Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252622 times)

With This Herring

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16550 on: January 30, 2017, 12:07:59 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16551 on: January 30, 2017, 03:28:43 PM »
[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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16552 on: January 30, 2017, 05:23:28 PM »
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!

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16553 on: January 30, 2017, 05:35:44 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16554 on: January 30, 2017, 05:37:34 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16555 on: January 31, 2017, 12:50:32 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16556 on: January 31, 2017, 08:41:39 AM »
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.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2017, 10:44:05 AM by Tasty Pinecones »

Dollar Slice

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16557 on: January 31, 2017, 12:22:56 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16558 on: January 31, 2017, 07:33:16 PM »
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...)

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16559 on: January 31, 2017, 08:06:13 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16560 on: January 31, 2017, 08:41:56 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16561 on: February 01, 2017, 11:13:24 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16562 on: February 01, 2017, 11:29:01 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16563 on: February 01, 2017, 12:00:12 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16564 on: February 01, 2017, 12:06:00 PM »
Oh yeah, I've posted several stories about teachers being terrible with money.
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.

Chris22

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16565 on: February 01, 2017, 12:55:35 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16566 on: February 02, 2017, 10:45:55 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16567 on: February 02, 2017, 11:11:15 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16568 on: February 02, 2017, 11:23:40 AM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16569 on: February 02, 2017, 12:10:41 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16570 on: February 02, 2017, 12:15:27 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16571 on: February 02, 2017, 12:22:50 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16572 on: February 02, 2017, 12:26:16 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16573 on: February 02, 2017, 12:30:55 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing jeans pants.

FTFY.

JAYSLOL

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16574 on: February 02, 2017, 12:45:15 PM »
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. 

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16575 on: February 02, 2017, 12:50:46 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16576 on: February 02, 2017, 12:58:42 PM »
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

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16577 on: February 02, 2017, 01:10:50 PM »
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.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16578 on: February 02, 2017, 01:19:39 PM »
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.

why would work get it when i donate i get it.

Frizhand

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16579 on: February 02, 2017, 01:28:13 PM »
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.

I did something similar one year with my wife's 403B (teacher). Her school system allows up to 100% salary deferral (which is nice!) and I wanted to make sure we maxed out her contributions. The HR person was very confused. She actually said to my wife, "are you sure, you won't have enough in your paycheck to pay taxes"!!!

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16580 on: February 02, 2017, 01:39:40 PM »
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.

I think much of the dislike around pensions is that the individual employee doesn't control it. What happens if the company goes bankrupt? Talk about having all your eggs in one basket. I'd rather have them all under my control to move to whatever funds I please.

MishMash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16581 on: February 02, 2017, 02:19:53 PM »
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.

Yea I know, military won't let DH but in more then 40% of base pay.  That's not the case with ours though, plan documents specifically state up to 100% contribution rate.  I had to point that one out a few times in that meeting lol

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16582 on: February 02, 2017, 02:25:23 PM »

why would work get it when i donate i get it.

Because you didn't give it to the charity; work did.

Do you deduct when you give a dollar to the grocery store at checkout? (Which I don't do.)

Chris22

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16583 on: February 02, 2017, 03:28:49 PM »

why would work get it when i donate i get it.

Because you didn't give it to the charity; work did.

Do you deduct when you give a dollar to the grocery store at checkout? (Which I don't do.)

I've donated through work plenty of times, out of my paycheck.  I always get an emailed receipt for tax purposes.

slugline

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16584 on: February 02, 2017, 03:37:45 PM »
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.

Also with Fidelity here and our contribution amount box maxes out at 30%. I think it's at the employer's discretion.

markbike528CBX

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16585 on: February 02, 2017, 03:40:48 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing jeans  pants.
FTFY.
Fixed That For You too!

Dollar Slice

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16586 on: February 02, 2017, 05:45:39 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing jeans pants.
FTFY.
Fixed That For You too!

Fixed it for everyone.

Joggernot

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16587 on: February 02, 2017, 06:07:27 PM »
I think much of the dislike around pensions is that the individual employee doesn't control it. What happens if the company goes bankrupt? Talk about having all your eggs in one basket. I'd rather have them all under my control to move to whatever funds I please.
My minimal pension was a "defined" benefit (I had no control), so I couldn't draw on it until I was 65.  That meant 10 years living on my savings.  Good to have a stash to cover those years.

Hedge_87

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16588 on: February 02, 2017, 07:42:29 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing pants.
FTFY.
Fixed That For You too!

Fixed it for everyone.

I like this better

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16589 on: February 02, 2017, 08:28:23 PM »
FIREing solves both the "sitting at a desk" problem AND the "wearing pants" problem.

Now that's efficiency.
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.

With This Herring

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16590 on: February 02, 2017, 09:17:57 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing pants. the human skin necessary to disguise oneself on this strange, watery planet.
FTFY.
Fixed That For You too!

Fixed it for everyone.

I like this better

Now it is as it should be.

Metric Mouse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16591 on: February 02, 2017, 09:20:40 PM »
There is nothing more uncomfortable than sitting at a desk for hours at a time wearing pants. the human skin necessary to disguise oneself on this strange, watery planet.
FTFY.
Fixed That For You too!

Fixed it for everyone.

I like this better

Now it is as it should be.

Oh my... this escalated quickly...

theadvicist

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16592 on: February 03, 2017, 06:02:11 AM »
I probably would do the charity jeans to work thing, just to look like a team player. I'd definitely reduce other charitable outgoings by the same amount though, so that it didn't affect my budget.

My husband is in a work lottery syndicate. I have zero time for or interest in lotteries, but I feel it is worth £1 a week for him to not be 'that guy' in a work situation. Socially, with friends? Sure, I'd tell them it was bad maths, opt out, and take the heat. But at work sometimes you've got to play the game when the people making decisions about your salary are human and take all interactions into account whether consciously or not.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16593 on: February 03, 2017, 06:49:16 AM »
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.

I have a couple of pairs of Levis from Sam's Club that cost $20-25 each. I ain't paying the equivalent of that EVERY month.
And yes, jeans are uncomfortable in West-Central Florida, most of the year.
If HR didn't throw a fit, I'd be going commando all workday. I'm commando on weekends though, except at the gym.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16594 on: February 03, 2017, 07:00:22 AM »

why would work get it when i donate i get it.

Because you didn't give it to the charity; work did.

Do you deduct when you give a dollar to the grocery store at checkout? (Which I don't do.)

I've donated through work plenty of times, out of my paycheck.  I always get an emailed receipt for tax purposes.

I guess it depends if it is a paycheck deduction. I've gotten one for paycheck deductions; but there is no receipt for "$5 in the basket for X"

infogoon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16595 on: February 03, 2017, 07:14:15 AM »
Someone complaining that they get terrible reception on the hockey game from their cable provider. "It's almost unwatchable! I can't believe I'm spending $300 a month on this!"

Meanwhile, I'm picking up Hockey Night In Canada in crystal-clear HD with my forty dollar antenna.

boarder42

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16596 on: February 03, 2017, 07:16:28 AM »
Someone complaining that they get terrible reception on the hockey game from their cable provider. "It's almost unwatchable! I can't believe I'm spending $300 a month on this!"

Meanwhile, I'm picking up Hockey Night In Canada in crystal-clear HD with my forty dollar antenna.

its absolutely crazy to me how many people dont understand that TV is FREE over the air.  you dont have to have cable to get broadcast network channels. ie most football games in the US. baffles me every time a coworker says but how could i watch NFL on sunday... its free just buy an antenna.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16597 on: February 03, 2017, 07:50:34 AM »
Someone complaining that they get terrible reception on the hockey game from their cable provider. "It's almost unwatchable! I can't believe I'm spending $300 a month on this!"

Meanwhile, I'm picking up Hockey Night In Canada in crystal-clear HD with my forty dollar antenna.

its absolutely crazy to me how many people dont understand that TV is FREE over the air.  you dont have to have cable to get broadcast network channels. ie most football games in the US. baffles me every time a coworker says but how could i watch NFL on sunday... its free just buy an antenna.
But putting up an antenna is hard work and dangerous because of an attic.
But an in-house antenna isn't powerful enough and is a distraction and doesn't blend in with the decor.
But they aren't showing the Raiders game in Tampa. And then the Rams game at night.
But I don't to watch the damn Pat(sys) or Falcons.
But the SNF and MNF are only on cable.
But my wife won't let me go to the bar. Because barflies. Because she is insecure.
But... But... But away.

infogoon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16598 on: February 03, 2017, 07:58:39 AM »
Someone complaining that they get terrible reception on the hockey game from their cable provider. "It's almost unwatchable! I can't believe I'm spending $300 a month on this!"

Meanwhile, I'm picking up Hockey Night In Canada in crystal-clear HD with my forty dollar antenna.

its absolutely crazy to me how many people dont understand that TV is FREE over the air.  you dont have to have cable to get broadcast network channels. ie most football games in the US. baffles me every time a coworker says but how could i watch NFL on sunday... its free just buy an antenna.

It's amazing. It took some tweaking to get everything dialed in, but I'm picking up 50+ channels over the air with two antennas, and piping it all into a DVR system running on free software (mythtv.org). The picture is better than anything I got from the cable company back when I still had them, and the only recurring cost is $15 a year for access to a third-party program guide. I literally built the entire system years ago for less than what my coworkers spend on cable for two months.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #16599 on: February 03, 2017, 08:09:32 AM »
Someone complaining that they get terrible reception on the hockey game from their cable provider. "It's almost unwatchable! I can't believe I'm spending $300 a month on this!"

Meanwhile, I'm picking up Hockey Night In Canada in crystal-clear HD with my forty dollar antenna.

its absolutely crazy to me how many people dont understand that TV is FREE over the air.  you dont have to have cable to get broadcast network channels. ie most football games in the US. baffles me every time a coworker says but how could i watch NFL on sunday... its free just buy an antenna.

It's amazing. It took some tweaking to get everything dialed in, but I'm picking up 50+ channels over the air with two antennas, and piping it all into a DVR system running on free software (mythtv.org). The picture is better than anything I got from the cable company back when I still had them, and the only recurring cost is $15 a year for access to a third-party program guide. I literally built the entire system years ago for less than what my coworkers spend on cable for two months.
Mythbuntu! or build a HTPC.
Glad to see another Myth user here.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!