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A variety of maps, writings, and photos on a various topics that can’t easily be categorized into a county or place.

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Manufactured Housing is very odd the state’s assessment records

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Manufactured Housing is very odd the state’s assessment records. Some towns assessors don’t use that code at all, preferring to either leave the housing style field blank or describing such structures as Ranch style. For example, Coeymans doesn’t have a single building that is Manufactured Housing but Cario has several hundred. In some towns its inconsistent – varies widely by property – probably whoever was assessor at the time.

But then again, assessment records are riddled with errors. If you look at the City of Albany assessment records, only two buildings were built before 1850, a fact that doesn’t take long to disprove.

New Baltimore on US 9W

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Driving along US 9W, South of Coeymans in New Baltimore. Fairly open country, some businesses and hobby farms.

The Rise of the Frugal Rich – WSJ

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Skimp on Yogurt, Splurge on Skydiving: The Rise of the Frugal Rich – WSJ

Well-heeled shoppers love a deal.?

Americans with six-figure salaries are increasingly visiting Walmart for prebiotic soda and Dollar Tree for wrapping paper. They are buying $1 boxes of pasta at discount grocer Lidl and cheese at Aldi.

The shift down-market is driven by the fact that even the financially comfortable are acutely aware of how much more expensive everything is today. Discounters are successfully appealing to these sticker-shocked customers through improved digital offerings and aggressive expansions into well-off neighborhoods.

Ask yourself once a week, “if nobody saw this purchase, would I still want it” 🛍️

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I saw this in a video about intentional spending, as the ultimate litmus test to separate genuine utility and personal joy from the trap of “conspicuous consumption.” 

  • The “Invisible” Audit: Look at your recent orders. If you couldn’t post them on social media or tell a friend about them, which ones would suddenly feel like a waste of money?
  • The 72-Hour Rule: For any non-essential item, wait three days. Often, the urge to “be seen” with the item fades, while the desire for something truly useful persists.
  • Cost-Per-Use Thinking: Instead of thinking about the status a product brings, calculate its value based on how often you’ll actually use it in private.