Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253111 times)

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16450 on: January 23, 2017, 10:32:34 AM »
Friday at lunch:

Me: Did you want to go eat lunch with me?
CW: No, I'm just going to stay at my desk today, because I was in a rush this morning and just grabbed a jar of peanut butter and jelly and some bread to make a sandwich. 
Me: Oh okay....well, I pack my lunch too.
CW: I don't want anyone to see that I have Great Value Peanut Butter and Jelly. 

Do we really live in a world where someone has to be embarrassed that they have off brand peanut butter?!?!

Ask your co-worker if he or she would be prouder to display 'Bad Value' peanut butter.
Great comeback! I actually told her I'd be more embarrassed if I paid extra money just for a name on a jar.  She kind of furrowed her eyebrows and walked away.

You could offer to find her the label of a fancy-pants PB brand so she can tape it over her PB?

I love PB, thankfully the Aldi's and Kirkland brands are excellent a great price (Kirkland comes to $2.7/lb for organic).
I currently have a jar of Kroger Natural Crunchy sitting on my desk along side some apples.  I really should get better about keeping tabs on how much some of my food costs, because I don't know! All I know is that I have a $300/mo grocery budget, and I remain inside it.

YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16451 on: January 23, 2017, 10:38:32 AM »
And on a similar note, depending on the crowd you're in, homemade peanut butter is either wonderful and healthy and etc, or something to be embarassed of having because really you should just buy it. There's no winning if you play the game.

(We're mustachians. Fuck the game.)
I had never considered home made.  Your post made me Google it.  Apparently, it is a lot easier to make than I thought.
We make our own peanut butter. We just throw a bunch of peanuts in our food processor for a few minutes and out comes perfect peanut butter.

nobody123

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16452 on: January 23, 2017, 10:39:16 AM »
I literally have had consultants (that I hire / fire) laugh at me when they see me make a sandwich in my office.  They get a per diem when on-site, so I see why it wouldn't be a big deal for them to eat at a restaurant every day and more convienent than shopping for groceries in a strange town.  I wanted to ask if they ate at a restaurant for lunch the days they work from home, but I didn't feel like getting into it with them at the time.

If someone is going to look down on you for the brand of peanut butter you're using for your sandwich, they are probably looking down on you for packing anyway.  In either case, who cares what they think?

Kitsune

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16453 on: January 23, 2017, 12:03:13 PM »
And on a similar note, depending on the crowd you're in, homemade peanut butter is either wonderful and healthy and etc, or something to be embarassed of having because really you should just buy it. There's no winning if you play the game.

(We're mustachians. Fuck the game.)
I had never considered home made.  Your post made me Google it.  Apparently, it is a lot easier to make than I thought.
We make our own peanut butter. We just throw a bunch of peanuts in our food processor for a few minutes and out comes perfect peanut butter.

Basically that easy. A bit of salt improves flavor. ;)

My kid likes eating it by the spoonful, and I'm not a fan of the quantity of sugar in most commercial stuff if she's going to be downing a few spoonfuls of the stuff for breakfast, so... bulk peanuts bought on sale + a few minutes of running the food processor or blender while I do dishes every 2-3 weeks, and it's a pretty affordable solution.

And then you get people who look down on me for being 'one of THOSE moms who makes everything by hand and organic and you must be crazy and not have a life', AND you get people who look up to me for the exact same reasons, and I'm like... yo, it's cheap, it's easy, it's tasty, I'm not playing this game.

I also fed my daughter organic homemade baby purées... because the organic pears from the farmer's market were 1/3 the cost of the grocery store pears, and SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than buying ready-made purées, and it took a half-hour to make all the pear purée she ate for 8 months (60lbs of pears. That kid loved pears. Baby purée = 'take food, stick in blender'. Or, if it's hard, like carrots: simmer until soft, stick in blender. C'mon, now. You don't need a recipe or a commercial kitchen). Same judgements, from both directions. There's never a win.

With This Herring

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16454 on: January 23, 2017, 12:08:32 PM »
YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

Aldi sells blue dish soap that is copying Dawn.  I can't remember the price.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16455 on: January 23, 2017, 12:22:59 PM »
YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

Aldi sells blue dish soap that is copying Dawn.  I can't remember the price.

How does the quality compare?

I bought Dawn at Aldi's and it was $3 for a 28 ounce thing (I believe that's the size). Prior to this I went through a few dollar store soaps that are nearly all water. I'm happy to buy a knock-off if it does as good a job as Dawn's.

Torran

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16456 on: January 23, 2017, 12:51:19 PM »
Sure I posted about this before, when the situation was in the early stages ... but anyway, a woman I work with (I think she's early twenties) inherited money (£11,000 approx) and decided to use it as a deposit on a flat. She has updated me on the following events:

1. The first thing she did was get a fancy car (financed, obviously).
2. The bank wouldn't give her a mortgage, partly because of her debts (car loan + other stuff she didn't mention in detail).
3. So she got another job on top of her full time job, to bump up her wage.
4. But the bank then said that since this extra job wasn't a permanent contract thing, it didn't count.
5. Enraged by all of this, she cheered herself up by going on a £4000 spending spree with some of that deposit money.

I was feeling kind of bad for her, because it sucks when you think you're doing the right things and the bank keeps saying no. Until she got to the £4000 spending spree update. I asked what she bought and she said 'handbags'. So I just mashed my face into my desk.

Wow.  Every step she took was wrong.  That's impressive/depressing.

Can she still return the handbags?  Or sell them?  Return the car?
  • Don't take on any new debt if you want to buy a flat.  Stick with the car you have/public transport.
  • Cut expenses and don't buy useless things like purses.
  • Get a part-time job on top of your full-time job to pay off your other debts (not to bump your wage).
  • After paying off your other debts, continue working part-time job to save more money if the bank won't give you a mortgage now.

Ooft I know. Every time she updated me on her next disastrous financial move I was just horrified. And I don't have a good poker face.

She also has a habit of blaming her situation on the economy and particularly the older generation. So I feel sorry for her but not that sorry for her. I honestly don't think it has occurred to her at all that she isn't entitled to own a flat and go on £4000 spending sprees, and actually has to choose, and that none of that is the fault of older generations.

It's also really sad because she's in a priveleged position but I don't think she sees it that way at all.

I tried to tell her how I went about buying a flat on a lesser salary than she gets - e.g going without certain things, keeping my expenses low, no car, blah blah. I don't think she took any of it in. She was like 'your life is different, so that doesn't apply to me'.

The last thing she said was that she's not at all worried about having spent £4000 because she can just save it back up again. Except so far, her behaviour suggests that she is living way above her means, and has never saved a substantial sum of money, ever. So I guess... good luck with that!

Ebay might come in handy for the handbags.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16457 on: January 23, 2017, 02:41:34 PM »
YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

Aldi sells blue dish soap that is copying Dawn.  I can't remember the price.

How does the quality compare?

I bought Dawn at Aldi's and it was $3 for a 28 ounce thing (I believe that's the size). Prior to this I went through a few dollar store soaps that are nearly all water. I'm happy to buy a knock-off if it does as good a job as Dawn's.

I have no complaints with it. Seems to work just fine.


edit: fixing quotes (hopefully). edit again: I really can't do quotes today.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2017, 02:47:51 PM by Sibley »

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16458 on: January 23, 2017, 07:00:15 PM »
I literally have had consultants (that I hire / fire) laugh at me when they see me make a sandwich in my office.  They get a per diem when on-site, so I see why it wouldn't be a big deal for them to eat at a restaurant every day and more convienent than shopping for groceries in a strange town.  I wanted to ask if they ate at a restaurant for lunch the days they work from home, but I didn't feel like getting into it with them at the time.

If someone is going to look down on you for the brand of peanut butter you're using for your sandwich, they are probably looking down on you for packing anyway.  In either case, who cares what they think?

I never really thought about it until now, but there are only two people in our office who don't brown bag their lunch. One is a single woman in her 40s who likes to bring Chinese food for lunch, and the other is a slightly eccentric single guy (literally a rocket scientist who had Richard Feynman as an advisor in college) who has plenty of money and just buys whatever is going at the cafeteria.

A lot of the guys are foreigners working on H1B visas, and they send a lot of money back home while they're working in the US. They tend to be thrifty.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16459 on: January 23, 2017, 07:13:32 PM »
I literally have had consultants (that I hire / fire) laugh at me when they see me make a sandwich in my office.  They get a per diem when on-site, so I see why it wouldn't be a big deal for them to eat at a restaurant every day and more convienent than shopping for groceries in a strange town.  I wanted to ask if they ate at a restaurant for lunch the days they work from home, but I didn't feel like getting into it with them at the time.

If someone is going to look down on you for the brand of peanut butter you're using for your sandwich, they are probably looking down on you for packing anyway.  In either case, who cares what they think?

I think I must be either vindictive or passive aggressive or something, but I long to find those people who disparage me for living the way I live. It makes me feel superior, I think, when they continue to blow tons of money for show yet imagine themselves on a higher plane of existence than someone like me, who would bring a bowl of beans to work the entire week.

I exult within myself when people who earn 1/2 of what I do have a huge truck, a new car, and a house they can't afford 90 minutes from work...talk about how broke they are because they are paying off 10k in CC debt. Then a moment later they'll poke fun at me for sleeping in my car and eating beans every day.

The world...and I...need stupid people. Really. They validate my lifestyle choices every single day.

kayvent

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16460 on: January 23, 2017, 08:17:57 PM »
I literally have had consultants (that I hire / fire) laugh at me when they see me make a sandwich in my office.  They get a per diem when on-site, so I see why it wouldn't be a big deal for them to eat at a restaurant every day and more convienent than shopping for groceries in a strange town.  I wanted to ask if they ate at a restaurant for lunch the days they work from home, but I didn't feel like getting into it with them at the time.

If someone is going to look down on you for the brand of peanut butter you're using for your sandwich, they are probably looking down on you for packing anyway.  In either case, who cares what they think?

I never really thought about it until now, but there are only two people in our office who don't brown bag their lunch. One is a single woman in her 40s who likes to bring Chinese food for lunch, and the other is a slightly eccentric single guy (literally a rocket scientist who had Richard Feynman as an advisor in college) who has plenty of money and just buys whatever is going at the cafeteria.

A lot of the guys are foreigners working on H1B visas, and they send a lot of money back home while they're working in the US. They tend to be thrifty.

Do most people in your office have children? I ask because it is a well-observed pattern that people without children have similar or higher grocery expenditures compared to their peers with children (i.e. they eat out more and pack meals less frequently).

LadyFI

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16461 on: January 23, 2017, 08:22:46 PM »


YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

For Dawn dishwashing liquid check the flyers for Walgreens and CVS if they are in your area. Both places regularly promote the small bottles for $1 (and you can sometimes find a 25-cents off coupon in the paper too). At the sale price the cost  per ounce is less than the sale prices of larger bottles at Target or my local supermarket.

With This Herring

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16462 on: January 23, 2017, 10:20:38 PM »
YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

Aldi sells blue dish soap that is copying Dawn.  I can't remember the price.

How does the quality compare?

I bought Dawn at Aldi's and it was $3 for a 28 ounce thing (I believe that's the size). Prior to this I went through a few dollar store soaps that are nearly all water. I'm happy to buy a knock-off if it does as good a job as Dawn's.

I don't know?  It works for me, but I've never bought name-brand Dawn.  My family used Sunlight, and I can't remember what I used to buy before getting the Aldi stuff. 
I do know that having a roommate take the 1/3 full bottle of dish soap and add 2/3 a bottle of water to "make it last longer" will, in fact, make it pretty much not work at all (we were so annoyed!).

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16463 on: January 24, 2017, 06:36:51 AM »
I never really thought about it until now, but there are only two people in our office who don't brown bag their lunch. One is a single woman in her 40s who likes to bring Chinese food for lunch, and the other is a slightly eccentric single guy (literally a rocket scientist who had Richard Feynman as an advisor in college) who has plenty of money and just buys whatever is going at the cafeteria.

A lot of the guys are foreigners working on H1B visas, and they send a lot of money back home while they're working in the US. They tend to be thrifty.

Do most people in your office have children? I ask because it is a well-observed pattern that people without children have similar or higher grocery expenditures compared to their peers with children (i.e. they eat out more and pack meals less frequently).

Most of the people I work with have grandchildren. I think there's only one woman who's my age and still has kids in high school, The two single people have no kids and make good money, so I guess they can spend what they like.

The contractors are all younger, in their 20s and 30s, but they are all on H1B visas and tend to save their money for important things, like houses in their home country, etc.

My department is so nice to work in (if you have to work at all) that nobody ever leaves. There are people in their late 60s still working away, and the ones who retire tend to do it by reducing days/hours until they finally just decide to quit.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16464 on: January 24, 2017, 07:09:20 AM »
YMMV, I'm spoiled at having Cub (our major grocery chain) and Aldi's within a few minutes of my house, and Costco is about 13 minutes away. I am pretty decent at price shopping (does anyone know where to get the best price for Dawn dish soap though?), but my biggest waste is throwing away food. I need to get better at planning my meals and sticking to them.

Aldi sells blue dish soap that is copying Dawn.  I can't remember the price.

How does the quality compare?

I bought Dawn at Aldi's and it was $3 for a 28 ounce thing (I believe that's the size). Prior to this I went through a few dollar store soaps that are nearly all water. I'm happy to buy a knock-off if it does as good a job as Dawn's.

I don't know?  It works for me, but I've never bought name-brand Dawn.  My family used Sunlight, and I can't remember what I used to buy before getting the Aldi stuff. 
I do know that having a roommate take the 1/3 full bottle of dish soap and add 2/3 a bottle of water to "make it last longer" will, in fact, make it pretty much not work at all (we were so annoyed!).

Fair enough. I'll consider the non-name brand when I run out, though I'm very happy with Dawn thus far.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16465 on: January 24, 2017, 08:47:55 AM »
I literally have had consultants (that I hire / fire) laugh at me when they see me make a sandwich in my office.  They get a per diem when on-site, so I see why it wouldn't be a big deal for them to eat at a restaurant every day and more convienent than shopping for groceries in a strange town.  I wanted to ask if they ate at a restaurant for lunch the days they work from home, but I didn't feel like getting into it with them at the time.

If someone is going to look down on you for the brand of peanut butter you're using for your sandwich, they are probably looking down on you for packing anyway.  In either case, who cares what they think?

I never really thought about it until now, but there are only two people in our office who don't brown bag their lunch. One is a single woman in her 40s who likes to bring Chinese food for lunch, and the other is a slightly eccentric single guy (literally a rocket scientist who had Richard Feynman as an advisor in college) who has plenty of money and just buys whatever is going at the cafeteria.

A lot of the guys are foreigners working on H1B visas, and they send a lot of money back home while they're working in the US. They tend to be thrifty.

Do most people in your office have children? I ask because it is a well-observed pattern that people without children have similar or higher grocery expenditures compared to their peers with children (i.e. they eat out more and pack meals less frequently).

This is/was me. It is harder to make food for one or two people than it is for 3-7. When I was single, I'd do it a lot--mostly because I worked 2 jobs, and one of them was physical in nature so I didn't care what I ate nutrition wise. Now I'm married, we still eat out a lot because we're both very busy (and yes, we are legitimately busy--still 2 jobs, wife has one and helps take care of her mom).

We've migrated to a lot of prepared meals from Costco, which is slightly better, but still not all that healthy or financially sound. Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16466 on: January 24, 2017, 08:55:06 AM »
Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.

Do you have a table to eat at?  If so, why not use the table to prepare food?

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16467 on: January 24, 2017, 09:18:37 AM »
Does anyone have one of those cutting mats that covers the table? I'm just starting to shop for one.

When I was a kid my great-grandmother used her dinner table for prepping foods. The table is still in the family and was flawless the last time I saw it. She'd cover the table with the rigid table protectors, then a table cloth and then this cutting mat. I recall her being able to roll food out and cut it right there.

She'd roll out pasta or pies or whatever - and then cut them on this mat that I remember.

Inaya

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16468 on: January 24, 2017, 10:03:41 AM »
Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.

Do you have a table to eat at?  If so, why not use the table to prepare food?
Hey check your #tableprivilege! Not everyone has room for a table!

I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

moof

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16469 on: January 24, 2017, 10:43:07 AM »
This is/was me. It is harder to make food for one or two people than it is for 3-7. When I was single, I'd do it a lot--mostly because I worked 2 jobs, and one of them was physical in nature so I didn't care what I ate nutrition wise. Now I'm married, we still eat out a lot because we're both very busy (and yes, we are legitimately busy--still 2 jobs, wife has one and helps take care of her mom).

We've migrated to a lot of prepared meals from Costco, which is slightly better, but still not all that healthy or financially sound. Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.
I spent a year living in a small camper on the back of my truck.  I made almost all my meals with right about 2'x2' of counter space, and no oven.  Plenty of meals are no big deal.  Stir fry, steak, pasta, etc are easy with minimal prep area.

Next time you are at Costco get a set or two of Snapware (or similar good Tupperware like stuff).  Put it out as you dish out food.  Make food for 4 and you'll have dinner for 2 nights, or pre-done lunch leftovers.  Can be scales to 3x in many cases if you don't tire of stuff as easily as some.

Go buy Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Fast.  It has a lot of cut down recipes that will have food on the table in 30-45 minutes, including prep as you cook (written in fully chronological steps). 

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16470 on: January 24, 2017, 10:51:40 AM »
Hey check your #tableprivilege! Not everyone has room for a table!

I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.


AMandM

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16471 on: January 24, 2017, 11:03:24 AM »
Does anyone have one of those cutting mats that covers the table? I'm just starting to shop for one.

Like this?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Flexible-Pastry-Mat/15224370

I have one.  I used to use it pretty often, but then we moved to a house where the table is two rooms away from the kitchen, so I rarely do prep work at the table any more. My mat has acquired some creases that make it a less than perfectly flat surface, which is annoying.  I probably didn't take enough care to keep it from getting crushed in the cabinets.

For the ones with measurements for pie crust sizes, you want to google "pastry mat." If you want a thicker version (less flexible, but more protective), look for cutting mats sold for artists (e.g http://www.dickblick.com/products/alvin-cutting-mats/) or quilters (e.g., http://www.joann.com/sewing/cutting-tools/rotary-cutting/cutting-mats/#sz=36).

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16472 on: January 24, 2017, 11:11:18 AM »
Thank you for doing some of my homework! My sister got the kitchen training. I was busy out cutting the yard or changing the oil. Have lately been feeling the itch to learn to cook. Something else to share with DW, also have some ambitions to make some of the old family (grand parent) favorite dishes that I remember.

Also, our kitchen table is far more convenient than our countertops.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16473 on: January 24, 2017, 11:30:53 AM »
25 yr old coworker (lives with his mom) pulls up in brand new Buick SUV with leather seats, etc.

Me:  Wow! Nice car.
CW: Thanks
Me: So I guess that's why you live with your mom (We're friends so I get to rib him a little)
CW: Ha! No, I paid cash for it
Me: Man, you gotta save your money
CW: I would say I did... and I used it to buy a car.

Inaya

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16474 on: January 24, 2017, 11:33:48 AM »
Hey check your #tableprivilege! Not everyone has room for a table!

I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.
So, this may be a dumb question, but if I have a cutting board on the stovetop and/or sink, what do I cook on and where does the dirty cookware go? (Halfway tongue-in-cheek--lots of my IP recipes don't use the stove, so do use the stove as a surface then.)

Go buy Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Fast.  It has a lot of cut down recipes that will have food on the table in 30-45 minutes, including prep as you cook (written in fully chronological steps). 
Yes! Bittman's books are the best. I get them from the library--but if I couldn't get them for free, I would consider spending money on them.

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16475 on: January 24, 2017, 11:46:30 AM »
Hey check your #tableprivilege! Not everyone has room for a table!

I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.
So, this may be a dumb question, but if I have a cutting board on the stovetop and/or sink, what do I cook on and where does the dirty cookware go? (Halfway tongue-in-cheek--lots of my IP recipes don't use the stove, so do use the stove as a surface then.)

Go buy Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Fast.  It has a lot of cut down recipes that will have food on the table in 30-45 minutes, including prep as you cook (written in fully chronological steps). 
Yes! Bittman's books are the best. I get them from the library--but if I couldn't get them for free, I would consider spending money on them.

My idea of food prep is making a sandwich :) I hate cooking...I'll bake, but that's it.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16476 on: January 24, 2017, 12:23:10 PM »
Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.

Do you have a table to eat at?  If so, why not use the table to prepare food?
Hey check your #tableprivilege! Not everyone has room for a table!

I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

No, just a dining room table with a wall and doorway in between. You could use it, but it really would still be a pain in the hindquarters.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16477 on: January 24, 2017, 12:26:38 PM »
This is/was me. It is harder to make food for one or two people than it is for 3-7. When I was single, I'd do it a lot--mostly because I worked 2 jobs, and one of them was physical in nature so I didn't care what I ate nutrition wise. Now I'm married, we still eat out a lot because we're both very busy (and yes, we are legitimately busy--still 2 jobs, wife has one and helps take care of her mom).

We've migrated to a lot of prepared meals from Costco, which is slightly better, but still not all that healthy or financially sound. Part of our problem though is a lack of counterspace to prepare food.
I spent a year living in a small camper on the back of my truck.  I made almost all my meals with right about 2'x2' of counter space, and no oven.  Plenty of meals are no big deal.  Stir fry, steak, pasta, etc are easy with minimal prep area.

Next time you are at Costco get a set or two of Snapware (or similar good Tupperware like stuff).  Put it out as you dish out food.  Make food for 4 and you'll have dinner for 2 nights, or pre-done lunch leftovers.  Can be scales to 3x in many cases if you don't tire of stuff as easily as some.

Go buy Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Fast.  It has a lot of cut down recipes that will have food on the table in 30-45 minutes, including prep as you cook (written in fully chronological steps).


Wife works in the food world. I pride myself as an excellent cook. We know a lot of tricks, but at the end of the day when you have a small 1x1 area to cook it makes it hard.

Someday we might bump out our kitchen. And we have a lot of things in the kitchen that will have to move (seldom used pots and pans, for example that may afford us more room. In the meantime we make due with what we can.

Jakejake

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16478 on: January 24, 2017, 01:13:30 PM »
You could offer to find her the label of a fancy-pants PB brand so she can tape it over her PB?
If I were that worried about the branding, I'd scoop it out and put it in a mason jar - and tell people it was "processed locally" - which would sort of be true.

Kevin S.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16479 on: January 24, 2017, 02:22:59 PM »
overhear co-worker talking about the state of home prices here in Denver (only going up , just now starting to slow down).

I told him that me and fiancé just decided to keep renting for the time being. Not wanting to gamble on throwing a bunch of money down on a house right now when rent is still right at what a same size house would cost if not a little less (for what we want at least  - 3 car garage, at least 1500 sq ft in the city).

He proceeds to tell me how renting is just a big money waste and he would rather live in a really crappy house then rent.

Then the other co worker chimes in and says they just built a house in south parker (fancy area) and the house came in right under 500k. Now I don't know what this guys finances are but I do know that he is probably late 50's(guessing) and makes 50k or less(know this for certain).

How in the actual f ! Unless this guy has some huge money laundering scheme / trust fund / sugar moma(s) I can't see how this makes any sense financially...

Then they started comparing trucks. Co worker has new a dodge ram and other co worker wants a new Silverado.

I sat down and continued eating my home made salad...so much fail

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16480 on: January 24, 2017, 03:00:00 PM »
You could offer to find her the label of a fancy-pants PB brand so she can tape it over her PB?
If I were that worried about the branding, I'd scoop it out and put it in a mason jar - and tell people it was "processed locally" - which would sort of be true.

Did that with mustard when a particularly brand-obsessed friend came over for dinner. I think it's fine to do this if you know they don't have food allergies.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16481 on: January 24, 2017, 04:51:03 PM »
Since coworker got a job years ago at our employer that offers defined benefit pension, he has completely discontinued any other type of retirement savings.  The pension will be there to take care of him.

scottish

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16482 on: January 24, 2017, 05:27:25 PM »
Is your employer the government?   i could tell you stories about disappearing DB plans in industry...

Paul der Krake

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16483 on: January 24, 2017, 05:43:20 PM »
Defined contribution retirement plans are the single largest boost to early retirement.

It cracks me up when people here moan about how defined benefit pensions have been gutted. They were always a terrible deal for the enterprising worker.

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16484 on: January 24, 2017, 08:24:19 PM »
Defined contribution retirement plans are the single largest boost to early retirement.

It cracks me up when people here moan about how defined benefit pensions have been gutted. They were always a terrible deal for the enterprising worker.

Agreed.  Besides all the drawbacks you're thinking of that make them bad for normal retirees, they're huge handcuffs for early retirees.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16485 on: January 24, 2017, 08:48:26 PM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.   FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16486 on: January 24, 2017, 09:00:34 PM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.   FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

I like this, just shared with the wife and we're implementing.  I don't think we ever have, but now it's a conscious decision we're aware of.  Thanks!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

Metric Mouse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16487 on: January 25, 2017, 12:04:30 AM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.   FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

I actually turned the cut-out pieces of countertop from my sinkwells into cutting boards. They're awesome, and would have been thrown away anyway.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16488 on: January 25, 2017, 01:28:54 AM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.   FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

Here in Norway kitchens traditionally often had a cutting board right under the counter, that they can pull out like a drawer. Like this:
http://www.imgrum.net/media/1199383242750159697_40867937

This is the modern version of it, a separate board that fits on top of a drawer:
http://fossline.no/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/fjoel_paa_skuff.jpg

My friend uses a board like this to cut bread. I imagine that the access crumbs end up in the drawer.

I think people generally store too much stuff on their counter. But maybe that is because they have too little room in the cupboards.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16489 on: January 25, 2017, 05:37:04 AM »
Is your employer the government?   i could tell you stories about disappearing DB plans in industry...

Yes, but that is no guarantee of anything.  The point is that it's foolish to depend solely on your pension, even if you don't plan to FIRE.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2017, 08:07:28 AM by Debts_of_Despair »

paddedhat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16490 on: January 25, 2017, 05:53:02 AM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.  FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

I've mentioned it here in the past. I had a young guy working for me who lost his home in similar circumstances. He and his new bride were heading down the street to grab some pizza on a Friday night. They had a dog who had a bad habit of tearing the garbage up, so they put the can on the kitchen counter. They returned to a fully engulfed townhouse, surrounded by a real circus of emergency responders. The dog was rescued and the fire marshall quickly determined that the dog had been on the counter, enjoying the garbage that he spilled all over the stove, and managed to turn the stove on.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16491 on: January 25, 2017, 07:01:13 AM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.  FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

I've mentioned it here in the past. I had a young guy working for me who lost his home in similar circumstances. He and his new bride were heading down the street to grab some pizza on a Friday night. They had a dog who had a bad habit of tearing the garbage up, so they put the can on the kitchen counter. They returned to a fully engulfed townhouse, surrounded by a real circus of emergency responders. The dog was rescued and the fire marshall quickly determined that the dog had been on the counter, enjoying the garbage that he spilled all over the stove, and managed to turn the stove on.

Another reason to love my wheelchair-accessible stove, then: no pet induced drama. The dials are on the front, so you don't have to reach across burners to get to them. Since I do a lot of canning, I appreciate not having the knobs get in the way of vats of boiling water and vinegar.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16492 on: January 25, 2017, 07:04:57 AM »
But you have to be careful about little kids turning the knobs. Not a problem as I recall from your stories.

paddedhat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16493 on: January 25, 2017, 08:03:15 AM »
Did you ever look into buying a cutting board (or two) that fits over your stovetop and/or sink? They're cheap, and give you some extra counter space.

I have a rule in my house.  Nothing gets stored on a stovetop or in the oven that will burn.  Ever.

Just like you automate your savings so you don't forget to save, you set up routines that keep you from burning down the house.  FYI - a cat CAN turn on the burners on top of the stove.

Now, a cutting board over the sink, that's a good idea!

I've mentioned it here in the past. I had a young guy working for me who lost his home in similar circumstances. He and his new bride were heading down the street to grab some pizza on a Friday night. They had a dog who had a bad habit of tearing the garbage up, so they put the can on the kitchen counter. They returned to a fully engulfed townhouse, surrounded by a real circus of emergency responders. The dog was rescued and the fire marshall quickly determined that the dog had been on the counter, enjoying the garbage that he spilled all over the stove, and managed to turn the stove on.

Another reason to love my wheelchair-accessible stove, then: no pet induced drama. The dials are on the front, so you don't have to reach across burners to get to them. Since I do a lot of canning, I appreciate not having the knobs get in the way of vats of boiling water and vinegar.
LOL, the dog was able to burn the place to the ground, since it WAS a front control unit. Full disclosure however, it was one of those "back in the day" units that had push buttons instead of knobs. I recently paid for an ADA accessible stove for a family friend who had added an inlaw suite for his disabled sibling. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was reasonably priced, since my wife is disabled and there are certain sectors of the ADA market who delight in screwing their customers with horrendous overpricing.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16494 on: January 25, 2017, 08:10:59 AM »
Defined contribution retirement plans are the single largest boost to early retirement.

It cracks me up when people here moan about how defined benefit pensions have been gutted. They were always a terrible deal for the enterprising worker.

It has it's benefits and drawbacks.  Pulling 60% of your salary for life starting at age 55 isn't so bad.  Some might even argue that 55 IS RE.

MrMoogle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16495 on: January 25, 2017, 09:18:40 AM »
Defined contribution retirement plans are the single largest boost to early retirement.

It cracks me up when people here moan about how defined benefit pensions have been gutted. They were always a terrible deal for the enterprising worker.

It has it's benefits and drawbacks.  Pulling 60% of your salary for life starting at age 55 isn't so bad.  Some might even argue that 55 IS RE.
It is if you have to stay in the same company for 30 or more years.  In my industry in the 80's (when pensions were still a thing locally) people job hopped a lot.  Companies would lay off after a contract ended, or companies were created just for a specific contract (and therefore close it when the contract was over).  And people would follow contracts, as they were awarded to the next company.  Even then, if you didn't job hop, your salary would stagnate, so your salary at 55 is much lower. 

With This Herring

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16496 on: January 25, 2017, 11:01:29 AM »
I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

That sounds maddening.  Could you get a little rolling cart or small table for the Instant Pot?  We have a little rolling cart that stores the dried beans and DBF's coffee things.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16497 on: January 25, 2017, 11:06:12 AM »
I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

That sounds maddening.  Could you get a little rolling cart or small table for the Instant Pot?  We have a little rolling cart that stores the dried beans and DBF's coffee things.

Could you install a shelf and put the instant pot there?  Take the insert down and fill it, and just leave the machine there?  I did that at one apartment with the toaster oven to save counter space.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16498 on: January 25, 2017, 11:06:29 AM »
I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

That sounds maddening.  Could you get a little rolling cart or small table for the Instant Pot?  We have a little rolling cart that stores the dried beans and DBF's coffee things.

If the ceiling isn't too high, have you considered getting or making a rack that allows you to suspend pots, pans and other larger items from it? I've known people who have done this over the sink or over the counter area. I don't recommend putting them over your stove because they will get filthy from the spatters that happen when food gets cooked.

PMG

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16499 on: January 25, 2017, 11:17:43 AM »
I prepare food in the 2 ft x 2 ft space between my stove and sink. Much of which is taken up by an Instant Pot. It is incredibly frustrating, and I don't begrudge anyone who prefers not to deal with it.

That sounds maddening.  Could you get a little rolling cart or small table for the Instant Pot?  We have a little rolling cart that stores the dried beans and DBF's coffee things.

If the ceiling isn't too high, have you considered getting or making a rack that allows you to suspend pots, pans and other larger items from it? I've known people who have done this over the sink or over the counter area. I don't recommend putting them over your stove because they will get filthy from the spatters that happen when food gets cooked.

I'm in the same situation. About 16"x24" but I use the instant pot on the floor.

Maybe we need a tiny kitchen thread.