</a> we were there, we finally qualified for the top tier of the <a href="https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/identity/about">Cosmopolitan's player's club</a>, which means, among other things, we can now get picked up at the airport by a hotel limo! Well, it might not be an <i>actual</i> limo. They have limos, Lincoln Town Cars, and even a <b>Tesla</b> or two! We got a great deal this time - <b>four free nights</b> (although we're only staying 3), <b>$200 in dining credit</b>, and <b>$425 in free play</b>.<br />
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Not much else to report on the financial front. Well, one more thing. My company announced the <b>2018 bonuses</b> this week and I got a nice <b>$9,000</b>. It's not paid out until later in February though, so it won't be reflected in my numbers until next month. I'm sure I'll lose a good chunk of that to taxes, but I've got plans for whatever is left. More on that later as well.<br />
<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
The stock market bounced back from the horror of December, but it hasn't yet regained all its losses. I'm still down <b>$2,722</b> this month over November.<br />
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<td align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNNRJ2cSpwJPiQRlkbUXfQapPgVzYzWrBVcZBTvfYON9O32buJnrj0llUrenrAvl3k6Vjm9BK-mtDYj93Tbki_Khb6Onm-qJfA_5va1VZoI84d2ZuQhcGZ2q098Wm6wJ5ksWl8bLkKRG-/s1600/2018-11+net+worth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNNRJ2cSpwJPiQRlkbUXfQapPgVzYzWrBVcZBTvfYON9O32buJnrj0llUrenrAvl3k6Vjm9BK-mtDYj93Tbki_Khb6Onm-qJfA_5va1VZoI84d2ZuQhcGZ2q098Wm6wJ5ksWl8bLkKRG-/s400/2018-11+net+worth.png" width="241" /></a>
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<tr><td align="center">November 2018</td>
<td align="center">January 2019</td></tr>
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If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, please drop me a line in the comments section!<br />
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-33014852465995325952019-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-30T06:00:09.171-08:00First Tesla Service, Wheel Damage, and The Drop StopThe trip to Arizona over the holidays put about 3,200 miles on my car, which brought me to around 8,000 miles total. Tesla recommends <b>rotating the tires</b> every 6,250 miles, so it was time for that service.<br />
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Making the appointment was easy - I could do it through my Tesla account on the web. The Bellevue service center was booked for weeks, but the one in Seattle had openings, so I took my car there on a Saturday morning. The location is in a <b>warehouse district</b> and I can understand why the other location was booked out so far in advance. The Bellevue center is in a nice part of town with shops nearby. It also is a showroom and delivery location, so there are lots of shiny new Teslas there. This location was more industrial, although the street was still lined with Teslas. Here's an image from Google Street View:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPJ24bly9nhkxr9h4296lwPjbmClPQlC88On6ZyoTZfb2eqa6IxyyyDtZ3120V4WaFtzZ_lhGdQghcmTcJyqVqOq8pL2cQ3xhvdoarONXRdWjwjFWY4AJGewBPolbQzlQIjbMws9-RsZP/s1600/Seattle+Service+Center.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPJ24bly9nhkxr9h4296lwPjbmClPQlC88On6ZyoTZfb2eqa6IxyyyDtZ3120V4WaFtzZ_lhGdQghcmTcJyqVqOq8pL2cQ3xhvdoarONXRdWjwjFWY4AJGewBPolbQzlQIjbMws9-RsZP/s640/Seattle+Service+Center.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nothing wrong with the location, but it's not as nice as Bellevue. Rather than dropping my car off, I opted to wait for the service to be performed and the little waiting room inside had a old <b>Roadster</b> on display, covered in signs asking people not to touch it.<br />
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I had a free cup of coffee and started reading a book. By the time I was done with the coffee, my car was ready. <b>Total cost was $68</b> plus tax.<br />
<h3>
Wheel Damage</h3>
While I was there, I asked about getting some <b>road rash</b> on one of my wheels repaired. About 1 month after getting the car, I was in a parking lot trying to turn down an aisle to find a parking space. A car going the other direction was leaving the aisle and was taking up more than half of the lane. I turned sharp to avoid it and my rear wheel hit the curb. I was pissed! Here's a couple views of the damage:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtII8evcG9B9qvcnkVr-KHYD2zw5lvxwpmZ4tzMSAvvjyuRZ_BUm2Pr_53_w9_VmCutna66t-flo9fPne06hsjP3BAqPN7vXMa-vn9_W5bguqU7dEXTQoB9cGV2rwiphWDoc5n3UCb-TdJ/s1600/20190119_122809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtII8evcG9B9qvcnkVr-KHYD2zw5lvxwpmZ4tzMSAvvjyuRZ_BUm2Pr_53_w9_VmCutna66t-flo9fPne06hsjP3BAqPN7vXMa-vn9_W5bguqU7dEXTQoB9cGV2rwiphWDoc5n3UCb-TdJ/s320/20190119_122809.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouch!</td></tr>
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The service center does not repair wheels, but they did give me a card of a company they recommend for repairs and I scheduled an appointment. The wheel is being fixed on Friday and will cost about <b>$350</b>. A whole new wheel is $1,000. *sigh* I'll post pictures of how the repair turned out.<br />
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I have not had any other issues with the car. In the wrap up in the post about my <a href="https://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">road trip</a>, I wrote about how Autopilot could be a little <b>jerky on the brakes</b> and somewhat <b>swervy </b>when the lane width changes. The car got a software update the other day and it seems that <b>Autopilot </b>is a <b>bit smoother</b> now. I've only used it a handful of times since the update, so maybe it's just my imagination, but it's possible they improved their driving algorithms a bit.<br />
<h3>
Drop Stop</h3>
One problem I have, as well as many other people it seems, is dropping stuff on the side of the seat, where it falls down between the seat and the center console. I came across <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1TeTe3U_Qw">this YouTube video</a> of another Tesla owner who bought a squishy tube that is supposed to stop that from happening. The <a href="https://amzn.to/2Wv9DZQ"><b>Drop Stop</b></a>, as it is called, fits between the seat and the console and basically fills the gap so items can't fall between there. There is a hole that the seat belt buckle goes though and that is what holds it in place.<br />
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For <b>twenty bucks</b>, I figured I'd try it. I've got black seats, so when it is installed, it's really not noticeable.<br />
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What can I say about a tube of squishy material? <b>It works</b>. Because the phone charger is in the center console, I would often drop my phone down the side of the seat when I was picking it up or plugging it in. That's a pain because once that happens, you have to wait until you are parked to go into the back seat, reach under the driver's seat and retrieve your phone. This device stops you from having to do that.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BYH6C1E/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=li3&tag=shaunsrealest-20&linkId=e19cde5df7d1b7d321734cc27eb828be&language=en_US" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00BYH6C1E&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=shaunsrealest-20&language=en_US" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=shaunsrealest-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B00BYH6C1E" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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The package comes with two stops, one for the driver's seat and one for the passenger seat. The only <b>complaint </b>I have is that the unit doesn't stay firmly in place in my car. During normal driving, it's fine. However, I've got <b>Easy Entry</b> set up on my car, so when I park, the seat moves back to make it easier to enter and exit, and then when the car is powered up, the seat moves forward to my driving position. This <b>repeated movement</b> causes the front part of the Drop Stop to either slide down towards the floor or up and out from between the seat and center console. It's not drastic and it takes about a week of driving before I have to readjust the front part of the stop, but it's a bit annoying. Still, it's less annoying than losing my phone between the seats! And if you had a car where the seats didn't move so often, this would be perfect.<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-23670787677449398812019-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-23T06:00:01.331-08:00Cord Cutting: The Cable / Satellite TV Industry Is Dying A Slow Death<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEPeT8GhjOtuq_PqQOoe_gLNQ1ShUyVXVGWEVE4dFMNYcRjFQju-bkU5GpELLompQo4rHOwUZjS8FTIKVwtHhA2JHsrEmUrlDiIBkMjaVW0W1xb0Ah_hIshIFDgeZrfRluKQfm13dK-Ep/s1600/old+tv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEPeT8GhjOtuq_PqQOoe_gLNQ1ShUyVXVGWEVE4dFMNYcRjFQju-bkU5GpELLompQo4rHOwUZjS8FTIKVwtHhA2JHsrEmUrlDiIBkMjaVW0W1xb0Ah_hIshIFDgeZrfRluKQfm13dK-Ep/s1600/old+tv.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sebastien LE DEROUT</td></tr>
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Two weeks ago, our household did what many other households are doing in droves: we <b>cut the cord</b>. Specifically, we cancelled our satellite TV subscription.<br />
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The final straw was a notice I received saying <b>DirecTV</b> was going to raise rates at the end of January. I no longer have the notice, but if I recall, it <i>also</i> stated that they would no longer issue refunds for cancelled services. With cable and satellite TV, you pay in advance, so if you cancelled, they used to refund you your unused subscription based on the day you cancelled your service. Now, with DirecTV at least, you no longer can cancel at any time. Well, you can, but your cancellation becomes effective at the <b>end of your billing cycle</b>. This means if you just paid for a month of service and you want to cancel, instead of getting a refund for the rest of the month you aren't going to use, your service won’t be cancelled until the end of the month you paid for and you won’t get any money back.<br />
<h3>
Exit Cable TV</h3>
That notice caused me to re-evaluate my subscription and the industry in general. The no-refund policy is a big “<b>F you</b>” to subscribers.<br />
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We rarely watch TV and earlier in 2018, I dropped from DirecTV’s 2nd lowest tier (“Entertainment”) to their lowest (“Select”). Because we have two televisions we were also being charged a $7 second television fee each month. Talk about<b> gratuitous fees</b>! (Back when we were subscribing to Dish Network, we were also charged a monthly “DVR fee.”) Even at their lowest tier, the price increase in 2019 would push our bill to over $100 each month.<br />
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There is no way we watch enough TV to justify that expense. I can’t think of a <b>single television show</b> we watch regularly that isn’t available elsewhere. Most of the shows we watch are on <b>Amazon Prime</b> or <b>Netflix </b>and we rarely watch sports, usually only viewing the Super Bowl or a World Series game or two. The most basic package we could choose from DirecTV gives us 155 channels, of which we watch, <b>at most</b>, 3. It was like throwing money down the drain.<br />
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The cable industry knows they have a problem. Bloomberg just <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-04/comcast-at-t-raise-prices-to-counter-cord-cutting-higher-costs">published a story</a> about how cable companies are <b>raising their rates</b> to <b>offset losses</b> caused by cable cutters.<br />
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<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-04/comcast-at-t-raise-prices-to-counter-cord-cutting-higher-costs"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="611" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHhFAAky2-Fhew_CwLXjFrwxrxfUvW3qyvop7Z6rCPRbC1-XYTP7ki_ziHXFyq2fZbp3wxproMHbfVTttMD8ZacwNk-wAypchizC5Fikc6WmurvLskfb8r3bYIerSzfwnw0ls5NET6b7c/s1600/Cable+losses.png" /></a></div>
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Cord cutting is <b>accelerating</b>. According to the Bloomberg story, the third quarter of 2018 saw the <b>largest ever</b> rate of decline in subscribers. So what do the companies do?<br />
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Raise rates! Sure! That won’t drive more people away!<br />
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Good lord. This is <b>Economics 101</b>. When people stop buying your product, you don’t increase the price!<br />
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The companies are blaming the rate increase on increases in costs for carrying local and sports programming. Try getting rid of some of that crap instead!<br />
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Guess what? Not everyone wants all those channels. I don’t need 4 varieties of <b>ESPN </b>(or even 1 for that matter), <b>FETV</b>, <b>Enlace</b>, <b>Jewelry Television</b>, or <b>World Harvest Television</b>. I <i>don’t even know</i> what most of those channels are! Why should I have to pay for them? Until I can order channels a la carte, I won’t be going back to cable or satellite.<br />
<h3>
Enter Streaming</h3>
Instead, I’m <b>streaming </b>what I want (and <i>only </i>what I want) from Internet services. That also makes it easier to add and cancel subscriptions as needed.<br />
<h4>
Amazon Prime Is King</h4>
We, like roughly 65% of all American households, are <b>Amazon Prime</b> subscribers. That gives us access to some movies and music programming already. We also subscribe to <b>CBS All Access</b> (for <a href="https://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-discovery/">Star Trek: Discovery</a>), <b>Starz</b> (for <a href="https://www.starz.com/series/outlander">Outlander</a>), and <b>Amazon Music Unlimited</b> (for greater music options). We just decided to start watching <b><a href="https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones">Game of Thrones</a></b> (yeah, we’re a bit behind the times), so we subscribed to <b>HBO</b> as well. (HBO on DirecTV would be an extra $53.99 per month, although that would include Starz.)<br />
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What’s nice is each one of those channels is available through Amazon Prime as a standalone subscription. No additional TV hardware to install. No satellite dish to put on my house. No monthly equipment fees.<br />
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Stopping and starting subscriptions is easily done through my Amazon account. My wife only needs Starz when the current season of Outlander is airing. There are about 13 episodes per season and they air once a week, so we subscribe for 13 weeks, then cancel Starz. Same thing with CBS All Access. Star Trek: Discovery had 15 episodes last season. When that season ended, I stopped our subscription.<br />
<h3>
So What Are We Saving?</h3>
Amazon Prime is $119 per year, which translates to <b>$9.90 per month</b>. I would be a Prime subscriber even if no movies were included (indeed, I became a Prime subscriber before the program included <i>any</i> video or music) simply because I order a lot from Amazon and the free shipping is worth it. But let’s go ahead and include the cost of Prime in this comparison.<br />
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Our Amazon Music Unlimited plan is the Family plan so all three of us can use it simultaneously. That runs <b>$14.99 per month</b>.<br />
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Starz is <b>$8.99 per month</b> (but we only subscribe for 3 months).<br />
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CBS All Access (commercial free version) is <b>$9.99 per month</b>. I could save $5 by getting the version that has commercials.<br />
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<b>HBO is $14.99</b> – we’ll cancel this as soon as we are done with Game Of Thrones (the final season should be out by the time we finish the previous seven seasons).<br />
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Total monthly cost for all packages: <b>$58.86 per month maximum</b>. Given that we’ll be subscribing to some of these channels for only two or three months a year, the average monthly cost (assuming we keep CBS All Access all year) comes to <b>$40.86</b>. And that doesn't change no matter how many TVs I use to watch.<br />
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For DirecTV, the monthly cost with HBO and Starz would be about <b>$160</b> and I’d be stuck with a 1 or 2 year contract, preventing me from changing programming or cancelling without another charge. And that doesn’t even give us the option to <b>stream music</b> to our TV, phone, or tablet like Amazon Music does.<br />
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Is it any wonder people are ditching cable?<br />
<h3>
What Am I Missing?</h3>
I won’t lie. There are some things we are missing. My wife wanted to watch the <b>Golden Globes Red Carpet on E!</b> We had no way to stream that. So for now, we went without. It wasn’t a big deal and those two once yearly events certainly aren’t enough to justify a year-long cable TV subscription. I’m also certain that those events will end up on some streaming service eventually.<br />
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We’ll also likely want to watch the <b>Oscars</b> and the <b>Oscars Red Carpet</b>. I don’t know if we’ll be able to stream those, but the main Oscar show will be broadcast <b>over the air</b>, so we can get that for free using an HD television antenna.<br />
<h3>
Those Damn Millennials!</h3>
Although I am not a Millennial, I have to agree with them on this. Add cable and satellite TV to the <a href="https://mashable.com/2017/07/31/things-millennials-have-killed/#pclgTihzTZqN">list of things</a> they are killing.<br />
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It's not their fault, really. They were born into a world where the Internet makes just about anything available. I remember years ago, when I was a wee lad and cable TV was just becoming available. Because it was so new, everything was amazing. Most people went from having 12 or so local over-the-air channels to several dozen or even a hundred channels. In those early days, more channels was a huge selling point. It didn't matter if they were channels you never watched. The important thing was you <i>could</i> watch them if you wanted to! One hundred channels was far better than twelve!<br />
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And two hundred was better than one hundred! Cable packages started to swell, as providers added more and more stations, which were becoming increasingly more niche and of interest to fewer and fewer viewers.<br />
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Then the internet came along and each niche now had its own unlimited, worldwide platform. Sadly, cable companies have never quite grasped this. They continue the arms race of who can provide the most channels. Unfortunately, those channels are not free to cable customers or the cable companies. Someone has to pay for them and the current means of doing so is to spread the cost out over all cable subscribers.<br />
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That has now reached a tipping point and cable customers are cancelling in droves. I've joined their ranks.<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-2714901627827808822019-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-16T08:45:33.989-08:002018 Cash Back Rewards Wrap Up, Miscellaneous Stuff, and ForeshadowingI know I've been away for a bit and I missed posting a net worth update for December. My only excuse is it was the holidays and we went on a road trip (which I did manage to <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-trip-wrap-up.html">blog about</a>). Today, I'm going to write about a couple of little things that are too small for individual blogs posts. Look at this as the blog equivalent of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_four">petit fours</a>, or perhaps a few <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amuse-bouche">amuse-bouches</a>, if you will.<br />
<h3>
Cash Back Rewards For 2018</h3>
In <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/10/dont-leave-money-on-table-my-credit.html">October</a>, I posted my<b> cash back rewards</b> for the year to date - <b>$1,026.66</b>. At the time, there were three months left in the year, so I went back to see what my year-end number turned out to be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB7zRaum5i-Dc-KyKIG99ZcBY-jxVBpq-QBQocW_riEI1N1RLQTP4tyTaNaSF_9fjl1p6R4nH1wZuTcZxZ7pgyYGLlnh2YkKlZTNpENyn_Nf3MDI1_KNB2Wy8NSe_HM30ZWoDbkVyVZ7q/s1600/Cashback2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB7zRaum5i-Dc-KyKIG99ZcBY-jxVBpq-QBQocW_riEI1N1RLQTP4tyTaNaSF_9fjl1p6R4nH1wZuTcZxZ7pgyYGLlnh2YkKlZTNpENyn_Nf3MDI1_KNB2Wy8NSe_HM30ZWoDbkVyVZ7q/s400/Cashback2018.png" width="225" /></a></div>
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I added almost another $400 exactly to finish the year with <b>$1,425.63</b> in cash back rewards. That's over fourteen hundred dollars that credit card companies gave me simply for using their cards. To put that in perspective, that's like getting <b>one free car payment</b> on my Tesla.<br />
<h3>
Card Card Interest Charges For 2018</h3>
How much did that money cost me or, in other words, how much <b>credit card interest</b> did I pay in 2018?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRt46ztC9VCLaY7GTQhhuh9KidyGDTSKvKUKh7uut3sf_q1rd5fWtJn9G83TtIixuYoKF5at9RAj_g6BdWE_bAtzlWQhrfSg5mqQ8N8K-kP2dA4YAf9ayDAU2l9_w5v3eHQCRh21bWgHl/s1600/InterestCharges2018.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRt46ztC9VCLaY7GTQhhuh9KidyGDTSKvKUKh7uut3sf_q1rd5fWtJn9G83TtIixuYoKF5at9RAj_g6BdWE_bAtzlWQhrfSg5mqQ8N8K-kP2dA4YAf9ayDAU2l9_w5v3eHQCRh21bWgHl/s400/InterestCharges2018.png" width="225" /></a></div>
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I'd like to say zero, but I actually paid <b>$2.14</b> in interest. This was only because I entered a date incorrectly on my bill pay app and missed a due date by a couple of days one month. Missing a perfect record of no interest charges<b> pissed me off</b>. At least I wasn't also hit with a late fee.<br />
<h3>
Stock Market Volatility</h3>
Although I was not able to post a December net worth post, I have been following my net worth. As most people know, the stock market has been <b>incredibly volatile</b> since last September. Take a look at how that has translated to the value of my brokerage accounts:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCYueI8Wcs2CvWa87LXsG6I9S9GKrQ0SPn7E7FAX5Ijw8A-kYnmB1B9A5hFP0WpbYgPBh2s3FIX2Zj6SqZPbehF1jafaXgiRxq0tI7vAfyl28uZiLsV5aPHHtzW5VD3svwrMfdXxKQQjQ/s1600/2018MarketVolatility.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="1554" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCYueI8Wcs2CvWa87LXsG6I9S9GKrQ0SPn7E7FAX5Ijw8A-kYnmB1B9A5hFP0WpbYgPBh2s3FIX2Zj6SqZPbehF1jafaXgiRxq0tI7vAfyl28uZiLsV5aPHHtzW5VD3svwrMfdXxKQQjQ/s640/2018MarketVolatility.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to embiggen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That chart is just my brokerage accounts, not my total net worth and the first big drop in September was when I withdrew money to buy my Tesla. But look at the fluctuations after that, especially compared to before. <b>Crazy!</b> It's even crazier when you realize I add money to these accounts every week, yet I still saw some serious declines. So yes.. You really need to take a <b>long term view</b> when investing in the stock market.<br />
<h3>
What's Coming Up?</h3>
There is a good chance I will have some exciting news in February. Let me just say that it started with a <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-one-in-which-i-buy-tesla.html">trip to the mall</a>. Stay tuned!Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-42957297871533224192019-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-03T19:42:46.188-08:00Road Trip Wrap Up!The holidays are over and we've returned from our first Tesla long range <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/12/first-road-trip.html">road trip</a>. I have to say, I am very happy with how it went.<br />
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We drove roughly 1,600 miles from Seattle, Washington to Phoenix, Arizona and back again for a total distance of about <b>3,200 miles</b>. We only used Tesla superchargers along the way. Because I have free supercharging, energy for the trip was <b>free</b>.<br />
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Before we left, I spent a couple hours using the route planner at<a href="http://evtripping.com/"> EVTripping.com</a> to plan our charging stops. I did this for two reasons: 1) This was my first Tesla road trip and I did have some range anxiety. 2) We were travelling during the <b>holiday season</b> and with our <b>dog</b>. I wanted to make sure the places we had to stop and spend the night not only had rooms available, but also accepted pets.<br />
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In retrospect, I think if we did not have a pet with us, I would be comfortable not planning so diligently. The Tesla navigation system will give you an estimate of how far you can go on a charge and will recommend charging stops along the way if it determines it can't make it to your destination. I would have no problem just getting the in car and going.<br />
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We averaged about <b>1.5 to 2 hours</b> of driving between charging stops. Using superchargers, we were able to charge enough to get to the next stop in <b>20 to 30 minutes</b>. This was just enough time for us to get out, stretch our legs, use the restroom, and take our dog out for a short walk so she could relieve herself. Truthfully, by the time all that was done, 95% of the time, we had enough charge to continue the trip. The few times we had to wait a bit longer to get enough charge, the wait was only another 5 or 10 minutes.<br />
<h3>
Washington To Arizona</h3>
Our planned route took us down <b>I-5</b> through California and then on <b>I-10</b> to Arizona. Our first stop on the way out of town was the <a href="http://centraliafactoryoutlet.com/">Centralia Factory Outlet</a> mall in <b>Centralia, Washington</b>. Here is where I discovered one of the drawbacks of supercharger locations - stores. While supercharging will save you money on gas, it's easy to waltz into a store and spend more money on buying things than you would have spent on gas at a gas station. We picked up an <b>ugly Christmas sweater</b> for my daughter while we charged.<br />
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Our next stop was the Holiday Inn in <b>Springfield, Oregon</b>. We didn't stay the night, but while we were charging we did meet up with some friends for dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel. (Hi Jim and Michelle!)<br />
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From there we went on to charging stations at <b>Grants Pass, Oregon</b> and finally to <b>Mt. Shasta, California</b>, where we spent the night at the <a href="https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotels-in-mount-shasta/best-western-plus-tree-house/propertyCode.05243.html">Best Western Tree House</a>. The Grants Pass location was behind a Black Bear Diner restaurant, but since we had already eaten, we walked to a gas station across the street and grabbed a couple bottles of water while we charged.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoS9EH585ttVB3TdU8C_sRymX4mbsZeUua83u7Q0lHi7vzHf9dejDsjto2h2PjzLSUIH1VVwwfpo694KNqg6xd00gcYTsxXhVaTynGOu7bCC9wT5NXb704_Epomt9dMM-j7EZL-ROJ6P4/s1600/20181219_204554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAoS9EH585ttVB3TdU8C_sRymX4mbsZeUua83u7Q0lHi7vzHf9dejDsjto2h2PjzLSUIH1VVwwfpo694KNqg6xd00gcYTsxXhVaTynGOu7bCC9wT5NXb704_Epomt9dMM-j7EZL-ROJ6P4/s400/20181219_204554.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charging at Grants Pass, OR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Mt. Shasta charging location is actually two locations - there are 4 chargers in the hotel parking lot and another 16 across the street. Since we were staying at the hotel, we used the chargers there. (On the way back home, we used the ones across the street.) As I tended to do on our overnight stops, I <b>did not charge at night</b>, but instead woke up the next morning, plugged the car in, then proceeded to get dressed, eat, and pack. By the time that was done, the car was charged. I was a little bit worried about possibly getting up in the morning to find all the chargers occupied, but that never happened.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0kyGmV2cTyE5FxxW_v1NsUXKcJm07sjSO-Mdzjy_62WPd2Ks2VjnMWWwe7wubwpEnpKfcoJghwtOD4VZK8cUIgmck1JRI48ieAMSNaB4AteBDmv35Gvt7lt2M_ekkZt895AIkv8k5GZL/s1600/20181220_065735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0kyGmV2cTyE5FxxW_v1NsUXKcJm07sjSO-Mdzjy_62WPd2Ks2VjnMWWwe7wubwpEnpKfcoJghwtOD4VZK8cUIgmck1JRI48ieAMSNaB4AteBDmv35Gvt7lt2M_ekkZt895AIkv8k5GZL/s400/20181220_065735.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charging in the morning at Mt. Shasta</td></tr>
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The drive leaving Mt. Shasta was beautiful, with low clouds / fog in the trees.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWRYcSaUy5y64yF_pGqEgfKVdkY_EwJb4laAmB0mWZ6XNx6XeKb4yTu1tgF4PZPty1JgC19kq8tB13AeqLtUnDDucRFfSIb9BYdOthFWbzsnOvb2koCQWw1tDwvn87t4rMC6vy1MzUUw8/s1600/20181220_072649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWRYcSaUy5y64yF_pGqEgfKVdkY_EwJb4laAmB0mWZ6XNx6XeKb4yTu1tgF4PZPty1JgC19kq8tB13AeqLtUnDDucRFfSIb9BYdOthFWbzsnOvb2koCQWw1tDwvn87t4rMC6vy1MzUUw8/s400/20181220_072649.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The following day, our first two stops were in <b>Corning, CA</b> and <b>Sacramento</b>. The Sacramento charger was probably the furthest off the freeway of any of the chargers we used - about 4 miles. It was in a shopping area parking lot. We walked to a restaurant and got lunch to go. By the time we were back, we were charged up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGVht2pWG_b9uKMaFexlOpVPxU-CQossAR3rUVaqFHq_uxhqDEdMxpvVk8ZbCcWJ2gxm5UUsGeFlftsT9MHJwYHImbA7iX-NGtg8S590vzihai788ctS9brRNhVO2adwsmOn5Slnb4J_o/s1600/20181220_090007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGVht2pWG_b9uKMaFexlOpVPxU-CQossAR3rUVaqFHq_uxhqDEdMxpvVk8ZbCcWJ2gxm5UUsGeFlftsT9MHJwYHImbA7iX-NGtg8S590vzihai788ctS9brRNhVO2adwsmOn5Slnb4J_o/s400/20181220_090007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charging at Corning, CA. There are 2 more chargers behind the wood box on the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hcrZCrHPhsgKLYmoCOGwlhYTHQmKFDZ7aq01CFhVWnHAU1kIq0NDBtPI7qkE5nPUcwAsk2ybB57z7usXRSxs3zr-rCLsEgaz3-yZYH3uSAG3s-E04w77QiANZjlTve8QmOT0SINYXhD6/s1600/20181220_110730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0hcrZCrHPhsgKLYmoCOGwlhYTHQmKFDZ7aq01CFhVWnHAU1kIq0NDBtPI7qkE5nPUcwAsk2ybB57z7usXRSxs3zr-rCLsEgaz3-yZYH3uSAG3s-E04w77QiANZjlTve8QmOT0SINYXhD6/s400/20181220_110730.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charging in Sacramento, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the request of my <b>sister-in-law</b>, (Hi Mindy!) we took a slight detour on the way out of town to look for "something" on L Street, between 15th and 16th Avenues. She made us promise not to Google Street View it before going. So what did we find?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oPokfWt-gwWHTsmkzYcMXqbNOq_qB_HDJDoca1iOzBciODvZE1fYB6sBfIMIogmlOuoe3lWbrWfVl_VnjfAJfBnjEQWK6LaoAIUnD5ceOQ-7p5aQGuhsoxu3-SPh5gx3urSolFXUOuLJ/s1600/20181220_121811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oPokfWt-gwWHTsmkzYcMXqbNOq_qB_HDJDoca1iOzBciODvZE1fYB6sBfIMIogmlOuoe3lWbrWfVl_VnjfAJfBnjEQWK6LaoAIUnD5ceOQ-7p5aQGuhsoxu3-SPh5gx3urSolFXUOuLJ/s400/20181220_121811.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello. I'm Johnny Cash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Turns out, Google Street View shows this building without the mural, so we couldn't have cheated and looked it up first if we wanted to.<br />
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The next stop was an hour and a half and 118 miles south in <b>Gustine, CA</b>. This time, the charger was at an Andersen's Pea Soup restaurant and I popped in to pick up a couple cans of soup.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJkxoCIrdT2Tkv2gEltSqvZW9HEptqF7sMDV5cb_xIGpZ0F9i-Agc33CjC08_q4seBgVsU6-D48heUvsxBZnu4IFPIKAWWmYakNZ0GIi-THZUvnOCsRxzrEOmrN60Xc0FRYslEotpxAtp/s1600/20181220_135801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJkxoCIrdT2Tkv2gEltSqvZW9HEptqF7sMDV5cb_xIGpZ0F9i-Agc33CjC08_q4seBgVsU6-D48heUvsxBZnu4IFPIKAWWmYakNZ0GIi-THZUvnOCsRxzrEOmrN60Xc0FRYslEotpxAtp/s400/20181220_135801.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gustine, CA supercharger</td></tr>
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While we were charging, a sharp looking Model S pulled up. It was all black with custom wheels and had all the exterior chrome blacked out. It also was sporting the old-school black and yellow California license plates that have become available again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu_vJJeEggeuNJWu1TxHNQnpKIf3CpbLm9Bdm64b60tPx7TEb4iXv4-5v6JeAzkVCazuDqP5OPC7LQ_c1jjqIO2pfyAHDE2qyAj8673iNBuiDJdwF9ffxflu5AaPMBj7uGBB_qms28oGM/s1600/20181220_143522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu_vJJeEggeuNJWu1TxHNQnpKIf3CpbLm9Bdm64b60tPx7TEb4iXv4-5v6JeAzkVCazuDqP5OPC7LQ_c1jjqIO2pfyAHDE2qyAj8673iNBuiDJdwF9ffxflu5AaPMBj7uGBB_qms28oGM/s400/20181220_143522.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next stop was in <b>Bakersfield</b>. This was the only supercharger we used that was at an actual gas station. I suppose technically, it's at an IHOP, but the restaurant shares a parking lot with the gas station.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQHeSAZdrF48N1BaHnXg9kA5l1d7vO8HwdiILOEnYcjsYLlgLO00OMynro9rsqqzp_8Ik8gOIHpRAhyne0cBm5gmW-XaFAJMM-V0XqauVAkAFCZbA9sGDHGEz0UooAXCS3iFYj_n_rCB-/s1600/20181220_170823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQHeSAZdrF48N1BaHnXg9kA5l1d7vO8HwdiILOEnYcjsYLlgLO00OMynro9rsqqzp_8Ik8gOIHpRAhyne0cBm5gmW-XaFAJMM-V0XqauVAkAFCZbA9sGDHGEz0UooAXCS3iFYj_n_rCB-/s400/20181220_170823.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bakersfield, CA</td></tr>
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Our final stop for the night was in <b>Glendale, CA</b>. We spent the night at my sister-in-law's house and also took in the <b>Moonlight Forest</b> exhibit at the <b>Los Angeles Botanical Garden</b>. This was a display of lighted "lanterns" (sculptures, really) and was really cool to see!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpQbVnMCWGyQymzHCMcz3_TTdjVGYQG2mu7qit3i7j9CuZYKhbUqep2Cy8KxxwXN-7UQcMFTpk0qvKVVI_X3jxNyL3i-MDw28vrLkCHHpVaAzxHprw8XvtPTslgHMLyylYLnWEhIMXfF1/s1600/20181220_210938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpQbVnMCWGyQymzHCMcz3_TTdjVGYQG2mu7qit3i7j9CuZYKhbUqep2Cy8KxxwXN-7UQcMFTpk0qvKVVI_X3jxNyL3i-MDw28vrLkCHHpVaAzxHprw8XvtPTslgHMLyylYLnWEhIMXfF1/s400/20181220_210938.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkIVHge1y3GsHoZK7stG58t-nkA6OS5I2xiiiKVRdl5sHLQ0ymPfGNTi1A_44hJ0htZ0DfYlgQZBN_n9ExQmeTTKH18gF77mBOojPC9aE1A-AprMMuM73vAdAI7XhYxi4BR3y8R4_jior/s1600/20181220_205502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkIVHge1y3GsHoZK7stG58t-nkA6OS5I2xiiiKVRdl5sHLQ0ymPfGNTi1A_44hJ0htZ0DfYlgQZBN_n9ExQmeTTKH18gF77mBOojPC9aE1A-AprMMuM73vAdAI7XhYxi4BR3y8R4_jior/s400/20181220_205502.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzlzt7EgPws5x6J6ASVNiYgx-NJ1Se-GViJ4aBOjk4k8_ZLzg4Z3a2T9NMUWMBmNCQZstn0ot8PEJMTmQRn5zT1w_xNxdUWCMcdTonBWoAc2s1_aF4EgKgCGaYGleQ6THHTXhgpZh7S-c/s1600/20181220_204700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzlzt7EgPws5x6J6ASVNiYgx-NJ1Se-GViJ4aBOjk4k8_ZLzg4Z3a2T9NMUWMBmNCQZstn0ot8PEJMTmQRn5zT1w_xNxdUWCMcdTonBWoAc2s1_aF4EgKgCGaYGleQ6THHTXhgpZh7S-c/s400/20181220_204700.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Glendale charger was about 3 miles away and located in the parking garage of the <a href="https://americanaatbrand.com/">Americana mall</a>. We <b>charged in the morning</b> while we ate breakfast at a restaurant there. One thing to note here: there are EV chargers on the first level of the parking garage, but they are not Tesla chargers and are REALLY slow. The Tesla superchargers are on the <b>seventh level</b> of the parking garage.<br />
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From Glendale, CA we drove 133 miles to <b>Indio</b>. I charged about 10% more than I needed to here, as we were now starting our driving across the desert and I didn't want to risk running out of power.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charging in Indio, CA</td></tr>
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The next stop was a Carl's Jr. in <b>Quartzsite, AZ</b>. Again, I charged more than I needed to, as we had to drive through the desert for about 1 hour and 45 minutes until the next charging station at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix. The charging stations were starting to get a bit crowded now, but I still did not have to wait for a spot to open up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quartzsite, AZ</td></tr>
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The Quartzsite supercharger has 8 stations - two are on the far side of the wooden enclosure in the photo. Unfortunately, those two were not functioning.<br />
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Our final stop was in <b>Phoenix</b>. We could have made it to our final destination, but because there were no other chargers nearby and my parents do not have a 220V outlet I could use, I opted to get a full charge here. That would last me for the week I would be in town and leave me enough power to get back to the Phoenix charger on the way back home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phoenix, AZ</td></tr>
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<strike>This was the only supercharger we stopped at that had the <b>old style</b> charging stations. You can identify them by the solid design. The newer ones are hollow in the middle (see above pics). These charge at a maximum rate of <b>72 kW</b> instead of the <b>120 kW</b> the newer ones do.</strike> </div>
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<i><b>Update</b>: Turns out, these solid body chargers are actually Tesla's newer <a href="https://electrek.co/2017/09/11/tesla-unveils-new-urban-supercharger-with-slower-charge-rate/">"urban" charger</a> design. While they charge at a slower 72 kW as compared to the 120 kW other chargers can provide, they are unaffected by cars charging in the adjacent stalls.</i></div>
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We had dinner at the mall here and were charged and ready to go before we were done eating. In fact, since the chargers were busy, I had to step out of the restaurant and move my car to avoid getting charged the <b>$1 / minute idle fee</b>.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar roof on Phoenix Supercharger</td></tr>
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This station appeared to have <b>solar panels</b>, which makes sense, given it is in Arizona. I believe the long term plan is for all supercharging stations to be solar, but in the interest of getting the charging infrastructure built out quickly, Tesla has decided to add the solar panels to most locations at a later date.<br />
<h3>
Fun In Arizona</h3>
While in Arizona, I drove onto the Indian reservation just south of my parent's house to test out <b>Ludicrous Launch mode</b>. It's an ideal place to test this - the roads are straight for miles, traffic is light, there is high visibility, and (presumably) there are fewer police patrols on the reservation than there would be in city limits.<br />
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I tested <b>Launch Mode</b> a couple times with some different people in the car. Holy crap! It's like being in a roller coaster! Here's a video of me taking off with my wife in the back seat and my mom in the front.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VMmZnjWw4yg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMmZnjWw4yg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Looking at the speedometer and timing the video, it looks like I went zero to 60 in 3.3 seconds. This is slower than the 2.28 seconds <a href="https://www.motortrend.com/cars/tesla/model-s/2017/2017-tesla-model-s-p100d-first-test-review/">Motor Trend clocked</a> it at. But I'm just watching the video on YouTube and clicking start and stop on the clock app on my phone. Not a very precise measurement. My battery was not also fully warmed up to provide maximum power.<br />
<h3>
Arizona To Washington</h3>
The return trip had us stopping at some of the same places we charged on the way down, but we did stop at a couple different places as well. This was for a couple of reasons: we were starting our journey at a different time of day and we were stopping overnight at different stops. We also deviated a bit from the itinerary I created at home because we felt more comfortable judging our energy usage.<br />
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Our first three stops were at the same places we hit on the way in to town: Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Carl's Jr. in Quartzsite, and Indio, CA. The two non-functioning chargers we saw in Quartzsite were still out of order. The station was fairly busy and we had to wait about 5 minutes for one of the working spots to open up - the first time we had to wait to charge. Later on, I discovered there is a phone number on the charging stations I could have called to report charger issues. I should have done so.<br />
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After Indio, the original plan called for us to charge in Riverside, but we instead opted to charge at the <a href="https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/desert-hills">Desert Hills Premium Outlet</a> mall in <a href="https://www.tesla.com/findus/location/supercharger/cabazoncaliforniasupercharger"><b>Cabazon, CA</b></a>, about 40 miles closer than Riverside. This wasn't due to range issues, but it was simply getting to be lunch time and we opted to stop sooner rather than later to eat. There are <b>16 superchargers</b> at Cabazon and we thought it would be a quick stop. Turned out, that was <b>incorrect</b>.<br />
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This was the day after Christmas, so the mall was packed with people either returning gifts or hitting the after Christmas sales. The parking lot was packed and all the superchargers were full. In fact, there was a line of Teslas waiting for spots to open up. The layout of the chargers in the parking lot here is <b>not conducive</b> to waiting. The chargers are along the front row of the parking lot, so cars pulling in from the steet had to drive right by the chargers. Also, the long row of chargers is at the end of about 3 aisles of parking spots, so there isn't really one spot for Tesla drivers to form a line. This creates confusion and possible frustration about people <b>cutting in line</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabazon, CA chargers. Barely controlled chaos.</td></tr>
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I don't know how it is here during non-peak shopping times, but it was a bit hectic when we were there. When we pulled in, there were about 4 Teslas ahead of us waiting to charge. I could see more Teslas pulling in and a couple waiting in a different row. My wife was driving, so I decided to get out and start <b>directing traffic</b>, telling people where the line for charging ended, etc. Everyone was very good about it and it was fun to talk with other Tesla owners. I've read a lot about how <b>friendly </b>Tesla drivers are and have experienced it firsthand when someone once directed me to an open charger I hadn't noticed instead of taking it for himself. I felt it was <b>important </b>to continue to project that <b>friendly camaraderie</b> to the flood of new Model 3 owners that I was seeing. It helped that cars were leaving fairly quickly and no one had to wait very long. We had to wait about 10 minutes before we were next in line.<br />
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A spot opened up and we pulled in. When I plugged in the charger, I got a yellow warning light at my plug instead of the expected flashing green to indicate charging in progress. My screen said the car was <b>not charging</b>. I disconnected and tried again. Same thing. Hmm.. I didn't really want to back out and get back in line, but I didn't see that I had any other choice. Luckily, another car started pulling out. My wife talked to the driver behind us and told her what had happened. She agreed to let us get the next spot.<br />
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Almost at the same time, another spot opened up, so she didn't have to wait. We moved into a spot and this time, we started charging. I walked down to the next Tesla driver in line to explain my experience with what seemed to be a bad charger. As I was speaking to her, another Tesla came in from the street and drove right into the spot we had just vacated. Apparently, he didn't see the line of Tesla waiting. (To be fair, it was easy to miss.)<br />
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I walked over to him and, buy the time I got there, I noticed he was plugged in and charging. He and his companion were still in the car, so I explained my issues with the charger and asked how his charge was going. It appeared to be working fine. Then I politely told him that he unintentionally cut in line. I said I couldn't make him leave, but he might get a whole lot of <b>dirty looks</b> as he walked away from his car. He apologized, said he didn't see the line, and immediately said he would disconnect and get in line. He was a really good sport about it.<br />
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I walked back to the first person in line, told her what the other guy said, and she decided to try her luck at the charger. It worked for her too, so I have no idea why it wouldn't work with my car.<br />
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But I was <b>very happy</b> with how everyone behaved. With the rush of after-Christmas shoppers, high traffic, and abundance of people wanting to charge, there was a potential for things to get <b>real ugly</b>. I'm glad everyone was calm and accommodating. As the population of Tesla owners grows, I hope things remain this way.<br />
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After Cabazon, our next stop was the Bakersfield charger, where we grabbed dinner at the IHOP. Our last leg of the day took us to the <a href="https://www.harrisranch.com/home/">Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant</a> in <b>Coalinga, C</b>A. I forgot to take any pictures, which is a shame because this was a pretty nice place. The hotel is fairly large and it's on a working ranch. It can <b>smell like cows</b> a bit, but hey, it's a ranch! They have two restaurants on site, one of which is a steak house that requires reservations. I've heard good things about it and, from the flyers in the room, it would seem almost everything the restaurant serves is raised on the ranch. Unfortunately, we arrived after having eaten dinner, and we opted to eat breakfast on the road the next morning, so we didn't try either restaurant.<br />
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The hotel has <b>18 supercharger stations</b>. As usual, we charged in the morning while getting ready to leave. There were only two other Teslas charging at the time.<br />
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The next day, we started off and charged first in Sacramento, where we charged a few days earlier on the way south, then back to the charging station at Corning, CA, where we picked up some lunch. At both of these stops, we kept seeing people we had seen in Cabazon, so it appears we weren't the only ones heading north. Luckily, we kept ahead of the crowd and didn't encounter any more waits to charge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcY3ddAL4GnYahaEMitd63qDEp9eQvPRrkKDalDr2-xofDcJt5lxeS27pNQ9DY0hf5Gv0HC3TMA79ibIdOifzaqB_y7Edyip7eC-FdZ2P79AZFDrT_rXIOp6YAnr2FSdeM9CtAMzBgX6e/s1600/20181227_141105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcY3ddAL4GnYahaEMitd63qDEp9eQvPRrkKDalDr2-xofDcJt5lxeS27pNQ9DY0hf5Gv0HC3TMA79ibIdOifzaqB_y7Edyip7eC-FdZ2P79AZFDrT_rXIOp6YAnr2FSdeM9CtAMzBgX6e/s400/20181227_141105.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot of the Corning, CA charging station. These two chargers seem like an after thought. Note the extension cables from the transformer.</td></tr>
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From Corning, we kept going north and our next stop was Mount Shasta, CA. We spent the night here on the way down. but this time we were here in the middle of the day. During the time between our visits, some <b>snow had fallen</b> and we were treated to some spectacular views on the way there. These pictures don't really do it justice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to Mt. Shasta</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Shasta, CA</td></tr>
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Instead of charging at the hotel we charged at previously, we opted to charge at the 16 stations across the street from the hotel. This was near a small strip mall. The temperature had dropped to about 42 degrees, but there was a strong wind that just cut right through you and chilled you in an instant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniHJcM5VDua96dAo-UE3xnpnIB5JIvhDIufv1LEWJv6h1TDjDeZudHccFDE03MQjD0sIyXJcmLL1BW9tcVANIE7nebftOOZHLSpSn-ofzWLT4GCON_FnQr68Ur3StcvpSZO0Rmc1Evmnl/s1600/20181227_161517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniHJcM5VDua96dAo-UE3xnpnIB5JIvhDIufv1LEWJv6h1TDjDeZudHccFDE03MQjD0sIyXJcmLL1BW9tcVANIE7nebftOOZHLSpSn-ofzWLT4GCON_FnQr68Ur3StcvpSZO0Rmc1Evmnl/s400/20181227_161517.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other Mt. Shasta chargers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were a couple businesses here - a hardware store, a grocery store, and a theater. The wind made us all so cold, we sat in the car instead of walking around. Even the dog didn't want to go out to go to the bathroom.<br />
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Our next stop was Grants Pass, Oregon, another location we stopped at while heading south. This time, we had dinner at the Black Bear Diner. My wife said their meatloaf was the best she's had!<br />
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Our final leg of the day took us to the Holiday Inn in Springfield, Oregon again. We spent the night here.<br />
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On our last day of the trip, we charged before leaving the hotel and drove to the next stop in <b>Woodburn, Oregon</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsxraK6Dd1oZCnsmqiVmGzPNWFL6uOWMxMph794Ch5gBi86Q-iaxb5h1dCxlcsJASTUEqIKPEsa8JbJQXJYINFCr9uj5UuOTtO-llu_T0PfKMtXih4hyRV19PahbhG8cSur_gaBbhaUAa/s1600/20181228_101219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsxraK6Dd1oZCnsmqiVmGzPNWFL6uOWMxMph794Ch5gBi86Q-iaxb5h1dCxlcsJASTUEqIKPEsa8JbJQXJYINFCr9uj5UuOTtO-llu_T0PfKMtXih4hyRV19PahbhG8cSur_gaBbhaUAa/s400/20181228_101219.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodburn, OR</td></tr>
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As you can see, we were the only ones there. We walked around bit, but other than a restaurant, there wasn't much to see. It was fairly cold out though. If it were warmer, we would have walked a bit further to check out some other places nearby.<br />
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It was still too soon after breakfast for anyone to be hungry, so we piled back into the car and went to our next stop - the Centralia, WA outlet mall. This time, we managed to not buy anything. After charging up here, our final stop was back at home!<br />
<h3>
Lessons Learned</h3>
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<ul>
<li>One good takeaway from this was confirmation of what I had read online: There is <b>no need</b> to charge to 100% at each stop. In fact, doing so will slow you down. It takes longer to charge from 50% to 100% battery than it does from 20% to 70%, even though you're adding 50% of your battery capacity in each case. As the battery charge reaches maximum, the charging rate slows down to protect the batteries. Instead, you make better time driving until your battery is down to your lowest comfortable level (which is about 10% - 15% for me - you want some reserve in case you get lost or have to drive further than expected), then just charging enough to get to your next charging location.</li>
<li>The Tesla <b>energy consumption app</b> does a pretty good job of estimating how much charge it takes to get to your destination. In order to use this, you have to be using the navigation function, naturally, so the car knows where you are trying to go. The graph shows your battery charge level in real time and projects what it will be at your destination using a green line. A gray line indicates the rated (ideal) consumption. Sorry the picture below is so blurry. When your battery charge drops to 25%, the line turns yellow and under 10% it's red. A couple times during the trip, the gray line would suddenly change, as it did in the below photo. I'm not sure yet what causes that. This graph went a long way toward removing any last little of bit range anxiety I had.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakYkJO7EGY09pZmV23fhnli-fnMlOljqoWRfmQYYMzl3Y0hVvaWOLB8uu64uphvq8W8JSMsVKe6A8Ln9kuQWH9nI-m-y9bPjHY7-hF59sNu7Idr9ghcHmj3XeNBjy53yB7cVZU66o33d4/s1600/20181219_214417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakYkJO7EGY09pZmV23fhnli-fnMlOljqoWRfmQYYMzl3Y0hVvaWOLB8uu64uphvq8W8JSMsVKe6A8Ln9kuQWH9nI-m-y9bPjHY7-hF59sNu7Idr9ghcHmj3XeNBjy53yB7cVZU66o33d4/s400/20181219_214417.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesla energy consumption app</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>Supercharging is <b>fast </b>and you can get <b>spoiled </b>easily. Most chargers we stopped at were the <strike>newer</strike> 120 kW models. Those charge crazy fast. When you get one of the <strike>older</strike> newer urban charger models (72 kW), it seems like a disappointment, even if you don't have to worry about cars charging next to you. If you are on a trip and have a choice between the two models, go for the 120 kW one.</li>
<li>Superchargers are wired electrically in <b>pairs</b>. You'll see numbers on the units like 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. A pair is an <b>A / B combo</b> of the same number. When charging, it's become Tesla etiquette to try to not use one half of a circuit if someone else is using the other half, if at all possible. This is because the entire circuit can only supply 120 kW. If two cars are using the same circuit, for example, if I am charging at unit 1A and someone else is charging at 1B, one car will get more power than the other. From my experience, the first car connected will get about 70 kW and the other will get around 50 kW. Once the first car disconnects, the second will bump up to 120 kW until another car plugs in, then the power will drop to 70 kW and the new car will get 50 kW. Since lower power results in longer charge times, it's <b>polite </b>to try to position yourself at the chargers so everyone gets the fastest charge possible.</li>
<li>I saw a lot of <b>Model 3s</b> charging. I think as more and more people start owning Model 3s, there could start being congestion at chargers, especially in out of the way places. Elon Musk has mentioned <a href="https://electrek.co/2018/11/19/tesla-supercharger-expansion-v3-delayed-elon-musk/">Tesla plans</a> to <b>double </b>the number of superchargers by the end of 2019, as well as introduce a higher powered charger toward the end of summer, which will charge cars even faster.</li>
<li><b>Cold weather</b> affects energy usage. We used the seat heaters mainly to keep warm when needed and typically left the air heater set to 68 or 69. Even so, really cold temperatures, like in the low 40s to mid 30s, required more power to move the car and also more time to charge. When we were about 5 minute from pulling into the Mt. Shasta location on our return trip, we were at 14% charge at the car displayed a warning about the cold weather possibly causing increased power drain and increased charging time.</li>
<li>We were a bit nervous <b>leaving our dog in the car</b> while we went into a restaurant to eat. Most regular car owners don't know that you can leave the Tesla climate controls running when the car is parked. I was worried someone might think the dog would freeze (or, in hot weather, would roast), so I printed a one-page notice I left on our dashboard that said the dog was fine, climate control is on, and she had water. I said we would be returning shortly and included my phone number in case someone was worried. "<a href="https://electrek.co/2018/10/20/tesla-dog-mode/">Dog Mode</a>" is supposedly in planning, but it has not been released yet.</li>
<li>Charging stops make long drives <b>more enjoyable</b>. We didn't feel like we were rushing to get somewhere and the forced charging stops allowed us to step out of the car for a bit and stretch our legs and take a break. We got to see some interesting things and talk to some other friendly Tesla owners.</li>
<li>Alternate chargers, like the <a href="https://www.blinkcharging.com/">Blink network</a>, are mostly Level 2 chargers, which are too slow to be useful. These operate at 240V and 30A, which is basically like your dryer electrical outlet at home. They should really only be used as an <b>emergency backup</b>. I mean, they <i>work </i>and every Tesla owner gets an adapter to use these chargers, but they are so slow as to be <b>worthless </b>on long trips.<br /><br />For example, I tried one in Arizona. I was at 40% battery and when I connected, I was told it would take 9 hours to reach a full charge. Oh, and this charger cost $0.02 per 30 seconds! That's $2.40 per hour. For 9 hours of charging, that would be $21.60. Still cheaper than a tankful of gas for my old Prius, but really, 9 hours? It was <b>faster </b>for me to drive 30 minutes to the nearest Tesla supercharger, charge there, then drive back. So treat Level 2 chargers as an emergency backup and stick with Tesla chargers for long trips.</li>
<li>I find the Model S <b>back seat </b>to be somewhat <b>uncomfortable </b>for long rides. The seat back is very vertical and not adjustable. The headrest is not adjustable either. This may just be a personal preference, as my daughter rode the whole trip in the back seat without complaint.</li>
<li>Autopilot is great, but can be a bit jerky. When I drove on this trip, I used Autopilot about 80% of the time. I have noticed it tends to brake harder at times than I think it needs to when cars in front of us slow down, but increasing the "distance to the next car" setting seemed to help that.<br /><br />Autopilot can also make an <b>unexpected swerve</b> when you first turn it on or when lane lines change. For example, using Autopilot, I discovered I tend to drive more towards the left side of the lane. When you initiate Autopilot, it often steers directly to the center of the lane, which can be a bit disconcerting for any passengers you have.<br /><br />I also noticed the "swerve to the middle" behavior when using car pool lanes in California. In these lanes, the right hand lane marker is often a double set of yellow lines - so <b>four paint lines</b> plus the space between them wide. Drivers are not supposed to cross these lines. When you arrive at a point where drivers can enter and exit the lane, those lines change to a <b>single dashed white line</b>. At that point, that lane, in effect, widens by approximately 3 paint line widths. Autopilot detects this and swerves slightly to the right to center the car in the now wider lane. When the dashed lane ends and the four yellow lines return, Autopilot steers the car back to the left to center it in the now narrower lane. This can also be unnerving.</li>
<li>Locating the charging stations felt like playing <a href="https://www.pokemongo.com/en-us/"><b>Pokemon Go</b></a>. Sometimes, they were hard to find.</li>
<li>For help finding them, the <a href="https://forums.teslarati.com/forums/tesla-charging.10/"><b>charger discussion forums</b></a> at <b><a href="https://www.teslarati.com/">Teslarati</a> </b>provides tips from previous Tesla owners, as well as general information about the locations.</li>
<li>Almost all superchargers require you to back into the space to connect the charging cable. A few were configured to allow <b>head-in charging</b>. You can see examples in the Indio and Cabazon photos above. Because Tesla's <b>Autopark </b>feature only works for back-in parking between two cars, you can't always use it at a supercharger. It would be nice if Tesla could equip the chargers with some sort of device to allow Autoparking without other cars on either side.</li>
</ul>
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Even with these little quirks, a cross country trip in a Model S is an enjoyable experience. I would have no qualms about doing it again!</div>
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-54296190634264989622018-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:002018-12-19T06:00:09.219-08:00First Road Trip!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjqT7Q02pMIs1GvjHf62KTgM-WxK-7Tr6a9xPl1bHgchRXHnae2s8Jmwhp6kiFBH_mm5GPWtdGmR2bPJ4fEqcseKMFBFOxld0fo-Z5NVfMAU0dmNBzog6nHD1VtMsJ4ZMDjq07NlpKvN1/s1600/road+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjqT7Q02pMIs1GvjHf62KTgM-WxK-7Tr6a9xPl1bHgchRXHnae2s8Jmwhp6kiFBH_mm5GPWtdGmR2bPJ4fEqcseKMFBFOxld0fo-Z5NVfMAU0dmNBzog6nHD1VtMsJ4ZMDjq07NlpKvN1/s1600/road+trip.jpg" /></a></div>
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We're heading out on our first Tesla <b>road trip</b> today! We're driving to Arizona from Washington, going down through Oregon and California. I've planned a route that uses only superchargers. It should take about 3 days each way. Stay tuned to hear how it turned out!<br />
<br />Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-52284437803665841552018-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:002018-12-05T06:00:13.398-08:00Net Worth Update: End of November 2018<i>At the end of each month, I post an update of my net worth,
including a brief discussion of any notable events that might have
occurred. The latest month's figures can
always be found under the Featured menu in the menu bar at the top of
the blog.</i><br />
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<b>Last updated:</b> End of November, 2018<br />
<b>Net Worth:</b> $911,270<br />
<b>Change from last Month:</b> +$43,458<br />
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<h3>
Events Of Note Last Month:</h3>
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My SQL courses on <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/shaunstuart/">Udemy</a> generated <b>$47.60</b> of income. My courses on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/user/shaunstuart">SkillShare</a>, meanwhile, earned <b>$78.96</b>. This is the first month ever that my SkillShare income has exceeded my Udemy income. I also earned <b>$0.12</b> in royalties from my <a href="http://amzn.to/1O1X5mS">real estate ebook</a> :-)<br />
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In some strange news, I <b>received a check from Tesla</b> this month for <b>$151</b>. I think this was supposed to be a reimbursement for the alignment I <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-month-ownership-update.html">had done</a>. If you recall, they originally wanted to charge me for it ($151), but because my car was still fairly new, they agreed to waive the cost. Apparently that message got altered somehow into them reimbursing me for the alignment. The only thing is - I never paid for it in the first place! So thanks, Tesla, for giving me $151! I applied it to my car loan.<br />
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On a somewhat related note, the rear spoiler <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2018/11/two-month-ownership-update.html">finally</a> came in and I took my car back to have it installed. The whole replacement process ended up being something of a <b>waste of time</b>, as the corners of the new spoiler are still a bit up in the air and not flush with the car trunk, just like the old one. While I was at the service center, I walked the parking lot and checked out four other Teslas that had a rear spoiler. Half of them had corners flush with trunk and the other half were sticking up slightly like mine. I'm going to say this is just how it is and <b>not worry about it</b>. Honestly, I don't see it causing any issues. It was just something I happened to notice and, while my car was in to get the paint and alignment fixed, I asked them to fix it as well.<br />
<h3>
Net Worth Update</h3>
The stock market bounced back, as it usually does, taking my net worth with it. I'm up <b>$43,458</b> this month, regaining almost all of the $45,658 I lost last month.<br />
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<tr><td align="center">October 2018</td>
<td align="center">November 2018</td></tr>
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The process of shutting down my self-directed IRA and moving it to a traditional brokerage is still continuing. The funds have now been sent to the IRA custodian, which is why my <b>Cash category</b> dropped and my <b>Property category</b> increased. (Mint always puts manual account entries in the Property category.)<br />
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The outstanding balance on my <b>Tesla loan</b> dropped to <b>under $100,000</b> ($99,925 to be precise). There's a long way to go until it's paid off, but this is a nice milestone. I only need another <b>832,708 more</b> of those twelve cent royalty payments to pay it off! (If you have a Kindle and <b>Amazon's Kindle Unlimited</b> plan, you can help me out at no cost to you. Just get my <a href="http://amzn.to/1TUm4I0">other ebook</a> (originally published under a pen name) for <b>free</b> and read it or just scroll through all the pages. It costs you nothing and I get royalties based on how many pages are viewed.) 😁<br />
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If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, please drop me a line in the comments section! <br />
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5907754758150127241.post-29123952576474846202018-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:002018-11-28T06:20:40.506-08:00It's That Time Of Year Again - To Ask For A Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmmMOb_ZTAhf5hItefQfjnfS6VSvbCpkPjgFbxzimGzzP0J8yqoOZ-mqUlRknteeV8IHIcWPpHHE_ZsUqNcgPHbfa60WQAPeUh4UV9PYL9yZE_1D_7gTLNSczR47chEm53ZdxM_8OncX4/s1600/cc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmmMOb_ZTAhf5hItefQfjnfS6VSvbCpkPjgFbxzimGzzP0J8yqoOZ-mqUlRknteeV8IHIcWPpHHE_ZsUqNcgPHbfa60WQAPeUh4UV9PYL9yZE_1D_7gTLNSczR47chEm53ZdxM_8OncX4/s1600/cc.png" /></a></div>
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Time to ask your credit card companies for a gift - a <b>credit limit increase</b>. I have a detailed post on why you want to do this <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/12/this-christmas-ask-for-higher-credit.html">here</a>, but the short version is:<br />
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<ol>
<li><i>Increasing </i>your credit limit, <i>decreases </i>your credit utilization, which <i>increases</i> your credit score. See the above referenced post for why.</li>
<li>This assumes you do not go out and spend your new credit. If you<b> can't control yourself</b>, don't do this.</li>
</ol>
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I got my credit limit increased by <b>$3,000</b> on one card and <b>$6,000</b> on another. My wife had an unsolicited credit increase on one of her card at the end of October, so I didn't need to try to increase that card and I scored a <b>$5,000</b> increase on her other card.</div>
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Both of our Discover cards increased our credit limit <b>without</b> performing a <b>credit check</b>. It was a simple on-line request that was approved instantly. My Chase card did perform a credit check - I think. I had to email their customer support asking for the increase and, as part of that process, I said I agreed to them pulling my credit report. A couple days later, I got a report from my credit monitoring service saying Chase performed a credit check, so I know they actually did pull my report.</div>
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I have one other credit card, from Bank Of America. They said they would need to pull my credit report and I opted to <b>not go forward</b> with that one. It's a card I almost never use. In fact, I only got it to use on a <a href="http://roadtoatesla.blogspot.com/2016/05/going-overseas-save-money-on-foreign.html">trip overseas</a> two years ago. I figured the benefit of the higher credit limit for a card I rarely use would not be worth the temporary credit score hit of a second hard credit check.</div>
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Take a minute or two before the holiday craziness kicks in and ask for a Christmas gift for yourself this year. It sounds counter-intuitive, but a credit limit increase can actually <b>improve your credit score</b>!</div>
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Shaunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654897560778650994noreply@blogger.com2