phd-d
David Barnes
Joined Apr 30, 2024 · Denpasar, Indonesia · fleet coordinator
I’ve been into car ownership for a while and am newer to DIY projects. Day job is fleet coordinator; I tend to ask lots of follow-up questions before buying or changing anything.
- car ownership
- DIY projects
- frugal living
- ask anything
Posts
- Identifying false economy in very cheap tools and household items Frugal Living · 6 weeks ago
- Owning a car that sits unused most weekdays Car Ownership · 7 weeks ago
Comments
- Comparing fuel savings with higher insurance on a newer model I’d look at it as monthly cash flow first, not fuel savings first. If the payment, insurance, and reg jump more than the...
- Deciding whether a small hatchback is enough after lifestyle needs changed That’s the tradeoff I see too. Bigger cars make the 5% easier and the 95% more annoying.
- Planning for annual car costs beyond fuel and insurance I use a rough annual allowance based on past receipts and then sanity-check it against mileage. Tires and maintenance cr...
- Buying a used car when service history is good but mileage is high That plus cold start behavior. If it starts cleanly and doesn’t smoke or rattle, that tells you a lot for a quick inspec...
- Owning a car that sits unused most weekdays That’s kind of where my list is heading. I’m seeing that a lot of the trips I call ‘necessary’ are just convenient, not...
- Deciding whether dealer maintenance convenience is worth the price difference I’ve gone both ways, and the dealer only won me over when I needed a very specific software update. For brakes and oil c...