Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253395 times)

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10750 on: October 12, 2015, 12:49:27 PM »

The visitor chap is retired military, with a disability, now a DoD contractor, who runs a fishing charter boat on weekends. Drives 40-ish miles each way daily. In a V8 truck. So much income, pissing it all away. I asked him if he wanted to grab some lunch from the Hispanic deli nearby (my once-a-week eating out disorder); he said he couldn't afford it. Gobsmacked!
I'm surrounded by that at work. People who got their military retirement + VA benefits in their late 30s and early 40s and are still working 10-20 years later to lock in another pension while driving long distances from suburban McMansions in 15mpg trucks. If I'd been around as long and brought home as much $$ as they have, I'd be on a beach in the Caribbean right now instead of at this building.
Some of 'em probably love the job. I'm sure others are just stuck on the treadmill.

Only one guy I know, retired military, spent 20+ years as DoD contractor, then retired recently to coastal Costa Rica, to open a bar. I wished him the best, coz I know running a bar ain't a joke. He didn't have any business experience, especially running a bar. His reason was that he likes to sit at a bar, so why not open one instead? This will be in a touristy resort area, since he hasn't visited any of the non-tourist and funner parts of The Land of Pura Vida.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2015, 12:51:59 PM by jinga nation »

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10751 on: October 12, 2015, 12:59:47 PM »

The visitor chap is retired military, with a disability, now a DoD contractor, who runs a fishing charter boat on weekends. Drives 40-ish miles each way daily. In a V8 truck. So much income, pissing it all away. I asked him if he wanted to grab some lunch from the Hispanic deli nearby (my once-a-week eating out disorder); he said he couldn't afford it. Gobsmacked!
I'm surrounded by that at work. People who got their military retirement + VA benefits in their late 30s and early 40s and are still working 10-20 years later to lock in another pension while driving long distances from suburban McMansions in 15mpg trucks. If I'd been around as long and brought home as much $$ as they have, I'd be on a beach in the Caribbean right now instead of at this building.
Some of 'em probably love the job. I'm sure others are just stuck on the treadmill.

Only one guy I know, retired military, spent 20+ years as DoD contractor, then retired recently to coastal Costa Rica, to open a bar. I wished him the best, coz I know running a bar ain't a joke. He didn't have any business experience, especially running a bar. His reason was that he likes to sit at a bar, so why not open one instead? This will be in a touristy resort area, since he hasn't visited any of the non-tourist and funner parts of The Land of Pura Vida.

That could be fun. I imagine many people might do something like this, so long as they don't put any money that they can't afford to lose and it is more as a fun sideline or hobby that could work out.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10752 on: October 12, 2015, 01:00:49 PM »
I was asked if I planned to win the lottery. I relied that I had hit the lottery 16 years ago when I started to get our company match

  • Immigrating (legally) to the US is winning the lottery
  • Going to university/college in the US on Pell Grants/Work Study/ Subsidized loans is winning the lottery
  • Being sponsored to study for a graduate degree is winning the lottery
  • Contributing to an employer 401(k) plan with company match and with Vanguard funds is winning the lottery
  • Getting a DoD contractor position is winning the lottery

I have won 5 lotteries.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2015, 01:02:46 PM by jinga nation »

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10753 on: October 12, 2015, 01:12:16 PM »
I was asked if I planned to win the lottery. I relied that I had hit the lottery 16 years ago when I started to get our company match

  • Immigrating (legally) to the US is winning the lottery
  • Going to university/college in the US on Pell Grants/Work Study/ Subsidized loans is winning the lottery
  • Being sponsored to study for a graduate degree is winning the lottery
  • Contributing to an employer 401(k) plan with company match and with Vanguard funds is winning the lottery
  • Getting a DoD contractor position is winning the lottery

I have won 5 lotteries.

Question, what does being a DoD contractor mean exactly? When I think of it, I'm thinking Blackwater or another outfit that might be considered mercenaries.

Also, I agree, many of us have had good fortune in our life, and like that we can recognize it and appreciate it. I think we have won the lottery in that index funds exist and we are able to invest in them. I can't imagine being able to FIRE 100 years ago unless I was born into wealth or privilege....or had Carnegie's level of success.

serpentstooth

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10754 on: October 12, 2015, 02:05:47 PM »
I was asked if I planned to win the lottery. I relied that I had hit the lottery 16 years ago when I started to get our company match

  • Immigrating (legally) to the US is winning the lottery
  • Going to university/college in the US on Pell Grants/Work Study/ Subsidized loans is winning the lottery
  • Being sponsored to study for a graduate degree is winning the lottery
  • Contributing to an employer 401(k) plan with company match and with Vanguard funds is winning the lottery
  • Getting a DoD contractor position is winning the lottery

I have won 5 lotteries.

Question, what does being a DoD contractor mean exactly? When I think of it, I'm thinking Blackwater or another outfit that might be considered mercenaries.

Also, I agree, many of us have had good fortune in our life, and like that we can recognize it and appreciate it. I think we have won the lottery in that index funds exist and we are able to invest in them. I can't imagine being able to FIRE 100 years ago unless I was born into wealth or privilege....or had Carnegie's level of success.

It can mean anything from being part of a company that makes powdered Tang for MREs to working for Blackwater to maintaining IT systems to providing any other good or service the largest military on the planet needs.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10755 on: October 12, 2015, 04:16:39 PM »
+1 for handsewing, unless you have a zipper foot for your sewing machine and know how to use it

I actually have my grandmother's old sewing machine and know how to use it.  :-)   It looks like there is a way to just sew the opening shut by using the wind flap on the inside of the zipper. I'm going to give that a shot and if it doesn't work out, then buying a new cost is my backup plan.

CptCool

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10756 on: October 12, 2015, 07:16:25 PM »
I finally have a couple to share:

My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

My jeans don't last that long either. Maybe 4-5 years? I wear them once a week on jeans day at work, wash them, then they go back in the closet till next Friday. By the time I retire them, the fabric is almost threadbare in places.

I think you may be over washing your jeans. I wear the same pair about twice a week for the past 3 years and I think I've only washed them 2-3 times - only when I've spilled something gross on them

Merrie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10757 on: October 12, 2015, 07:59:42 PM »
I finally have a couple to share:

My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

My jeans don't last that long either. Maybe 4-5 years? I wear them once a week on jeans day at work, wash them, then they go back in the closet till next Friday. By the time I retire them, the fabric is almost threadbare in places.

I think you may be over washing your jeans. I wear the same pair about twice a week for the past 3 years and I think I've only washed them 2-3 times - only when I've spilled something gross on them

Yuck. I think the happy medium is somewhere in between these two comments.

midweststache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10758 on: October 13, 2015, 05:44:52 AM »
I finally have a couple to share:

My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

My jeans don't last that long either. Maybe 4-5 years? I wear them once a week on jeans day at work, wash them, then they go back in the closet till next Friday. By the time I retire them, the fabric is almost threadbare in places.

I think you may be over washing your jeans. I wear the same pair about twice a week for the past 3 years and I think I've only washed them 2-3 times - only when I've spilled something gross on them

You only wash them once a year?!?!

I disagree about the over washing.  I do typically wear them 2-3 days per washing (Friday to work, Sat and possibly Sun depending on how sweat-tastic the Saturday was).  If I wear them an average of 2.5 day/week and they are lasing 4 years conservatively, that's 520 wearings minimum.  Nothing else in the wardrobe lasts as long, including shoes (but not outerwear).  Plus, everything else needs to be washed each time it's worn (excluding shoes & outerwear); that's my personal minimum cleanliness standard for clothing.

Denim--REAL denim--isn't supposed to be washed frequently (or ever, depending on who you talk to). You should spot clean when necessary, but save the W/D or heavy-duty washing for rare instances.

That said, "jeans" is such an amorphous term at this point that jeans and denim, while they seem synonymous, are not necessarily the same thing. For instance, I have a pair of EF 100% cotton jeans that are decidedly NOT denim, and they go through the wash (never the dryer) about once every two weeks.

Million2000

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10759 on: October 13, 2015, 06:15:23 AM »
I work in an office with a coffee machine that is sort of an automated barista, much fancier than the old drip coffee pot I have at home. I don't exactly know what they're called but they are a dispenser that whizzes and bangs, then spits out your drink. A month ago the coffee machine that had been in place for over a year went on the fritz and shut down. The cries went out, gnashing of teeth ensued, and finally protests loud enough for management to provide them a massive replacement were finally acted upon. This new monstrosity was even fancier and larger than the last one but had a terrible knack for requiring constant maintenance. The poor mail lady in our building was conscripted to provide this maintenance (emptying out the waste bin of the device). Everyone in the office (5 floors) started coming up to my floor to use it, making it break down even faster. Since I sit next to the coffee room I can't but hear the constant complaining and condemnations of the device.

Fast forward a few weeks and we have an even newer device because of constant complaints. As of yesterday the new device has broken down and requires as much maintenance as the last one. As I sit here this morning several people have already cried and complained about the broken coffee machine, even though 1) It was free coffee 2) There are four other coffee machines that aren't broken on other floors 3) You can always make your own coffee from home.

People truly are weak these days if they break down into lamentations because a coffee machine breaks. I think they miss their catheters and bedpans. As for me, when the first machine broke down I started brewing coffee at home, the Starbucks coffee they had was truly terrible anyway, I don't know why people would pay for it.

maco

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10760 on: October 13, 2015, 08:20:38 AM »
I finally have a couple to share:

My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

My jeans don't last that long either. Maybe 4-5 years? I wear them once a week on jeans day at work, wash them, then they go back in the closet till next Friday. By the time I retire them, the fabric is almost threadbare in places.

I think you may be over washing your jeans. I wear the same pair about twice a week for the past 3 years and I think I've only washed them 2-3 times - only when I've spilled something gross on them

Yuck. I think the happy medium is somewhere in between these two comments.
Back when I still wore trousers, I'd wear a pair of jeans every day for a week or two, then wash. Now I wear twill skirts, and I go more like a month of daily wearing. With a shirt tucked in, not even the waistband is touching my skin, so whatever.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10761 on: October 13, 2015, 09:12:40 AM »
I work in an office with a coffee machine that is sort of an automated barista, much fancier than the old drip coffee pot I have at home. I don't exactly know what they're called but they are a dispenser that whizzes and bangs, then spits out your drink. A month ago the coffee machine that had been in place for over a year went on the fritz and shut down. The cries went out, gnashing of teeth ensued, and finally protests loud enough for management to provide them a massive replacement were finally acted upon. This new monstrosity was even fancier and larger than the last one but had a terrible knack for requiring constant maintenance. The poor mail lady in our building was conscripted to provide this maintenance (emptying out the waste bin of the device). Everyone in the office (5 floors) started coming up to my floor to use it, making it break down even faster. Since I sit next to the coffee room I can't but hear the constant complaining and condemnations of the device.

Fast forward a few weeks and we have an even newer device because of constant complaints. As of yesterday the new device has broken down and requires as much maintenance as the last one. As I sit here this morning several people have already cried and complained about the broken coffee machine, even though 1) It was free coffee 2) There are four other coffee machines that aren't broken on other floors 3) You can always make your own coffee from home.

People truly are weak these days if they break down into lamentations because a coffee machine breaks. I think they miss their catheters and bedpans. As for me, when the first machine broke down I started brewing coffee at home, the Starbucks coffee they had was truly terrible anyway, I don't know why people would pay for it.
Well, I come to work pretty early, and when the coffee machine broke down at my office, it was rough.  I did go buy some once - it was down for a few days.  After the first day, we got a drip machine temp replacement.  Which we still have as a backup.

Of course, now I come in late 3x a week, and drink coffee at home those 3 days.  You don't want to see me on caffeine withdrawal.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10762 on: October 13, 2015, 10:01:39 AM »
I wear jeans daily to work and wash them once a week.  My work involves sitting at a desk all day, and I change out of the jeans into something else when I get home to help keep them clean.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10763 on: October 13, 2015, 11:33:02 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10764 on: October 13, 2015, 11:47:39 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

I buy mine at Costco or at a TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Nordstrom Rack. I also pay extra for good quality jeans--determined in the store by me.

It should be noted that jean shopping for me is miserable due to my rather large rear-end and thighs. I often end up getting a pair that is too big in the waist to fit my legs.

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10765 on: October 13, 2015, 11:49:39 AM »
I recently grabbed a $20 pair from Old Navy - boot cut style. I'm happy with them. Have been wearing them for a few months now.

4alpacas

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10766 on: October 13, 2015, 11:51:40 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.
I purchase my husband's jeans from The Gap.  I usually wait for a sale code and purchase a pair or two online (usually at 40% off).  With tax, we spend between $40-50/pair. 

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10767 on: October 13, 2015, 11:51:41 AM »
I recently grabbed a $20 pair from Old Navy - boot cut style. I'm happy with them. Have been wearing them for a few months now.

Old Navy's quality, in my experience, just is not up to snuff. Or it is at least wildly varying.

DTaggart

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10768 on: October 13, 2015, 12:10:12 PM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

I get hubby's (and my) jeans at the local thrift store... $5 - $12 each depending on the brand, they're practically brand new.

onehair

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10769 on: October 13, 2015, 12:26:40 PM »
I've been buying mom jeans at the Salvation Army (shamefaced look)with the elastic waist. Ugly as sin but aren't they comfy!!

Zaga

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10770 on: October 13, 2015, 12:40:33 PM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.
My husband is a difficult to fit size.  He finally found a brand and size that fit his thighs and have enough ball room, and it's available on Walmart's website.  So he just orders from there because his size is rarely available even in the stores that say they carry it.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10771 on: October 13, 2015, 12:47:20 PM »
I used to buy husband's jeans (Levi's) from JCPenny but they stopped carrying the ones he likes. Now I get them at Target. Denizen brand. The men's jeans seem to be made from longer lasting material than the women's. I think it is the lack of 'stretch' material.

Megma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10772 on: October 13, 2015, 12:51:43 PM »
I bought two pair for BF last year at Khol's for around $18 (coupon + sale!) last Christmas, so 10 months. One pair fell apart in the first washing, lost a belt loop in the first washing, we exchanged them. This replacement and the other have been going strong so far.

nobodyspecial

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10773 on: October 13, 2015, 01:39:08 PM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs?

I have hit a major jeans buying problem.
I wear Wranglers, which you can get a Target/Walmart for $nothing.
But they are terrible quality - obviously because they are made to sell for $10-15.

I would pay 2x as much for ones that would last a year. But how do I know I'm not just buying the same crappy version with a 100% markup?
Where do I buy good quality Wranglers? Do good quality Wranglers even exist or do I have to switch? I'm too old to learn button flys in my 40s!


Threshkin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10774 on: October 13, 2015, 01:57:12 PM »
"She dashed by me in painted on jeans" Billy Ocean

mcjuggerton21

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10775 on: October 13, 2015, 02:00:01 PM »
I finally have a couple to share:

My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?


I fixed some zippers the other day after seeing this http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/09/how-to-fix-a-zipper-that-doesnt-close

The bottom half of the zipper pull gets loose after a while, and you can fix it by taking some pliers and squeezing each side of the bottom half of the zipper pull. Not too much or it will become to tight to pull. It took me 5 minutes to find some pliers and fix two coats and backpack.

cripzychiken

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10776 on: October 13, 2015, 02:36:36 PM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs?

My last few jean purchases:
Ross/TJAXX (or one of those types of stores) $15 for a 'Levi's' brand that is complete crap.  Still have them, but only as 'work' jeans when they might get ruined (and I don't want to risk my better jeans)
JCP - Arizona Brand - BoGo / 2 for $60 (plus used a gift card) - still have these even though I bought them 3 yrs back
Forget the Store, but the brand was "Duck Head" and 2 pairs for $20/each and lasted me about 3 yrs of near everyday use (washed jeans weekly, so 2-3 days per pair per wash).

Rosy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10777 on: October 13, 2015, 03:15:06 PM »
The last two pair were Levis for Mr. R. - $36 on sale, no tax on base and $36 on sale, plus tax at Bealls. They fit him well and last about 3-4 yrs.

Me, I sometimes wear a designer brand from Sears:), because they fit me well. Usually $30 on sale, they never last past 2 or 3 years.
Other than that it is whatever I find on sale colored or white jeans for $14.99 avg price at Marshals or TJ Maxx - I've been lucky, most last at least two years, my last ones are 4 yrs old and still looking good.
Did pay 100 bucks for a pair of black stretch jeans at a boutique 3 yrs back - call it temporary insanity, but they do look sharp on me. They should hold up another year at least, so in the end it was an acceptable price.


Travis

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10778 on: October 13, 2015, 05:42:36 PM »
Fox News was on TV in my office today. Sheppard Smith was discussing how the Christmas shopping season may see some trouble because we're planning to spend less this year.  According to poll numbers of the people who said they were cutting back it was a roughly even split between paying down debts, worrying about their jobs, generally saving more, and not having a raise in a while.  Smith remarked that the younger generation seems to be becoming more frugal and not wanting "the same junk we do."  His guest explained how 70% of our economic activity is consumption which got Smith to remark that "saving is bad for the economy."  The guest also went through how older people who are more financially stable tend to spend more and the younger crowd averages tens of thousands of college loan debt.  I thought he was going to be on board with "if we don't spend more we're doomed," but he surprised me at the end of his piece remarking "so to help the economy I need to spend money I don't have? That doesn't make sense."

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10779 on: October 13, 2015, 06:00:59 PM »
Too much of "the economy" and the market is, yes, estimates banked on future consumption. Easy loans mean 1) more consumption and hopefully 2) a nice return for the financial market too.

It would probably be best for everyone as a whole if we had a bit less growth over the next couple decades by slowly paring back unnecessary spending.

Still, ain't gonna happen, I don't think.

Also, because I'm weird, I wear the same pair of jeans for probably 250 days a year, year after year until they get worn out, then someone usually forces me to buy another pair (or just buys them for me... hah.) They do last a long time. They don't need to be washed much; when they're dirty, not before.

Pooperman

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10780 on: October 13, 2015, 07:01:02 PM »
Bit of backstory for this one. Coworker is a single parent with one kid. Makes a decent salary ($75k give or take). She's about 40 years old, has boyfriend, whatever. So when I joined the company, she was house sitting for another coworker about 1:40 mins from work by car. She complains about the drive, about not having much money, so I gave her some advice about how to cut back and stuff (it was ignored). So last week she talked about getting a new car because her current car is ending its lease. Some people said buy a new one instead of leasing (marginally better). I suggest buying one that's just off lease. She gives reasons why that's not a good idea (reliability, etc). It came down to being underwater on the lease (is that possible?). I suggest she get something similar to what she had (Accord) but she wants a CRV because it's better in the snow. I say that snow tires are what make a car good/bad and relay the story of me driving my 2 wheel drive car in 6 inches of snow up and down hills in upstate NY without troubles (no snow tires).

Well she was late to work yesterday because she was picking up her CRV from the dealership... a lease. I have no idea how much that monthly payment will be, but it's not good. She's got a bunch of debt too. She hates her job and is going to try to get a higher paying one. I make about what she does and yet manage to save like $30k/yr... So sad.

notquitefrugal

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10781 on: October 13, 2015, 08:41:07 PM »
It came down to being underwater on the lease (is that possible?).

In the olden days, there were "open-ended" leases, which weren't really leases at all, more like an option to buy or trade in at market value at the end of the term. I don't think they exist anymore. More likely, she was way over the allotted miles on the lease and owed several hundred up to a few thousand dollars in excess mileage fees. Less likely, there was excess wear and tear on the car she was turning in (if it was a Honda, they have a pretty generous wear and tear policy, so this is even less likely).

It's not an absolute necessity, but I will say it is more difficult to get stuck in snow with 4WD/AWD.

notquitefrugal

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10782 on: October 13, 2015, 08:42:37 PM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10783 on: October 14, 2015, 06:07:26 AM »
"I bought me a brand new Challenger Hellcat. Cost me $72,000."

He makes $80,000 per year.
So he bouhgt it for the car company and the bank's profit?

runningthroughFIRE

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10784 on: October 14, 2015, 08:03:56 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

PencilThinStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10785 on: October 14, 2015, 08:31:46 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

What, you mean you DON'T participate in the underground knife fighting rings? I thought it was a pretty common thing among mustachians.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10786 on: October 14, 2015, 08:38:08 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

What, you mean you DON'T participate in the underground knife fighting rings? I thought it was a pretty common thing among mustachians.

The first rule of knife club is . . .


STABBITY STABBITY STABBITY

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10787 on: October 14, 2015, 08:42:49 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

What, you mean you DON'T participate in the underground knife fighting rings? I thought it was a pretty common thing among mustachians.

The first rule of knife club is . . .


STABBITY STABBITY STABBITY

I see some people here haven't played Knifey Spooney before.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10788 on: October 14, 2015, 08:50:04 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

What, you mean you DON'T participate in the underground knife fighting rings? I thought it was a pretty common thing among mustachians.

The first rule of knife club is . . .


STABBITY STABBITY STABBITY

I see some people here haven't played Knifey Spooney before.

Always play to win.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10789 on: October 14, 2015, 09:09:52 AM »
I rarely wear jeans any more, although my work is very casual.  I'm giving Duluth Trading Company Firehose Work pants (say that 5 times fast) a try.  They're made out of heavy duty canvas and are surprising comfortable.  They're pricey ($65/pair) but supposed to be super durable.  I got a pair last Christmas, and got a second pair this summer at their outlet store for $30.  Time will tell, but so far they live up to their claims of ruggedness.

Heh, it looks like they *do* have regular style jeans in the heavy duty material, too.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2015, 10:00:09 AM by zolotiyeruki »

PencilThinStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10790 on: October 14, 2015, 09:48:01 AM »
Since we're talking about jeans, where all do the men on here buy theirs? I hate shopping and will just rely on gifts for the most part for my jeans, but I will need to get a new pair soon and am dreading going to the mall. How much do you normally spend on a good pair of jeans? I tend to wear one or two pairs and alternate between them as I sit in an office and don't really do much physical exertion while at work.

Same place I buy my khakis--the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet. Probably $50-60 per pair (go ahead and facepunch me). I have two pair of their jeans (they fit me really well) and some other jeans which don't fit so well. I get the non-weathered ones, on the theory that they will eventually weather as I wash them. Happy with the quality so far.

I destroy jeans before i wear them out. Motor oil, paint, knife cuts, etc. So I buy the cheapest I can find. Last time I got jeans it was $7.00 per pair at WalMart. But I buy them for work clothes and rarely leave the house in them.
Emphasis mine.  I feel as though there's a story here...

What, you mean you DON'T participate in the underground knife fighting rings? I thought it was a pretty common thing among mustachians.

The first rule of knife club is . . .


STABBITY STABBITY STABBITY


I have no idea how this transported itself into this thread - weird things happening on the interwebs.

Also I have a really bad track record with Olfa/Utility blade knives. Wish it was more exciting than that.

Solid cover up. Way to follow the rules of Knife Club. *fist bump*

...shit, did I just break the rules?

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10791 on: October 14, 2015, 03:42:31 PM »
I recently grabbed a $20 pair from Old Navy - boot cut style. I'm happy with them. Have been wearing them for a few months now.

Old Navy's quality, in my experience, just is not up to snuff. Or it is at least wildly varying.

I keep my expectations low for $20. So far so good.

But I wear sweats and basketball shorts more often than my jeans.

CabinetGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10792 on: October 14, 2015, 03:45:08 PM »
I rarely wear jeans any more, although my work is very casual.  I'm giving Duluth Trading Company Firehose Work pants (say that 5 times fast) a try.  They're made out of heavy duty canvas and are surprising comfortable.  They're pricey ($65/pair) but supposed to be super durable.  I got a pair last Christmas, and got a second pair this summer at their outlet store for $30.  Time will tell, but so far they live up to their claims of ruggedness.

Heh, it looks like they *do* have regular style jeans in the heavy duty material, too.

Yesssss! Best part of the Duluth pants:  return them anytime for any reason and they will REPLACE THEM.  Costs 6.00 to ship them back, but damn.  I wear my fire hose pants hard on site and they still last me two years.  Then I just send them back.


RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10793 on: October 14, 2015, 04:37:45 PM »
"I bought me a brand new Challenger Hellcat. Cost me $72,000."

He makes $80,000 per year.

So he lived on $8k last year and paid cash? Good for him. ;)

Seriously though, make sure you get a ride before it gets repo'd. :(

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10794 on: October 15, 2015, 01:40:09 PM »
75% annual salary on a house is awesome. Congratulations. I wish I could do that - it'd be done in a heartbeat.

90% salary on a car is... uh, steep. I hope for his sake he loves that beast of a machine and keeps it for 20+ years. (Even 20 years from now, it will still be an absolute beast of a machine. I want one about 20 years from now, probably in the $20k range.)

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10795 on: October 15, 2015, 01:59:37 PM »
"I bought me a brand new Challenger Hellcat. Cost me $72,000."

He makes $80,000 per year.

So he lived on $8k last year and paid cash? Good for him. ;)

Seriously though, make sure you get a ride before it gets repo'd. :(
Ya. No joke. 90% of salary for a car payment. Nice.

Not a smart financial move, but it isn't 90% of his salary on a car payment. Assume that he put nothing down, 6 year term, 6% interest, and assume that he is putting away 15% to his 401k. That would be a $1,160 monthly payment on a $3890 monthly take-home, or 30% of his take-home.

Again, not a smart move financially, but it isn't 90% of his salary going to his car payment--it is 30% of his take home.



Cherry Lane

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10796 on: October 15, 2015, 02:22:05 PM »
My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

I realized that the belt I'm wearing today is older than our newest employee, a recent college graduate.  I'm 41, and I bought this belt when I was in high school.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10797 on: October 15, 2015, 02:38:32 PM »
My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

I realized that the belt I'm wearing today is older than our newest employee, a recent college graduate.  I'm 41, and I bought this belt when I was in high school.

Similar, but Cherry Lane got me beat.

I bought a leather belt in India in '95, while on a family trip. Wore it for at least 5 years. My brother shared, then took it. My wife found it at my parents' home, took it. She's still wearing it at least once a week. It is still in a great condition. 20 years.

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10798 on: October 15, 2015, 02:56:12 PM »
My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

I realized that the belt I'm wearing today is older than our newest employee, a recent college graduate.  I'm 41, and I bought this belt when I was in high school.

Man, I think a lot of people that save even 99% of their salary probably have increased in waist size too much to keep their high school belts.

That said, at 31 my weight only fluctuates 4-10lbs from my high school weight and most of my belts have worn out just from wearing them. Also, I usually don't wear belts because I like buying the proper waist size.

How did you make your belts last so long? lol

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #10799 on: October 15, 2015, 02:58:05 PM »
My everyday soft-shell Marmot jacket is probably close to 10 years old, and one of the pit zippers is falling apart. This means that the underside of the armpit will now be completely open unless I come up with some sort of fix.  Or I could just get a new coat for $200, but shoot, the rest of the coat is in pretty good shape. I was talking with a coworker/superior about it, and she said she didn't even own clothing that is ten years old.  I'm thinking really?  Not even old jeans?

I realized that the belt I'm wearing today is older than our newest employee, a recent college graduate.  I'm 41, and I bought this belt when I was in high school.

For some reason it reminded me of this Simpsons clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-7MmhqNfA