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Post by rockymountaineer on May 6, 2022 16:12:39 GMT
A few weeks ago, there was a discussion about how inflation costs might be affecting your purchasing habits in this hobby. If I recall correctly... most folks seemed to shrug off the impact and claimed things are what they are... and they'd simply continue buying as planned.
Well today my wife mentioned to me we got a home heating oil delivery this morning, so I apprehensively walked out to our mailbox to get the delivery slip. WHOA!!!! I knew it would be bad, but it was actually much WORSE than I imagined. $5.86/gal and the total bill was $928!!! 
Thank goodness our tank wasn't empty, or the total would have been almost $1,500... which happens to be darn close to the price I'm planning to pay for the new MTH "Mike Wolf" Restoration Version of the #4014 Big Boy. Folks, I've gotta believe people will be making some serious decisions soon... and the chain reactions will be real. The importers continue pushing the price envelope with their catalog prices, while buyers are hit with increasing expenses in the cost-of-living department. Something's gotta give. Mr. Muffin's Trains sent out an email that they took more orders than they received... but he also admitted there are still outstanding unpaid invoices for folks who pre-ordered one. So they might actually have some to sell when the dust settles. I completely understand.
Clyde at Stockyard Express hasn't called me yet to say "my" MTH Big Boy has arrived. I was late in the game to sign up for one. And quite frankly, if I don't get one, I just don't care anymore if one has my name on it or not. In an era when complete Acela sets are $3K and the TINY upcoming VisionLine Strasburg RR #90 hybrid is almost $2K... I honestly don't know how most folks are justifying those outlays, when everyday expenses are what they are now. Sure... we all need to enjoy life. And sometimes there is no "justification" per se for prices paid. OTOH, at some point the credit card bill needs to be paid.
Honestly, in TWENTY-FIVE years of living in our current residence, we NEVER received that kind of a home heating oil bill. So when we hear "sound bytes" like, inflation is the worse it's been in 40 years, I guess that's very real. It just takes a personal experience to drive home what that really means to the everyday guy and gal on Main St. USA. Whatever your political persuasion might be, you can't be happy with the buffoon currently occupying space in the White House. And I'll just leave it at that.
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Post by Adam on May 6, 2022 16:40:51 GMT
WHOA is right!! Our heating oil has also gone through the roof, more than double what we paid last year. Thank God we are hitting warmer months where we wont use as much oil. Now i am bracing for Summer when AC use goes up.
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Post by laz57 on May 6, 2022 16:52:35 GMT
Totally agree with you DAVID. I have about 5 BTO engines that I pre ordered. Including the PRR BTO MR MUFFINS Class A. These might be the last time in doing that? I have more then enough to enjoy and will probably start selling some of the older engines. With the cost of everything going sky high one has to figure out just where our priorities are. We probably won’t be going up to Maine this summer just because of these inflatable prices on everything that all started with the shut down of the pipeline and everything snow balled because of that.
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Post by redjimmy1955 on May 6, 2022 17:02:23 GMT
Hey RockyMountaineer....I just had a similar experience, yet with a BETTER result!
I live in the Frederick, Md area...last week for some reason our old oil company decided to deliver oil. My bill was about the same as yours. Yet, we NEVER HAD CALLED for a delivery...we like to shop around. I called
"G Oil Co." and was told we are on their automatic delivery register. I read them our past history of CALLING AS NEEDED....telling them (G Oil Co) that they better come get their unwanted oil.
I got passed over(on my phone call) to a higher up person...got my price reduced from $6.25 down to
$4.50 a gallon.
ANNNDDD....made darn sure that we are on a "will call"
list....
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Post by redjimmy1955 on May 6, 2022 17:09:55 GMT
Buffoon presently in office??
What are you thinking?
As far as the oil companies
they aren't bothering with drilling using ANY of their 9000 drilling permits!
The oil companies already have drilling machines in situ on 900 of those sites...meaning they could start those within a week or so! Why don't they? Cause to do so would COST THEIR INVESTORS $$$ and lower stock dividens...and might result in CO'S & CEOs getting fired for low stock dividends.
That's Orange Klown logic..screw America...I worship money!!
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Post by Spice7 on May 6, 2022 17:23:45 GMT
I changed to gas and 42 solar panels. It is just my wife and I so I am use to blankets and den gas fireplace.
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Post by Joe Saggese on May 6, 2022 17:26:20 GMT
In my first home I installed a pellet stove and it did lower my heating bill by a substantial amount. In the summer I shut off the central AC and use window units in the bedrooms. My electrical bill is much lower in the summer. I was an HVAC guy from 1980 - 2005  |
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Post by curtis on May 6, 2022 18:07:35 GMT
Hey RockyMountaineer....I just had a similar experience, yet with a BETTER result! I live in the Frederick, Md area...last week for some reason our old oil company decided to deliver oil. My bill was about the same as yours. Yet, we NEVER HAD CALLED for a delivery...we like to shop around. I called "G Oil Co." and was told we are on their automatic delivery register. I read them our past history of CALLING AS NEEDED....telling them (G Oil Co) that they better come get their unwanted oil. I got passed over(on my phone call) to a higher up person...got my price reduced from $6.25 down to $4.50 a gallon. ANNNDDD....made darn sure that we are on a "will call" list.... Having over twenty years working for an HVAC / Fuel Oil dealer I can tell you this happens more than you think but it is not intentional most of the time ( at least not in our company). Usually it is HUMAN error that changed it to auto from will call. AND yes it is cheaper to take a loss than send two people to do a pump out. Unfortunately in today's time we find people purposely having someone call and say put us on auto then someone else calling and saying I did not want auto come pump it out. In THESE cases we PUMP OUT and cut all ties!
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Post by curtis on May 6, 2022 18:16:43 GMT
Buffoon presently in office?? What are you thinking? As far as the oil companies they aren't bothering with drilling using ANY of their 9000 drilling permits! The oil companies already have drilling machines in situ on 900 of those sites...meaning they could start those within a week or so! Why don't they? Cause to do so would COST THEIR INVESTORS $$$ and lower stock dividens...and might result in CO'S & CEOs getting fired for low stock dividends. That's Orange Klown logic..screw America...I worship money!! Having permits and drilling is NOT the problem. It is how to transport it after you get it out of the ground. THEY HAVE NO PIPELINE PERMITS! This is a tactic that is used by a political party saying they have permits and can drill but fail to disclose ALL THE FACTS! Public outcry and opposition to pipelines, tank car trains or simple trucking (which can not happen due to volume) bring transporting drilled oil to refineries to a HALT! It has NOTHING to do with dividends. They can make way more money if they could drill and transport it! Doing some extensive research will confirm what I am saying instead of HEADLINE CATCHING! PS I am not trying to start an argument just stating facts! Curtis
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Post by scalerail on May 6, 2022 18:38:02 GMT
az57, I think you should sell me your Milwaukee passenger cars so you can buy oil. LOL Don
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Post by northstar on May 6, 2022 19:58:12 GMT
I made this same comment in the York thread, but I think especially after the pandemic when people are looking to get out and travel, RV, boat, fish, fix up the backyard, whenever, I think that totally takes priority over other hobbies, including trains. Let's see $2K for another train to add to the dozens I already have, or do I take that trip this summer. Guess which one is going to win out? With the cost of everything going up, people are going to cut costs elsewhere in order to fund their summer fun. And hobbies such as ours will be the first to be hit.
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osprey
Full Member
Locos and longrifles - it's gotta belch smoke!
Posts: 166
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Post by osprey on May 6, 2022 20:16:54 GMT
I am so glad that there are sooo many older items out there that I missed or didn't know about. The only brand new things have to really hit me or be on my small roster, but older stuff I can get so much cheaper. Just grabbed a nice MTH Premier ABA diesel set with PS3 for barely half what a new order from them or Lionel would cost.
I could see this coming 6 months ago. There are several big hunting trips I want to take, but decided then just to accumulate preference points for future licesnes this year until I see how everything shakes out with inflation, fuel costs, covid waves and various overseas wars. Lot of uncertainty in the world...
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Post by david1 on May 6, 2022 20:59:29 GMT
I'm retired and living on a finite income. I love my trains but I don't buy anything new. Maybe a few cars here and There maybe a engine on the secondary mkt. but that is it. I don't usually travel so that is not a issue.
The cost of living will be hard on people like me and the ones that are worse off. The idiots in office and on the far left don't know how most people live. They think printing money has no consequences. I'm in the middle and the far left and the far right will ruin this country. We can do better and for me I will Vote!!!
SORRY FOR THE RANT BUT I CARE ABOUT THIS COUNTRY, I FOUGHT FOR IT, I PAY MY TAXES AND I LOVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Dave
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Post by scalerail on May 6, 2022 22:08:46 GMT
Dave, it's not a rant. You care about the country as I do. Army 1965 to 68. Love what you said. Don
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Post by Adam on May 6, 2022 22:11:16 GMT
Amen David!!!!
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