Post Your Wins

[QuarterMillionMan]

Not a win for me but I thought about you James twice in 2 days picking up what I thought were nickels. Yesterday in my parking lot a shiny looking nickel thing caught my eye so I went to pick it up only to find it was a 2032 coin battery. Today while jogging around my neighborhood again what looked like a nickel was another 2032 coin battery. Both I tossed in the bushes so no one else gets head faked anymore.

[james.hendrickson]

So, yesterday was Coca Cola dividend day, I got paid a few bucks, and this morning when I was out for my daily walk, I found a nickle. So, a couple of small wins - but wins nonetheless.

[Fishindude77]

I built one of those little libraries for my daughter to put in their front yard. She's in a good neighborhood where homeless and panhandlers are not a problem. There is no set policy regarding the return of books you borrowed from it. Folks around the neighborhood use it as intended, take books, return books, leave books, etc. It seems to be getting used.

[kork13]

Do users of little free libraries return books after reading them, or just hold on to them? I have put books into two of them before, but have not borrowed yet.

We've often traded books with the little libraries -- we love them. There's one near my family, next to our favorite foot/bike path & park -- we check it probably every few times we pass by (often). My boys love to read. We'll take a couple books fairly often, then periodically we'll tell the boys to choose some books to put back into the little library. Sometimes it's the same books, other times it's books that we've gotten somehow else. I try to enforce a "1 out/1 in" rule, so that we don't wind up with even more books than we already have (literally hundreds of kids books, not to mention my own collection). Especially when we see that it's looking a little sparse, we'll make an special effort to add some books from home. That's really the entire idea of these things -- give some, take some, and share the joy of reading.

Why would they encourage homelessness and panhandling? I'm not getting the connection.

I'm assumed James' statement to this effect was more about Portland leaving food or other items alongside the books. Strange IMO, but then again, they also like to say "Keep Portland Weird".

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Do users of little free libraries return books after reading them, or just hold on to them? I have put books into two of them before, but have not borrowed yet.

Why would they encourage homelessness and panhandling? I'm not getting the connection.

[disneysteve]

Totally Disneysteve - I've also picked up some great old used books from some of these little free libraries. For example, last week I found a nice old Sci Fi book from the 1950s, a book on marketing and a book from Dolf De Rios (who is questionable, but has good resale value).

So...I love them.

The only downside is that some people say these little libraries encourage homelessness and pan handling - which are major issues here in Portland.

I've wondered if there are ever any books of value in them. I'll have to stop and check them out. There are several near my house. The homelessness issue isn't a problem here as all the ones I see are in residential neighborhoods. The pan handlers aren't around here. They're all over in the city.

[james.hendrickson]

We have those Little Free Libraries here too. I've never check them out but honestly don't really read. I haven't heard of folks leaving other items there but I can see them doing that, as long as it doesn't get out of hand with a bunch of stuff piled around.

I do see people giving away food products all the time in our Buy Nothing group. It's often because their grocery delivery service brought the wrong item or too many of something. I never claim food products as I'd rather see them go to people who are in need.

I am often surprised by how many people buy a multi-pack of something to try for the first time, try it once, and give away the rest of the pack because they don't like it. Why would you buy a 10-pack of something you've never had before? What a waste. At least they give it away and don't just toss it in the trash.

Totally Disneysteve - I've also picked up some great old used books from some of these little free libraries. For example, last week I found a nice old Sci Fi book from the 1950s, a book on marketing and a book from Dolf De Rios (who is questionable, but has good resale value).

So...I love them.

The only downside is that some people say these little libraries encourage homelessness and pan handling - which are major issues here in Portland.

[disneysteve]

I'm also posting a win.

So, here in Portland, people leave books and other free items in little covered cupboards along the side of the street. Here is an example:

So yesterday I was out for a run and I passed by one of these. The homeowners had left some free food out - I was able to score a couple of new sealed bottles of soy sauce and a couple of bags of rice. I had a look at the bottles and the rice - and both seemed to be intact (no holes, etc.). So I scored like 8 bucks worth of free food. And, I got some exercise as part of the deal.

Two wins: exercise and free food.

We have those Little Free Libraries here too. I've never check them out but honestly don't really read. I haven't heard of folks leaving other items there but I can see them doing that, as long as it doesn't get out of hand with a bunch of stuff piled around.

I do see people giving away food products all the time in our Buy Nothing group. It's often because their grocery delivery service brought the wrong item or too many of something. I never claim food products as I'd rather see them go to people who are in need.

I am often surprised by how many people buy a multi-pack of something to try for the first time, try it once, and give away the rest of the pack because they don't like it. Why would you buy a 10-pack of something you've never had before? What a waste. At least they give it away and don't just toss it in the trash.

[james.hendrickson]

I'm also posting a win.

So, here in Portland, people leave books and other free items in little covered cupboards along the side of the street. Here is an example:

So yesterday I was out for a run and I passed by one of these. The homeowners had left some free food out - I was able to score a couple of new sealed bottles of soy sauce and a couple of bags of rice. I had a look at the bottles and the rice - and both seemed to be intact (no holes, etc.). So I scored like 8 bucks worth of free food. And, I got some exercise as part of the deal.

Two wins: exercise and free food.

[disneysteve]

There's a nifty little device called flip-it! I think my wife saw it a while back on Good Morning America. It's a cap with a little tripod. You put it on a bottle of lotion like shampoo or moisturizer. It makes it so the bottle stands upside down and lets you get out the last bits of product rather than them going to waste.

The set of caps goes for $16 on Amazon but my wife got a set for free from our local Buy Nothing group. My daughter and I both tried it this week. She used it on skin cream and I used it on shampoo. It worked great it both instances.

No more throwing out bottles that still have multiple uses of product remaining in them. It's quick and easy to remove the original pump and screw on the flip-it! cap instead. Wait a day for everything to drain down and you're good to go. I would say that even at $16, it's worth it because it will save you money in the long run tossing out bottles that aren't really empty but are too low for the pump to work.

[disneysteve]

I guess this belongs in the Win conversation.

I typically go to the supermarket deli and buy turkey breast. The one I get is $11.49/lb.
This week, instead of doing that I went to the meat department and bought 2 small turkey breasts for $7.19/lb.

I made a spice rub and then roasted them in the oven. We've been slicing them and making sandwiches. I think my wife used some on a salad also.

Not only are they cheaper, but I have no doubt that the deli stuff is highly processed and is probably full of sodium and preservatives and whatever other chemicals they throw in there. The fresh turkey breasts have none of that - just the seasoning I added. So cheaper and healthier. Win win.

[disneysteve]

Got a $15 check from one of my wife's doctors. Apparently whatever copay she paid for a recent visit was more than we owed. The check doesn't come with any explanation so we have no idea which doctor it was. She can probably look in her online account and figure it out but ultimately it doesn't matter.

[QuarterMillionMan]

James I'll post here my win/loss statements from 2022 from Boyd casinos in Las Vegas where I concentrate the majority of my play where as disneysteve mentioned free rooms, free meals, free drinks, free parking (which I get and make use of often). Note that a loss would appear in parenthesis ( ). For 2022 for me it basically evened out for me although some years I net a loss or net a win. Actually in 2022 it looked like I was a net winner overall at Boyd casinos.




Tax Year: 2022 Total Win/(Loss): $1,148.50 Win/loss information has been gathered to assist California Hotel Casino - Las Vegas, NV management. It is strictly an observed estimate of win/loss that has been gathered for internal tracking purposes only. The information is based on player tracking information which includes win/loss from play when a player's club card is REPLACEed in a slot machine or when the player is engaging in rated play at table games. If during the time covered by this win/loss statement, you played slot machines at any time without using your card, or if you played tables games without being rated, your wins or losses at those times are not recorded in our system. In addition, the system does not verify the identity of the person using a player card at slot machines or while being rated at table games. Finally, win/loss or buy-in for other game types such as Bingo, live Poker, Keno or Race/Sports is not provided in this win/loss statement. Therefore, win/loss attributed to the card at the time may not be your actual win/loss. Also, win/loss, in particular while being rated at table games, is subject to estimates made by our employees and may be subject to inputting or other errors. Finally, system errors or malfunctions may result in reported win/loss being different than your actual win/loss. Therefore, although the amount on this win/loss statement may be considered a reliable estimate of your actual win/loss for slot machine and table game play for the time period in question, we do not warrant that the amount reported on this statement is exactly equal to your actual win/loss for the reported time period. Your net win or net loss for the time period may be important for federal and state income tax purposes. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor about your gambling winnings and losses and how they are reported for tax purposes. Thank you for playing at California Hotel Casino - Las Vegas, NV


Tax Year: 2022 Total Win/(Loss): $180.93 Win/loss information has been gathered to assist Fremont Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV management. It is strictly an observed estimate of win/loss that has been gathered for internal tracking purposes only. The information is based on player tracking information which includes win/loss from play when a player's club card is REPLACEed in a slot machine or when the player is engaging in rated play at table games. If during the time covered by this win/loss statement, you played slot machines at any time without using your card, or if you played tables games without being rated, your wins or losses at those times are not recorded in our system. In addition, the system does not verify the identity of the person using a player card at slot machines or while being rated at table games. Finally, win/loss or buy-in for other game types such as Bingo, live Poker, Keno or Race/Sports is not provided in this win/loss statement. Therefore, win/loss attributed to the card at the time may not be your actual win/loss. Also, win/loss, in particular while being rated at table games, is subject to estimates made by our employees and may be subject to inputting or other errors. Finally, system errors or malfunctions may result in reported win/loss being different than your actual win/loss. Therefore, although the amount on this win/loss statement may be considered a reliable estimate of your actual win/loss for slot machine and table game play for the time period in question, we do not warrant that the amount reported on this statement is exactly equal to your actual win/loss for the reported time period. Your net win or net loss for the time period may be important for federal and state income tax


Tax Year: 2022 Total Win/(Loss): ($554.00) Win/loss information has been gathered to assist Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel - Las Vegas, NV management. It is strictly an observed estimate of win/loss that has been gathered for internal tracking purposes only. The information is based on player tracking information which includes win/loss from play when a player's club card is REPLACEed in a slot machine or when the player is engaging in rated play at table games. If during the time covered by this win/loss statement, you played slot machines at any time without using your card, or if you played tables games without being rated, your wins or losses at those times are not recorded in our system. In addition, the system does not verify the identity of the person using a player card at slot machines or while being rated at table games. Finally, win/loss or buy-in for other game types such as Bingo, live Poker, Keno or Race/Sports is not provided in this win/loss statement. Therefore, win/loss attributed to the card at the time may not be your actual win/loss. Also, win/loss, in particular while being rated at table games, is subject to estimates made by our employees and may be subject to inputting or other errors. Finally, system errors or malfunctions may result in reported win/loss being different than your actual win/loss. Therefore, although the amount on this win/loss statement may be considered a reliable estimate of your actual win/loss for slot machine and table game play for the time period in question, we do not warrant that the amount reported on this statement is exactly equal to your actual win/loss for the reported time period. Your net win or net loss for the time period may be important for federal and state income tax purposes. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor about your gambling winnings and losses and how they are reported for tax purposes. Thank you for playing at Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel - Las Vegas, NV


Tax Year: 2022 Total Win/(Loss): $5.53 Win/loss information has been gathered to assist Gold Coast Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, NV management. It is strictly an observed estimate of win/loss that has been gathered for internal tracking purposes only. The information is based on player tracking information which includes win/loss from play when a player's club card is REPLACEed in a slot machine or when the player is engaging in rated play at table games. If during the time covered by this win/loss statement, you played slot machines at any time without using your card, or if you played tables games without being rated, your wins or losses at those times are not recorded in our system. In addition, the system does not verify the identity of the person using a player card at slot machines or while being rated at table games. Finally, win/loss or buy-in for other game types such as Bingo, live Poker, Keno or Race/Sports is not provided in this win/loss statement. Therefore, win/loss attributed to the card at the time may not be your actual win/loss. Also, win/loss, in particular while being rated at table games, is subject to estimates made by our employees and may be subject to inputting or other errors. Finally, system errors or malfunctions may result in reported win/loss being different than your actual win/loss. Therefore, although the amount on this win/loss statement may be considered a reliable estimate of your actual win/loss for slot machine and table game play for the time period in question, we do not warrant that the amount reported on this statement is exactly equal to your actual win/loss for the reported time period. Your net win or net loss for the time period may be important for federal and state income tax purposes. We encourage you to consult your tax advisor about your gambling winnings and losses and how they are reported for tax purposes. Thank you for playing at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas, N

[disneysteve]

QMM....I get it that casinos can be fun...but in the long run the house always wins, so why bother playing the game at all?

I see nothing at all wrong with going to the casino, as long as you don't have a gambling addiction. We don't do it much anymore but there was a time years ago when we went pretty regularly, about once a month. Yes we lost money over time but some trips we lost, some trips we won. We got the "free" gifts from the casinos numerous times. We enjoyed the "free" drinks and "free" buffets and "free" hotel rooms. It was our part of our entertainment and travel. Ultimately there's really no difference between us spending $300 for a couple of theater tickets to see a show or taking $300 and going to the casino for a few hours. Heck, the casino comes with perks so even if we lose the whole $300 we probably come out ahead with free parking, free drinks, and free food. Maybe even a free room for the night or free tickets to their house show.

Gambling is only a problem when it's a problem for the individual who can't control themselves. For us, we were putting 25% of income into savings so what harm was there in us spending a couple hundred a month at the casino if we enjoyed it?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ha-ha, so true James. Those casinos were built with shiny gold-plated decor, fancy chandeliers, fancy restaurants, and mega towers with the gambling loses by its clientele.

For me as a single guy who is "over the hill" and who has saved money his entire life is looking for outlets to enjoy his remaining time on earth by using up some my money on myself and enjoy life and not save money until I die and never get to spend any of it and instead leave it all to my beneficiaries should the grim reaper come knocking at my door. One of my subordinates at work has numerous debts and has adult kids once told me why should she leave her kids an inheritance when they work and can take care of themselves. She has a good point. My financial situation is heavy to one side of the pendulum with a lot of money saved so I'm trying to swing to her side of the pendulum but not as far as she is at.