Overheard at Work

[paddedhat]

Oh yeah.  My wife used to teach yearbook at her high school, and teachers would come in but not have the $50 deposit to reserve one, and ask her to "hold one" for them until next payday, when they could afford the deposit.  $50, really?

Many teachers are very bad with money, sadly.

My DW was a teacher who did the who 30 year career thing. You wouldn't believe how many of her coworkers end up retiring, and falling for one of the school sanctioned, guest speaker,  financial experts who hooked them at one of their  free "retirement planning dinners".  Holy shit, these guys end up hammering their marks with outrageous fees and still have a blindly loyal audience. We still socialize with a few of these folks, and occasionally get hit with the, "you really need to talk to our guy" recommendation. Sorry, but if he isn't picking up the phone at Vanguard, I don't need to talk to him at all. Pre-MMM we took that ride, constant churning, a "expert" who did  things as stupid as leaving 10% on the sidelines as cash, and buying gold stocks, while handily getting stomped by index funds and stealing 1.25% a year for losing our money.

[financialfreedomsloth]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

[FIT_Goat]

Oh yeah.  My wife used to teach yearbook at her high school, and teachers would come in but not have the $50 deposit to reserve one, and ask her to "hold one" for them until next payday, when they could afford the deposit.  $50, really?

Many teachers are very bad with money, sadly.

I am aware of my own downfall.  I am a sucker for donations.  And, when you work at a school, there are a lot of causes to donate to.  We have club fundraisers, teachers who fall ill, livestock auctions (rural community), homeless families, holiday support causes, general school fundraisers, girl scouts, boy scouts, etc.  Currently, we have a student who is extremely sick with cancer.  Things don't look good.  So, we're having weekly fundraisers.  I've calculated that donating to all the causes since January 9th (when we went back) to now, it would be nearly $100.  I don't allow myself to carry cash at work.  Because I will mindlessly give.  I do have an amount that is budgeted for giving, and I have that with me at work.  When it's gone, I'm done.

My biggest money blow-out is sick leave.  I don't use it, unless things are dire.  So, I accumulate a lot of it.  Well, if a teacher gets cancer or something and is out for extended periods of time, beyond their available leave, other teachers can donate leave.  A lot of teachers don't have financial reserves high enough to survive a time like that.  Probably because they have a 3,000 sqft home and two new cars with payments, but telling that they did it to themselves is the last thing they need to hear.  And, even the best planner, on a teacher's salary, can see medical expenses wipe out years of savings.

"What the hell," I thought, "I don't use it."  So, I'd give a week of leave away to those who needed it.  It was only when I started considering my long-term plans (retirement and/or changing careers) that I asked myself what happens to leave that I haven't used.  It turns out that they pay it to you at your current hourly rate.  I have given away literal thousands of dollars in leave! It's close to 5 figures.  Not that I regret it.  I should, but the people I gave it to needed it more than I did.  One of those people was my own mother.  I'd have given her every day I had, if there wasn't an upper limit.

Anyway, I could probably write a book on the poor financial decisions that I see at the school.  And, I could monopolize the MLM thread with stories of the various ones my coworkers are trying to succeed at.

[Mezzie]

I'm in the same boat. I spend more on student fundraisers than groceries some months, and since I work in an impoverished area, there's even more pressure on us since parents often can't help.

I did give away a lot of sick leave until I became disabled. I don't regret it at all, but I do hope that if I find myself needing donations, the younger healthier teachers will feel as generous towards me as I felt towards those I donated to. Of course, ideally I won't need any donations at all.

[sonjak]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

[FIT_Goat]

I'm in the same boat. I spend more on student fundraisers than groceries some months, and since I work in an impoverished area, there's even more pressure on us since parents often can't help.

I did give away a lot of sick leave until I became disabled. I don't regret it at all, but I do hope that if I find myself needing donations, the younger healthier teachers will feel as generous towards me as I felt towards those I donated to. Of course, ideally I won't need any donations at all.

I'm also in an impoverished area.  It is almost expected that teachers will make up for the lack of supplies for students.  I also stock some non-perishable foods in my room, for students who miss the free breakfast but had nothing at home.  Little things add up fast.

If I ever became disabled and needed leave, I would hope others would step up and donate to me.  Of course, ideally, I wouldn't need that.  But, I believe in helping those around me.  In the long run, I would hope that the few thousand I gave away benefited those people more than having it would have benefited me to keep it.   

[dragoncar]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

One of my best friend was vegetarian and constantly ate at Taco Bell cause they have so many vegetarian options smh

[Metric Mouse]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

Kosher?

[dragoncar]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

Kosher?

I was gonna say that many fries aren't kosher but then I realized they aren't necessarily vegetarian either


But sign me up for the fries diet either way

[TheGrimSqueaker]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

Kosher?

I was gonna say that many fries aren't kosher but then I realized they aren't necessarily vegetarian either


But sign me up for the fries diet either way

That reminds me of a friend I made when I went back to school for my master's degree and met some students from India. One woman in particular was very fond of bragging about her vegetarian diet while eating McDonald's fries. When I informed her that there was beef fat in them, she had a full-on Hindu gross-out fit. She then asked me to help her navigate American fast food and commercial food. Apparently the mixing and blending of ingredients that is so customary in processed food here isn't a global phenomenon.

We went through my friend's entire pantry and she ended up with a lot of non-perishable food that wasn't as vegetarian as she thought. It got donated to a local food bank. I also took her shopping, taught her the importance of reading the labels, and found some substitute items that didn't have things like gelatin in them. The rudest and most offensive surprise: her favorite Altoids breath mints had gelatin.

We stayed friends for a while until she finished her studies and went back to Madras. In the interim, my friend paid me back by taking me to an ashram and teaching me how to correctly eat chutney and other Indian food with my fingers. It turns out there's technique to it, and it's important to not mix cultures. I was trying to keep my elbows tucked in the way a good diner does in a Eurocentric tradition, but that's a bad idea for sloppier foods where the idea is to use one's fingers as a spoon and one's thumb as a pusher. If you keep your elbows in while doing that, when you raise your hand to your mouth the thumb ends up being on the bottom and whatever was in your hand falls out thanks to gravity. I wound up wearing most of the first course.

[SeaEhm]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

Kosher?

I was gonna say that many fries aren't kosher but then I realized they aren't necessarily vegetarian either

Did they not use this?

[Abooki]

I have enjoyed this thread. 

Here is one.  So two years ago when I started my big girl job at a major airplane manufacturing company, they were explaining how our bonus work and all that fun stuff.
The lady who was explaining this goes " my first bonus here I bought a boat"( and I am sure she meant put a down deposit on one after seeing how 'big' our bonus are)
Then she continues "this year I am getting garnite countertops"

Now two years later:
My colleagues were talking about saving and finances and my eavesdropping mutaschian ears sharpened up and here is the conversation.

CW1: " I spend 90% of my income on drinks and going out" ( definite hyperbole but not far off based on my observations)
CW2: (who had bought a house in a nice area after living in an apartment and had said she didn't want to keep throwing away her money on An apartment " yeah I have no saving now. Even we just borrow from our 401k to put money down on your house"
CW3: " it is hard to save on his income" ( he makes more than me"

Side note: I am no where near FI or ER but I am making steps towards there.  Paying off my 52k student loan and living modestly and getting side jobs to get that paid off in 2-3 years. 

[TheGrimSqueaker]

got fries one time (I was starving and that's all I could eat with my diet...

Please tell me more about this 'fries' diet ...

LOL

Vegetarian or vegan?

Kosher?

I was gonna say that many fries aren't kosher but then I realized they aren't necessarily vegetarian either

Did they not use this?

I think they have to follow special procedures when killing the potatoes.

[dragoncar]

Kosher fries are covered in applesauce and sour cream.

[SwordGuy]

Then she continues "this year I am getting garnite countertops"

Granite or garnet?  :)

Because I have to say, the thought of how gorgeous a garnet countertop would be took my breath away.    So did thinking about what it would cost...

[Metric Mouse]

Kosher fries are covered in applesauce and sour cream.

Oy vey...

[Ralph2]

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.

Most of us at work earn on a sliding scale and we all know roughly what we all earn (government).

I am with you everywhere but the sleeping in the car bit (too many years in the field), body will not take it and SWMBO would never let me do it now.

[dragoncar]

Kosher fries are covered in applesauce and sour cream.

Oy vey...

I don't know Hebrew, but I'm pretty sure they call it "poutine"

[chaskavitch]

I don't have anything egregious from work, but just a compilation of little things my coworkers do that make me shake my head (and also wonder what I'm doing that other people see as crazy).

1) We are reimbursed for mileage when driving personal vehicles between facilities.  One of my coworkers drives ~ 5 miles at the end of each workday to do a daily check at a different building.  She NEVER requests mileage reimbursement, I'm assuming because it is only like $2.50 a trip.  She's literally leaving > $500 tax-free money on the table every year.  Five.  Hundred.  Dollars.  For something she already does.

2) Same coworker drinks tea every morning in a new styrofoam cup.  Our office gave us all branded coffee mugs for Christmas.  She didn't even have to bring a mug in, just use the one they gave us and wash it in the break room.

3) Another coworker has only one credit card, and never uses it - not because he has previously had problems with overspending, I think it is just because he doesn't realize how awesome rewards can be.  Example: he buys all his diapers/formula/baby food for two kids at Target, and maybe a lot of other household goods as well, but had no idea that you could get 5% off and free shipping with their debit card.  It isn't even a credit card, it goes straight to your bank account!  He has been improving his financial situation overall - putting more into his 401k, debating changing from a target date fund with 0.7% fees to the S&P 500 fund with 0.07% fees, asking me about IRAs, paying down extra on his student loans, etc. - but I just wonder how much more he could be doing with almost zero effort.

4) Yet another coworker, who is always just a little behind (her husband just got back from a deployment and hasn't been paid yet or gotten a new job, so ok) is leasing her car, has a subscription to one of those food-box delivery things for your meals at home (because she's working 10 hr days and is too busy), also has a subscription to a snack box delivery for work, ALSO has a subscription to a "we'll send you 5 cool new makeup/skincare/beauty items a month!" box. 

Death by a thousand cuts, man.

It really has made me try to take another look at my own spending and habits to see what I'm missing.  I know there are some obvious things (cell phone bill, not biking to work), but there must be other things that would be easy fixes that I just can't see.

[Playing with Fire UK]

It really has made me try to take another look at my own spending and habits to see what I'm missing.  I know there are some obvious things (cell phone bill, not biking to work), but there must be other things that would be easy fixes that I just can't see.

Should have a separate case study format in which we just list every single financial transaction for comment, awe, and face punches as required?

Years after I got my shit together I'm still finding things I can improve.

[JordanOfGilead]

I have a coworker (and former college classmate) that has been backsliding lately. When he graduated in 2013, he had almost $15,000 in credit card debt, a new $150k house, and a new $26k car, in addition to an unknown amount in student loan debt. By this time last year he had paid down all of his credit cards, half of his car, and was working on the house all "thanks" to Dave Ramsey. 13 months later and he has traded in his 4 year old car that he owed 14k on for a two year old Chevy SS for over 30k. His reasoning was that he needed something bigger for his future kids to ride in and he needed to get rid of his stick shift so that his wife could drive his car. The v8 was just for shits and gigs.

On top of that (and I have mixed feelings about judging him for this), he now has almost 20k in debt for multiple rounds of IVF in an attempt for him and his wife to have their first child. All on credit cards.
On top of all of this he has taken to buying expensive tools and toys on a whim, "because [he] wanted it."

I kind of looked up to him when I started getting into this whole financial independence thing. Not so much any more.

[Abooki]

Ooops Garnet I meant. My mother tongue gets in the way of my English at times :)

Then she continues "this year I am getting garnite countertops"

Granite or garnet?  :)

Because I have to say, the thought of how gorgeous a garnet countertop would be took my breath away.    So did thinking about what it would cost...

[With This Herring]

Then she continues "this year I am getting garnite countertops"

Granite or garnet?  :)

Because I have to say, the thought of how gorgeous a garnet countertop would be took my breath away.    So did thinking about what it would cost...

Ooops Garnet I meant. My mother tongue gets in the way of my English at times :)

[I moved Abooki's comment to bottom of quote chain.]

Oh my.  See if you can get a picture of these counters!  Looking on the internet, it seems that "garnet" countertops are just granite countertops with pieces of garnet in them, so not solid pieces of garnet as some may have imagined.  Don't get too excited, SwordGuy.  :)

[zolotiyeruki]

[I moved Abooki's comment to bottom of quote chain.]

Oh my.  See if you can get a picture of these counters!  Looking on the internet, it seems that "garnet" countertops are just granite countertops with pieces of garnet in them, so not solid pieces of garnet as some may have imagined.  Don't get too excited, SwordGuy.  :)

I was starting to get excited about seeing them as well! :)

[bebegirl]

Ok, one more for you from the job ))

My colleague just turned ....66(!) last November! He is still working. He has no children, has no mortgage (he rents a room from his friend). He is a single guy. He earned Company's pension -on top of 401K plan and full eligibility for social security. Yet he is working!

I watch him struggle every morning to show up in the office. He is constantly late and forgets a lot of stuff.

2 years ago (lol) we had some employees laid off. One of them was...69 years old! Goodness, she was crying and upset (I thought she received lucky ticket -huge severance package, still she was upset). Anyway, I was talking that time to my colleague and he told that "hey, I can not afford to retire!" I was very puzzled.

Now I found out that he took a car loan! He needs 2 more years to pay it off ))..

Goodness, I have not clue why people are doing this to themselves!

[gatorfox]

I was out for dinner with a co-worker last night (work paid) and he was talking about his new giant diesel truck.  I asked him what he paid for it, and he said it was "A steal at only $60,000". 

Holy fucking fuck!  Apparently the sticker price is $75,000.  :o  And he has it financed, probably over 7 years at that price!

I also have to have a truck for work, but I have a 2006 Tundra that I paid $15,500 cash for 2 years ago.

One of my coworkers said I was having a big impact on him and he has started doing his own oil changes.....great I say.  "yeah, it only cost $120" WTF?  "usually $250"  Apparently he has a huge diesel truck that has 2 massive oil filters, fuel filter and uses about 5 gallons of synthetic oil.

My old Ford E350 only cost about $24 for oil and filter and I'm betting I used it way more than he is using his 'baby'.

[Metric Mouse]

I was out for dinner with a co-worker last night (work paid) and he was talking about his new giant diesel truck.  I asked him what he paid for it, and he said it was "A steal at only $60,000". 

Holy fucking fuck!  Apparently the sticker price is $75,000.  :o  And he has it financed, probably over 7 years at that price!

I also have to have a truck for work, but I have a 2006 Tundra that I paid $15,500 cash for 2 years ago.

One of my coworkers said I was having a big impact on him and he has started doing his own oil changes.....great I say.  "yeah, it only cost $120" WTF?  "usually $250"  Apparently he has a huge diesel truck that has 2 massive oil filters, fuel filter and uses about 5 gallons of synthetic oil.

My old Ford E350 only cost about $24 for oil and filter and I'm betting I used it way more than he is using his 'baby'.

Wow. My 22 year old f150 doesnt even cost that much. Getting harder to find parts though.

[Playing with Fire UK]

Ok, one more for you from the job ))

My colleague just turned ....66(!) last November! He is still working. He has no children, has no mortgage (he rents a room from his friend). He is a single guy. He earned Company's pension -on top of 401K plan and full eligibility for social security. Yet he is working!

I watch him struggle every morning to show up in the office. He is constantly late and forgets a lot of stuff.

2 years ago (lol) we had some employees laid off. One of them was...69 years old! Goodness, she was crying and upset (I thought she received lucky ticket -huge severance package, still she was upset). Anyway, I was talking that time to my colleague and he told that "hey, I can not afford to retire!" I was very puzzled.

Now I found out that he took a car loan! He needs 2 more years to pay it off ))..

Goodness, I have not clue why people are doing this to themselves!

Well he needs the car to get to work...

[Just Joe]

I don't even understand that. How do people survive when they can't swing an unexpected bill under $100? Heck, I had an expensive as hell week (emergency vet bills over $700) and expected this to be up to $600 and wasn't even sweating it. Worst would be having to move a little cash from savings and reduce some unnecessary spending for the next month. And that's to handle something I thought might be 20 times as high.

Feels pretty good to be responsible enough that you have some savings doesn't it?

We did that on an bill once. The service will cost $2K and here are the payment plans. I said no, we'll just pay it in full, cash (debit). Apparently that is rare judging by the lady's face.

I understand how a person gets by with no savings when they are 20 yrs old and have no responsibilities and could eat beans and ramen for a month if necessary. How does one do this when you have a "real" job of any flavor plus responsibilities like rent/mortgage, transportation costs, a fridge to keep stocked - and a family to support? Too many uncontrolled variables that weren't around in your young adulthood (presumably).

Its just TOO close to the edge for me.

[Dollar Slice]

My boss's psychological hang-ups are driving her incredibly hard to make a really bad business deal (essentially giving away $80,000 out of her own pocket for no reason) and I've been trying all week to stop her from doing it. I can't just let her do it, but she is so determined! I don't know what point I just give up and say "OK, have fun, give them the money, sounds great."

[With This Herring]

My boss's psychological hang-ups are driving her incredibly hard to make a really bad business deal (essentially giving away $80,000 out of her own pocket for no reason) and I've been trying all week to stop her from doing it. I can't just let her do it, but she is so determined! I don't know what point I just give up and say "OK, have fun, give them the money, sounds great."

I hope you have something in writing where she acknowledged you saying "noooo, don't do it!."  Every so often I hear a story of someone who was warned "Don't do XYZ!" doing XYZ, suffering the consequences, and then blaming the person who warned them.

(I originally wrote that as "someone who was warned 'Don't do X!' doing X" but then realized it would sound like a drug reference...)

[Uturn]

I can't count how many times I've said "sure thing, boss.  Can you send that to me in an email so that I don't forget?"

[Dollar Slice]

I can't count how many times I've said "sure thing, boss.  Can you send that to me in an email so that I don't forget?"

I do that alllll the time.

I can't remember if I sent it to her in writing, but I did say it in front of the entire company, including her son (it's a small family biz) who was behind her mouthing "YES! THANK YOU" to me for saying it.

She was in a similar situation to this before and the other party went bankrupt and she had to pull $50k out of her pocket to pay for something so that the conference would still happen ($100k+ annual profit on this conference, so it was a good investment to not let it fail). Now we are doing the same thing where this other party is supposed to pay a certain amount for this conference ($80k) and she is afraid she will get ripped off again somehow and have to pay the money. (There is zero reason to believe this would happen again.) So she wants to PREPAY the $80k out of her own pocket in order to... not give them a chance to rip her off by not paying it. But what she's actually doing is not giving them a chance to NOT rip her off. She's enforcing the worst-case scenario on herself.

And we keep going back and forth on it where I'll convince her that she shouldn't pay it (I mean, at least give them a CHANCE to pay it!) and then the next day she'll ask me to look over a draft and I see that she's written in a letter to them something along the lines of "I assume I'll be paying that $80,000 for the conference, so..." Why, why, why, why. Why? I mean, I know why. She has a hang-up after being ripped off a few years ago. But it is SO IRRATIONAL.

[Cowardly Toaster]

A coworker just replaced her customized fairly late model Ford Expedition with an even larger newer Ford Excursion... And the big project she's working on here is about to end with no other comparable projects on the horizon. Eeeeeppp!

[mbk]

What is with teachers and poor financials decisions? My wife subs at a local school and the tales she tells of her fellow teachers are horrendous. They all have access to 403b, 457b in addition to pensions, but I suspect hardly anyone contributes because most of them live paycheck to paycheck.

[MgoSam]

Not all teachers are like that as arebelspy will undoubtedly tell you, but yeah most of the teachers I know aren't the best with money.

[arebelspy]

Oh yeah, I've posted several stories about teachers being terrible with money.

[Chris22]

A coworker just replaced her customized fairly late model Ford Expedition with an even larger newer Ford Excursion... And the big project she's working on here is about to end with no other comparable projects on the horizon. Eeeeeppp!

The Ford Excursion hasn't been built since 2005, so unless she replaced a 2000 with a 2005 or something, I think you're mistaken.

[Freedom Invested]

So I recently started a new job and befriended one of our directors.

He mentions that he has a Corvette and I say like them but I cannot justify buying one so early in my career when it's better to invest the money; I'll probably never buy one because I'll like the big investment accounts later on. He says he can get a good deal on one for me due to some connection he has, but I decline. Later I learn he is leasing his...

Around the office park I work I see a lot of people in Corvettes, Porches, the rare Lamborghini, or even a Bugatti one time. I wonder how many are leased. Okay.. maybe not the Bugatti - 24k a month or more... sheesh. Sure, I admit I like cars, but not enough to be unable to quit in my 50s or beyond.

He also says he's buying a home closer to work, but far more expensive because it needed to have all the renovations done. Good guy, but it's sad really.

[jslasher88]

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong thread. But here it is:

My office usually has 4-6 days a month where we can wear jeans if we donate $5 or more to charity. Everyone goes absolutely giddy over these days (usually on Fridays). I rarely participate. And because of this, I take a lot heat.

I'm sorry, but wearing jeans to work once a week isn't worth $20/month to me. Especially when I have a pair of khakis that are just as comfortable and perfectly up to dress code.

I guess I'm not surprised people at my office love to spend for this casual luxury. They're the same ones who roll in with their financed SUVs, clutching Starbucks every morning, ordering out for lunch, and often order take-out for dinner on the way home, etc.

Am I in the wrong here? Am I a terrible person for not participating in these charity days? I only make $15/hour right now, so $20-25/month adds up.

[Freedom Invested]

Then there was a guy at another job saying a million dollars would last him 10 years because he'd spend 100k a year. No thought to investment returns, so it makes me doubt he invests much. This was a dude that paid a service to deliver clothing on a monthly basis based on his preferences, eat out every day, and buy expensive electronics.

Another cool guy, but what happens if he loses his job later in life and struggles to find a job because companies might want to hire less experienced folks?

I've got tons of these if you want to hear more and I love this thread! It's not crazy to want to get out of the rat race - it's crazy to stay in due to poor financial habits.

[MishMash]

I was out the first part of January and just sent in my request last week to have 100% of my pay go into my 401k (no match here so no need to drag it out).  I've been doing this for years but someone else is handling the payroll this year.   

I just got an hour and a half lecture about how this wasn't "smart" and that I could end up in financial ruin, and that he didn't want to do it for me, what if I have surprise bills to pay etc.   Tons of stories about how he tried to up his contributions to 15% a few times and ended up having to borrow on credit cards when their "eating out" wasn't in check or "the car broke down"

I repeatedly said I'm fine, I have an emergency fund for that, we have excellent health insurance through my husband. This dude was in full. on. panic. mode.  And I appreciate someone cared enough to ask but come on! 

They made me sign a waiver saying that I had been given "professional advice" that this was not a good idea and that I waived the company from any responsibility when (not if, when) I require payment on short notice if they cannot accommodate a shifting of funds that quickly.  The last guy in this role needed like 24 hour notice, to switch on or off contributions so I don't know what he deems short notice.

My boss was laughing her ass off when I got out (their offices are next to one another and he was almost screaming)  She knows I'm FI, her and her husband have similar goals.

[JordanOfGilead]

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong thread. But here it is:

My office usually has 4-6 days a month where we can wear jeans if we donate $5 or more to charity. Everyone goes absolutely giddy over these days (usually on Fridays). I rarely participate. And because of this, I take a lot heat.

I'm sorry, but wearing jeans to work once a week isn't worth $20/month to me. Especially when I have a pair of khakis that are just as comfortable and perfectly up to dress code.

I guess I'm not surprised people at my office love to spend for this casual luxury. They're the same ones who roll in with their financed SUVs, clutching Starbucks every morning, ordering out for lunch, and often order take-out for dinner on the way home, etc.

Am I in the wrong here? Am I a terrible person for not participating in these charity days? I only make $15/hour right now, so $20-25/month adds up.

My office has the same thing. I make much more than $15/hr and it costs $1/week and I STILL don't do it, because it's not worth $5 a month for me to dress slightly more casually. Don't feel bad. Haters gonna hate.

[I'm a red panda]

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong thread. But here it is:

My office usually has 4-6 days a month where we can wear jeans if we donate $5 or more to charity. Everyone goes absolutely giddy over these days (usually on Fridays). I rarely participate. And because of this, I take a lot heat.

I'm sorry, but wearing jeans to work once a week isn't worth $20/month to me. Especially when I have a pair of khakis that are just as comfortable and perfectly up to dress code.

I guess I'm not surprised people at my office love to spend for this casual luxury. They're the same ones who roll in with their financed SUVs, clutching Starbucks every morning, ordering out for lunch, and often order take-out for dinner on the way home, etc.

Am I in the wrong here? Am I a terrible person for not participating in these charity days? I only make $15/hour right now, so $20-25/month adds up.

It depends what the charity is. (My last workplace supported a charity that provided funds to an organization I fundamentally disagreed with.  I ruined many "get a pizza party with 100% participation" days. One year someone donated in my name to get the party.)

But I also like to get the right off for my charitable contributions, rather than work getting them.

[MandalayVA]

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong thread. But here it is:

My office usually has 4-6 days a month where we can wear jeans if we donate $5 or more to charity. Everyone goes absolutely giddy over these days (usually on Fridays). I rarely participate. And because of this, I take a lot of heat.

...

Am I in the wrong here? Am I a terrible person for not participating in these charity days? I only make $15/hour right now, so $20-25/month adds up.

There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing jeans.

[jordanread]

There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing jeans pants.

FTFY.

[JAYSLOL]

Oops, originally posted this in the wrong thread. But here it is:

My office usually has 4-6 days a month where we can wear jeans if we donate $5 or more to charity. Everyone goes absolutely giddy over these days (usually on Fridays). I rarely participate. And because of this, I take a lot heat.

I'm sorry, but wearing jeans to work once a week isn't worth $20/month to me. Especially when I have a pair of khakis that are just as comfortable and perfectly up to dress code.

I guess I'm not surprised people at my office love to spend for this casual luxury. They're the same ones who roll in with their financed SUVs, clutching Starbucks every morning, ordering out for lunch, and often order take-out for dinner on the way home, etc.

Am I in the wrong here? Am I a terrible person for not participating in these charity days? I only make $15/hour right now, so $20-25/month adds up.

Unless I really liked the charity, i would skip it too.  If i did like it, that amount would come out of what i give elsewhere.  $20-25/month really does add up.  I try not to be cheap, and I do give to charities that i like, but i can't go around handing out money for everything. 

[Cassie]

I am surprised at the dislike for pensions. I have one that pays 20k/year after only working 15 years and my DH gets the same amount after working 11 years. He made more $ then me. I agree that in addition people need to save $. As soon as I started with the state I contributed to deferred compensation and were surprised that some long term employees did not. I tried to explain what they were missing out on but they would say they could not afford it.

[Car Jack]

I was out the first part of January and just sent in my request last week to have 100% of my pay go into my 401k (no match here so no need to drag it out).  I've been doing this for years but someone else is handling the payroll this year.   

I just got an hour and a half lecture about how this wasn't "smart" and that I could end up in financial ruin, and that he didn't want to do it for me, what if I have surprise bills to pay etc.   Tons of stories about how he tried to up his contributions to 15% a few times and ended up having to borrow on credit cards when their "eating out" wasn't in check or "the car broke down"

I repeatedly said I'm fine, I have an emergency fund for that, we have excellent health insurance through my husband. This dude was in full. on. panic. mode.  And I appreciate someone cared enough to ask but come on! 

They made me sign a waiver saying that I had been given "professional advice" that this was not a good idea and that I waived the company from any responsibility when (not if, when) I require payment on short notice if they cannot accommodate a shifting of funds that quickly.  The last guy in this role needed like 24 hour notice, to switch on or off contributions so I don't know what he deems short notice.

My boss was laughing her ass off when I got out (their offices are next to one another and he was almost screaming)  She knows I'm FI, her and her husband have similar goals.

Ah, the advantages of having Fidelity as a 401k provider.  If I want to change my contributions to 100%, I go online, type in 100.  Hit the submit button and in 2 weeks, it's 100%.  None of this sillyness of talking to clowns.

[JordanOfGilead]

I was out the first part of January and just sent in my request last week to have 100% of my pay go into my 401k (no match here so no need to drag it out).  I've been doing this for years but someone else is handling the payroll this year.   

I just got an hour and a half lecture about how this wasn't "smart" and that I could end up in financial ruin, and that he didn't want to do it for me, what if I have surprise bills to pay etc.   Tons of stories about how he tried to up his contributions to 15% a few times and ended up having to borrow on credit cards when their "eating out" wasn't in check or "the car broke down"

I repeatedly said I'm fine, I have an emergency fund for that, we have excellent health insurance through my husband. This dude was in full. on. panic. mode.  And I appreciate someone cared enough to ask but come on! 

They made me sign a waiver saying that I had been given "professional advice" that this was not a good idea and that I waived the company from any responsibility when (not if, when) I require payment on short notice if they cannot accommodate a shifting of funds that quickly.  The last guy in this role needed like 24 hour notice, to switch on or off contributions so I don't know what he deems short notice.

My boss was laughing her ass off when I got out (their offices are next to one another and he was almost screaming)  She knows I'm FI, her and her husband have similar goals.

Ah, the advantages of having Fidelity as a 401k provider.  If I want to change my contributions to 100%, I go online, type in 100.  Hit the submit button and in 2 weeks, it's 100%.  None of this sillyness of talking to clowns.

Some employers put a cap on your maximum contribution without signing a waiver though. My company's is 60%. Anything above that and it has to go through HR first.