Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252501 times)

Cali

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20050 on: May 06, 2018, 10:28:09 AM »
"No one is really ever debt free. People always have credit card payments, a car payment, and a mortgage/rent payment. It's ridiculous that you think you can get debt free."
This makes me sad for this person.
Quote

Me too although it sounds like my coworker. I buy a car and keep it for 10-12 years. My coworkers are astonished by this. They wait desperately for pay day because they have zero cushion but by golly they lease cars like clockwork. And they lease things that LAST. Like a Honda Accord. What crazy person hands an Accord it at 3 years?

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20051 on: May 06, 2018, 10:42:02 AM »
Quote
Me too although it sounds like my coworker. I buy a car and keep it for 10-12 years. My coworkers are astonished by this. They wait desperately for pay day because they have zero cushion but by golly they lease cars like clockwork. And they lease things that LAST. Like a Honda Accord. What crazy person hands an Accord it at 3 years?
Holy smokes, at that point, it's barely broken in!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20052 on: May 07, 2018, 03:55:58 AM »
At lunch I heard from several colleagues that they try repair things when they are broken, instead of buying something new. :-)
They also thought it was sensible to buy things second hand.

401Killer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20053 on: May 07, 2018, 06:06:21 AM »
Overheard a convo last week. Guy was popping off about how he got an unlimited data plan for his family and 4 phones for $100 a month. The only thing that he complained about was having to plop down $4,000 to buy 4 iPhone X's for each one of them to get that "deal". He said he used 22gig in one month just himself.

$5,200 in one year for phones.

CptCool

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20054 on: May 07, 2018, 08:23:55 AM »
Overheard a convo last week. Guy was popping off about how he got an unlimited data plan for his family and 4 phones for $100 a month. The only thing that he complained about was having to plop down $4,000 to buy 4 iPhone X's for each one of them to get that "deal". He said he used 22gig in one month just himself.

$5,200 in one year for phones.

$25/mo for unlimited sounds pretty good actually

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20055 on: May 07, 2018, 08:34:22 AM »
Overheard a convo last week. Guy was popping off about how he got an unlimited data plan for his family and 4 phones for $100 a month. The only thing that he complained about was having to plop down $4,000 to buy 4 iPhone X's for each one of them to get that "deal". He said he used 22gig in one month just himself.

$5,200 in one year for phones.

$25/mo for unlimited sounds pretty good actually
Yeah, I'd say the $4000 on iPhones is the part one would be reacting to.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20056 on: May 07, 2018, 08:35:20 AM »
Overheard a convo last week. Guy was popping off about how he got an unlimited data plan for his family and 4 phones for $100 a month. The only thing that he complained about was having to plop down $4,000 to buy 4 iPhone X's for each one of them to get that "deal". He said he used 22gig in one month just himself.

$5,200 in one year for phones.

$25/mo for unlimited sounds pretty good actually

Right- except that he had to pay $4,000 in phones.

I can pay for a lot of data with my $70 phone... before I hit that.

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20057 on: May 07, 2018, 09:10:54 AM »
Talking with a friend at work, complaining about student loan payments, said something along the lines of, "We make decent money, but they don't take into account we have a mortgage, we're pregnant, my husband has to pay for his stock car, they don't consider our lifestyle." 

MrMoogle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20058 on: May 07, 2018, 09:15:44 AM »
Most high schools here have a 25 minute lunch, no breaks, 5-10 minutes to change classes, which technically allows some but not all students a chance to stop by the bathroom. Not the teachers though, as they’re required to monitor the hallways. Most but not all teachers get a planning period sometime during the day. Unless some teacher is out sick, in which case they’re required to cover. They also have rotating lunch duty for a couple of weeks at a time.
Yeah, this is what I remember having.  There were 3x ~25 minute lunches during one of the classes, and you got one of them.  5 minutes between classes, but it generally took at least 3 minutes to get from one class to the next.  The school was organized by pods, where each pod was a topic (science, math, etc.) so you never had two classes nearby.  If I had to go, I'd usually go to my next class, let the teacher know I'd be late, then go, but I generally didn't go during the day.  I must have been extremely dehydrated.  They didn't allow drinking anything during the class.

It sounds pretty bad now that I think about it.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20059 on: May 07, 2018, 09:17:15 AM »
Talking with a friend at work, complaining about student loan payments, said something along the lines of, "We make decent money, but they don't take into account we have a mortgage, we're pregnant, my husband has to pay for his stock car, they don't consider our lifestyle."

This was an "overheard on facebook" but I recently had someone explain that healthcare subsidies needed to take into account lifestyle, because some people have less money than their gross salary would imply because of taxes, student loans, mortgages, kids etc.  "It has to be on take home pay then get rid of obligations"

« Last Edit: May 07, 2018, 09:54:35 AM by iowajes »

401Killer

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20060 on: May 07, 2018, 09:29:47 AM »
Overheard a convo last week. Guy was popping off about how he got an unlimited data plan for his family and 4 phones for $100 a month. The only thing that he complained about was having to plop down $4,000 to buy 4 iPhone X's for each one of them to get that "deal". He said he used 22gig in one month just himself.

$5,200 in one year for phones.

$25/mo for unlimited sounds pretty good actually

Yeah, a better way to look at that is that for that year he's paying $433.33 a month for that service. After 2 years, he's effecively paying $266.66 a month. Are they going to keep these phones longer than 2 or 3 years? Most likely not.

p.s. 3 years = $211/mo!


ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20061 on: May 07, 2018, 09:45:03 AM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

Roadrunner53

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20062 on: May 07, 2018, 09:55:35 AM »
Hope he keeps that job! There are not too many great jobs like that!

I had a great job and it had good perks but nothing like that! I was so spoiled at that job and when the division in my town was shut down I could never find another job half way as good. The several jobs I had after that were crappy. Glad to be retired.

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20063 on: May 07, 2018, 09:56:44 AM »
Talking with a friend at work, complaining about student loan payments, said something along the lines of, "We make decent money, but they don't take into account we have a mortgage, we're pregnant, my husband has to pay for his stock car, they don't consider our lifestyle."

This was an "overheard on facebook" but I recently had someone explain that healthcare subsidies needed to take into account lifestyle, because some people have less money than their gross salary would imply because of taxes, student loans, mortgages, kids etc.  "It has to be on take home pay then get rid of obligations"

Hmmm...I bet if I tried hard enough, I could get my "take home pay" down to nearly zero, if you account for retirement contributions and standard tax deduction.  I should get more free stuff. 

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20064 on: May 07, 2018, 10:41:51 AM »
Talking with a friend at work, complaining about student loan payments, said something along the lines of, "We make decent money, but they don't take into account we have a mortgage, we're pregnant, my husband has to pay for his stock car, they don't consider our lifestyle."

This was an "overheard on facebook" but I recently had someone explain that healthcare subsidies needed to take into account lifestyle, because some people have less money than their gross salary would imply because of taxes, student loans, mortgages, kids etc.  "It has to be on take home pay then get rid of obligations"

Hmmm...I bet if I tried hard enough, I could get my "take home pay" down to nearly zero, if you account for retirement contributions and standard tax deduction.  I should get more free stuff.

Might buy a bigger house with what was leftover. That way I'd qualify for more subsidies because I had no money left for healthcare.  I mean- gotta pay for that big house!

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20065 on: May 07, 2018, 11:44:37 AM »
Talking with a friend at work, complaining about student loan payments, said something along the lines of, "We make decent money, but they don't take into account we have a mortgage, we're pregnant, my husband has to pay for his stock car, they don't consider our lifestyle."

This was an "overheard on facebook" but I recently had someone explain that healthcare subsidies needed to take into account lifestyle, because some people have less money than their gross salary would imply because of taxes, student loans, mortgages, kids etc.  "It has to be on take home pay then get rid of obligations"

Hmmm...I bet if I tried hard enough, I could get my "take home pay" down to nearly zero, if you account for retirement contributions and standard tax deduction.  I should get more free stuff.

Might buy a bigger house with what was leftover. That way I'd qualify for more subsidies because I had no money left for healthcare.  I mean- gotta pay for that big house!
You think car payments would count too?  If so, gotta get a nice new Corvette to put in one of my 4 garage stalls. 

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20066 on: May 07, 2018, 11:45:16 AM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

I can do this - sort of. When I ride my ebike to work, if I want to - I can charge at work for free. So when its time to go home, I was given 40 miles of range for free while I worked. ;)

It costs my employer maybe a quarter for the electricity. I really ought to add a kill-a-watt meter to the charger the next time to see what it costs.

I want an EV car and have my employer refill that for for free. I've seen a coworker to recharges their car at work with a 120V cord. I don't know if our employer has noticed or not though.

chaskavitch

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20067 on: May 07, 2018, 12:18:50 PM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

I can do this - sort of. When I ride my ebike to work, if I want to - I can charge at work for free. So when its time to go home, I was given 40 miles of range for free while I worked. ;)

It costs my employer maybe a quarter for the electricity. I really ought to add a kill-a-watt meter to the charger the next time to see what it costs.

I want an EV car and have my employer refill that for for free. I've seen a coworker to recharges their car at work with a 120V cord. I don't know if our employer has noticed or not though.

One of our higher-ups apparently has a Tesla, and part of his conditions for signing on was that the company would add a charging station for him.  So - now our two main locations each have 2-3 charging ports in the parking lot.  It's cool, and also kind of crazy, that they did that.  I can't decide which.

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20068 on: May 07, 2018, 12:40:11 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20069 on: May 07, 2018, 01:05:04 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."
"You get paid $800/mo to drive that stupid truck!? Awesome!"

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20070 on: May 07, 2018, 01:09:46 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."
Surely the state needs to give truck payment assistance for that poor guy!!!


I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20071 on: May 07, 2018, 01:20:34 PM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

I can do this - sort of. When I ride my ebike to work, if I want to - I can charge at work for free. So when its time to go home, I was given 40 miles of range for free while I worked. ;)

It costs my employer maybe a quarter for the electricity. I really ought to add a kill-a-watt meter to the charger the next time to see what it costs.

I want an EV car and have my employer refill that for for free. I've seen a coworker to recharges their car at work with a 120V cord. I don't know if our employer has noticed or not though.

One of our higher-ups apparently has a Tesla, and part of his conditions for signing on was that the company would add a charging station for him.  So - now our two main locations each have 2-3 charging ports in the parking lot.  It's cool, and also kind of crazy, that they did that.  I can't decide which.

Do Tesla chargers only charge Tesla, or any electric cars? Our grocery store has 4 of them, and my last employer had 8. I never saw a Tesla at my old job though. I've seen 1 at the store.

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20072 on: May 07, 2018, 01:37:21 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."
Surely the state needs to give truck payment assistance for that poor guy!!!

Indeed.  Also said insurance for said truck was $200/mo.  Can you imagine?  That's $12,000 per year just to OWN the vehicle - that doesn't include the cost of depreciation, or to license, drive, and maintain it.  Pretty sure adding all of that up is approaching my yearly take home pay, or more.

RWD

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20073 on: May 07, 2018, 01:47:28 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."
Surely the state needs to give truck payment assistance for that poor guy!!!

Indeed.  Also said insurance for said truck was $200/mo.  Can you imagine?  That's $12,000 per year just to OWN the vehicle - that doesn't include the cost of depreciation, or to license, drive, and maintain it.  Pretty sure adding all of that up is approaching my yearly take home pay, or more.

Depreciation is not in addition to car payments.

Example:
Buy a truck for $50k, put 11% down
Finance $44.5k at 3% interest for 60 months (payment of $800/month)
After five years let's say the truck is worth $25k ($25k in depreciation)
Total of five years of payments is $48k
You have a truck worth $25k that you've spent $53.5k on. Net cost is $28.5k.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2018, 02:21:31 PM by RWD »

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20074 on: May 07, 2018, 01:48:32 PM »
"My truck payment is $800 a month."
Surely the state needs to give truck payment assistance for that poor guy!!!

Indeed.  Also said insurance for said truck was $200/mo.  Can you imagine?  That's $12,000 per year just to OWN the vehicle - that doesn't include the cost of depreciation, or to license, drive, and maintain it.  Pretty sure adding all of that up is approaching my yearly take home pay, or more.
I know someone (related to me...) that financed a brand new $26k car in 2013.  She made less than that per year in 2013, and by 2015 was making $0/yr and remains at that salary to this day.  Others have been making the payments for the most part. (including someone that thought he was paying it off for her, but she just pocketed the money!  Whoops)  It'll be paid off this fall.  Life is grand.

Step37

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20075 on: May 07, 2018, 08:21:14 PM »
Coworker came back from Wendy’s today with three bags, and complaining about the fact he had to argue with the guy at the drive thru to get it packed that way. You see, he needed the salads and baked potatoes for tonight’s dinner packed separately from each other, and from his lunch... it’s okay, I’d understand about paying $10 for $0.50 worth of potatoes if I had kids. I sort of(barely) get the salads (can be a pain in the ass to make for sure), but BAKED POTATOES?! really?!

BDWW

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20076 on: May 07, 2018, 11:23:20 PM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

I can do this - sort of. When I ride my ebike to work, if I want to - I can charge at work for free. So when its time to go home, I was given 40 miles of range for free while I worked. ;)

It costs my employer maybe a quarter for the electricity. I really ought to add a kill-a-watt meter to the charger the next time to see what it costs.

I want an EV car and have my employer refill that for for free. I've seen a coworker to recharges their car at work with a 120V cord. I don't know if our employer has noticed or not though.

One of our higher-ups apparently has a Tesla, and part of his conditions for signing on was that the company would add a charging station for him.  So - now our two main locations each have 2-3 charging ports in the parking lot.  It's cool, and also kind of crazy, that they did that.  I can't decide which.

Do Tesla chargers only charge Tesla, or any electric cars? Our grocery store has 4 of them, and my last employer had 8. I never saw a Tesla at my old job though. I've seen 1 at the store.

Only Teslas at the moment. Tesla has opened their patents and I think offered to license the charging to other companies, but none have excepted as far as I know.

gaja

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20077 on: May 08, 2018, 05:01:55 AM »
My husband works for BigTechCo and they lavish their employees with benefits and perks. As an example or two, in addition to the nice salary, three free meals a day, the yearly massage credits, assistance with childcare expenses, and his new commuting bike they somehow paid for, the latest perk is a service that will fill up your gas tank while your car is parked at work. The company pays for the service fee so he only pays for the gas itself, which is slightly cheaper than the station by our house. So as utterly absurd as it sounds, he gets someone to fill his tank for him while he sits at his desk and works....

I can do this - sort of. When I ride my ebike to work, if I want to - I can charge at work for free. So when its time to go home, I was given 40 miles of range for free while I worked. ;)

It costs my employer maybe a quarter for the electricity. I really ought to add a kill-a-watt meter to the charger the next time to see what it costs.

I want an EV car and have my employer refill that for for free. I've seen a coworker to recharges their car at work with a 120V cord. I don't know if our employer has noticed or not though.

One of our higher-ups apparently has a Tesla, and part of his conditions for signing on was that the company would add a charging station for him.  So - now our two main locations each have 2-3 charging ports in the parking lot.  It's cool, and also kind of crazy, that they did that.  I can't decide which.

Do Tesla chargers only charge Tesla, or any electric cars? Our grocery store has 4 of them, and my last employer had 8. I never saw a Tesla at my old job though. I've seen 1 at the store.

Only Teslas at the moment. Tesla has opened their patents and I think offered to license the charging to other companies, but none have excepted as far as I know.
Depends on whether they are superchargers or destination chargers. You are correct about superchargers, but not necessarily about Tesla destination chargers. The destination chargers use the Type2 standard, which is used by Tesla and most of the European EVs (BMW, VW, etc). Some of the destination chargers have been programmed to accept only Teslas, others can charge other compatible brands. Some people also set up a normal EV charger (open standard), and slap on a Tesla sticker. Anyone can (technically) charge on those.

As to employers offering EV owners free electricity: You can't compare that to a free tank of petrol/diesel. Trickle charging through a 120V 16A cord will give you 10-15 kWh for a full day at work. Very few EV owners will charge that much at work every day, since they also charge at home, or at the shop.

Little Aussie Battler

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20078 on: May 08, 2018, 05:32:26 AM »
Guy at work just upgraded his second car to a 60k Merc, because he and his wife no longer liked driving the car that they had.

They both catch the bus to/from the city for work, and so this is 60k for a second weekend car.

And he was excited at how 'cheap' it was. Madness.

ixtap

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20079 on: May 08, 2018, 05:49:20 AM »
Guy at work just upgraded his second car to a 60k Merc, because he and his wife no longer liked driving the car that they had.

They both catch the bus to/from the city for work, and so this is 60k for a second weekend car.

And he was excited at how 'cheap' it was. Madness.

My husband comes home with stories like this and asks "Do they just not know what to do with their money?!"

elliha

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20080 on: May 08, 2018, 06:15:16 AM »
Guy at work just upgraded his second car to a 60k Merc, because he and his wife no longer liked driving the car that they had.

They both catch the bus to/from the city for work, and so this is 60k for a second weekend car.

And he was excited at how 'cheap' it was. Madness.

That is real madness. I find our car that cost roughly 3000 dollars and is mainly used during the weekends to be a pure luxury item.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20081 on: May 08, 2018, 07:48:03 AM »
Coworker and I were having a discussion about how to prevent our kids from becoming super self-absorbed entitled teenagers who feel that the world (and their parents) owe them.

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.
CW: Yes! So what do you think I should do? I need suggestions!
Me: Well, maybe find some way to let him see how blessed he is, that not everyone is able to live the way he does or has the opportunities he has. So maybe have him volunteer in a rural/inner city program this summer. But you have to do it as a family. You can’t just dump him in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise it’s not fair. And also, if you just make him do it and don’t participate yourself, he will see that you don’t really hold yourself to the same values.
CW: That’s such a good idea! He totally needs to remember how blessed he is. And volunteering would look good on his college apps! But we can’t this summer because we are going to Bali for two weeks and then to our summer house in Greece. I’ll just tell him he needs to be grateful for what he has.

Me: (face, meet palm)

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20082 on: May 08, 2018, 08:03:29 AM »
Coworker and I were having a discussion about how to prevent our kids from becoming super self-absorbed entitled teenagers who feel that the world (and their parents) owe them.

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.
CW: Yes! So what do you think I should do? I need suggestions!
Me: Well, maybe find some way to let him see how blessed he is, that not everyone is able to live the way he does or has the opportunities he has. So maybe have him volunteer in a rural/inner city program this summer. But you have to do it as a family. You can’t just dump him in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise it’s not fair. And also, if you just make him do it and don’t participate yourself, he will see that you don’t really hold yourself to the same values.
CW: That’s such a good idea! He totally needs to remember how blessed he is. And volunteering would look good on his college apps! But we can’t this summer because we are going to Bali for two weeks and then to our summer house in Greece. I’ll just tell him he needs to be grateful for what he has.

Me: (face, meet palm)

Wait, there's teenagers in this world getting $100 WEEKLY allowances and in addition to that iPhoneX's!?!? Poor kids... I honestly feel sorry for them.

Maybe suggest your CWer that they could also do volunteering in evenings/weekends?

Edit; if they're going to Bali and Greece I guess there's plenty of areas there that can show some real-life examples of how priviledged they are ;)
« Last Edit: May 08, 2018, 08:20:27 AM by Hirondelle »

BuffaloStache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20083 on: May 08, 2018, 08:11:57 AM »
$100 a week?!? Wowza. That's some serious allowance money right there.

bluebelle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20084 on: May 08, 2018, 08:44:26 AM »
Coworker came back from Wendy’s today with three bags, and complaining about the fact he had to argue with the guy at the drive thru to get it packed that way. You see, he needed the salads and baked potatoes for tonight’s dinner packed separately from each other, and from his lunch... it’s okay, I’d understand about paying $10 for $0.50 worth of potatoes if I had kids. I sort of(barely) get the salads (can be a pain in the ass to make for sure), but BAKED POTATOES?! really?!
yup....by the time you reheat the crappy Wendy's baked potatoes, you could have cooked fresh ones in the microwave....10lb potatoes $2 on sale....better tasting, freshly baked potatoes, priceless.

Dr.Optimus

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20085 on: May 08, 2018, 09:10:25 AM »
Coworker came back from Wendy’s today with three bags, and complaining about the fact he had to argue with the guy at the drive thru to get it packed that way. You see, he needed the salads and baked potatoes for tonight’s dinner packed separately from each other, and from his lunch... it’s okay, I’d understand about paying $10 for $0.50 worth of potatoes if I had kids. I sort of(barely) get the salads (can be a pain in the ass to make for sure), but BAKED POTATOES?! really?!
yup....by the time you reheat the crappy Wendy's baked potatoes, you could have cooked fresh ones in the microwave....10lb potatoes $2 on sale....better tasting, freshly baked potatoes, priceless.
"It takes forever to make a baked potato in a conventional oven.  Sometimes, I put a potato in the oven even if I don't want one.  By the  time it's done, who knows?" - Mitch Hedberg =)

Sorry, baked potato just reminded me of that joke.


ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20086 on: May 08, 2018, 09:23:31 AM »
$100 a week?!? Wowza. That's some serious allowance money right there.
Yeah, holy crap.  From about age 8 until I started working (14), I think I got $5/month "allowance."  And this was if I did all my "chores."  And inflation-wise, this was 1999~2006, not 1860.

Davnasty

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20087 on: May 08, 2018, 09:32:46 AM »
Coworker came back from Wendy’s today with three bags, and complaining about the fact he had to argue with the guy at the drive thru to get it packed that way. You see, he needed the salads and baked potatoes for tonight’s dinner packed separately from each other, and from his lunch... it’s okay, I’d understand about paying $10 for $0.50 worth of potatoes if I had kids. I sort of(barely) get the salads (can be a pain in the ass to make for sure), but BAKED POTATOES?! really?!
yup....by the time you reheat the crappy Wendy's baked potatoes, you could have cooked fresh ones in the microwave....10lb potatoes $2 on sale....better tasting, freshly baked potatoes, priceless.
"It takes forever to make a baked potato in a conventional oven.  Sometimes, I put a potato in the oven even if I don't want one.  By the  time it's done, who knows?" - Mitch Hedberg =)

Sorry, baked potato just reminded me of that joke.

Always my first thought when baked potatoes are discussed.

MrMoogle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20088 on: May 08, 2018, 09:46:29 AM »
$100 a week?!? Wowza. That's some serious allowance money right there.
Yeah, holy crap.  From about age 8 until I started working (14), I think I got $5/month "allowance."  And this was if I did all my "chores."  And inflation-wise, this was 1999~2006, not 1860.
$100 a week was about what I got for college 15 years ago.  That didn't include rent, but it did include food and utilities. 

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20089 on: May 08, 2018, 09:47:37 AM »
$100/week?  Gee, I wish I (as an adult) had that much free cash to spend on whatever.

Back on topic, I was on a business trip this weekend with several coworkers.  We rented a Nissan Armada (the biggest SUV they make) to haul us to/from a trade show.  After a few days riding in it, I came to the conclusion that this vehicle is a complete joke compared to a minivan.  Why?

  • It starts at $46k, compared to $30k for a Honda Odyssey
  • It gets 19MPG highway compared to 28
  • The cargo area is basically non-existent.  There's maybe 12" between the liftgate and the rear seats.  For comparison, our family also went on a road trip this weekend in our minivan.  We brought three suitcases (from large to carry-on size), a duffel, four backpacks, and seven pillows and blankets, and still had room for a massive king-size comforter and several pillows in the back, without obstructing the rear window.
  • Despite the massive footprint, the rear seats are no more comfortable than those in our minivan. (no more leg room or head height)

Pros for this vehicle?  Well, it has more ground clearance (9.5" vs 4.5") and higher towing capability (8,500 lbs vs 3,500).  That's about it.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2018, 10:08:15 AM by zolotiyeruki »

Davnasty

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20090 on: May 08, 2018, 10:05:23 AM »

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.


$100/week is about 40% of what someone on minimum wage working full time has to spend after taxes...

But maybe he should give his kid an allowance, then if he wants an iphone X he can save up for it. Just not $100 because his kid is bullshitting. Maybe some kids get that much but "everyone else gets at least", that's bullshit from a whiney kid.

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20091 on: May 08, 2018, 10:18:04 AM »
$100 a week?!? Wowza. That's some serious allowance money right there.
Yeah, holy crap.  From about age 8 until I started working (14), I think I got $5/month "allowance."  And this was if I did all my "chores."  And inflation-wise, this was 1999~2006, not 1860.
$100 a week was about what I got for college 15 years ago.  That didn't include rent, but it did include food and utilities.

I never got an allowance, but I was impressed when my wealthy friend got $5/week (2006ish) in high school. In college I had a goverment scholarship (everyone gets it here) while my parents paid about half of my tuition fee; that was about $35/week from 2011-2015 (yes college is cheap here).

elliha

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20092 on: May 08, 2018, 10:51:22 AM »
Coworker and I were having a discussion about how to prevent our kids from becoming super self-absorbed entitled teenagers who feel that the world (and their parents) owe them.

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.
CW: Yes! So what do you think I should do? I need suggestions!
Me: Well, maybe find some way to let him see how blessed he is, that not everyone is able to live the way he does or has the opportunities he has. So maybe have him volunteer in a rural/inner city program this summer. But you have to do it as a family. You can’t just dump him in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise it’s not fair. And also, if you just make him do it and don’t participate yourself, he will see that you don’t really hold yourself to the same values.
CW: That’s such a good idea! He totally needs to remember how blessed he is. And volunteering would look good on his college apps! But we can’t this summer because we are going to Bali for two weeks and then to our summer house in Greece. I’ll just tell him he needs to be grateful for what he has.

Me: (face, meet palm)

This is the reason I will never live in a high income area even if I could afford it. If my kid doesn't get that a free phone equals no reason to complain in any way I am sure what I would do. Appreciate what you have, even most people who are poor by western standards are rich on a global scale. That kid needs a reality check.

Dragonswan

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20093 on: May 08, 2018, 12:14:12 PM »
I'd take the phone back and get him a refurbished iphone 5 (if you ca n still find one that works).  Now he'll learn that while we can afford better, you're not entitled to it and if you complain you will get less.  As for the allowance, ask him what's he's done to deserve it?  Until he comes up with good answers he gets half whatever I was giving him.  Again, I can afford more but you're not entitled to it just because you have my last name and the lemming excuse won't cut it (everyone else ...).  Eventually the kid will shut up and be grateful you even bothered to bring him home from the hospital.  Because, you know, I hear church steps are good places to leave babies.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20094 on: May 08, 2018, 12:54:39 PM »
But Dad... I NEED a new Corvette to drive at college. Everyone has a new supercar at college... (whine, whine, whine)

MonkeyJenga

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20095 on: May 08, 2018, 01:07:30 PM »
Coworker and I were having a discussion about how to prevent our kids from becoming super self-absorbed entitled teenagers who feel that the world (and their parents) owe them.

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.
CW: Yes! So what do you think I should do? I need suggestions!
Me: Well, maybe find some way to let him see how blessed he is, that not everyone is able to live the way he does or has the opportunities he has. So maybe have him volunteer in a rural/inner city program this summer. But you have to do it as a family. You can’t just dump him in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise it’s not fair. And also, if you just make him do it and don’t participate yourself, he will see that you don’t really hold yourself to the same values.
CW: That’s such a good idea! He totally needs to remember how blessed he is. And volunteering would look good on his college apps! But we can’t this summer because we are going to Bali for two weeks and then to our summer house in Greece. I’ll just tell him he needs to be grateful for what he has.

Me: (face, meet palm)

This is the reason I will never live in a high income area even if I could afford it. If my kid doesn't get that a free phone equals no reason to complain in any way I am sure what I would do. Appreciate what you have, even most people who are poor by western standards are rich on a global scale. That kid needs a reality check.

The bolded line stuck out for me. That's their problem! He thinks he's destitute because humans compare themselves to the people around them, not global statistics on poverty. Move to a nice middle-class neighborhood, send your kid to public school, and problem solved lessened. I grew up in a CW-like environment, where many people expected a brand-new luxury car on their 16th birthday. I'm grateful that I was turned off by all the conspicuous consumption and went the other way, but it took me years to realize how many of my needs and assumptions were still based on that cushy environment. Probably still are, and I just don't realize it yet.

I'm also lucky to be old enough that electronics weren't really an issue. We were fairly early adopters of dial-up home internet and AOL, oooohh fancy. And I had a flip phone in middle school, BALLING. Not exactly something you lord over other people and compare specs on. "Oh, your flip phone isn't held together by a rubber band? Look at you, big spender."

Freedomin5

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20096 on: May 08, 2018, 08:09:25 PM »
Coworker and I were having a discussion about how to prevent our kids from becoming super self-absorbed entitled teenagers who feel that the world (and their parents) owe them.

CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.
CW: Yes! So what do you think I should do? I need suggestions!
Me: Well, maybe find some way to let him see how blessed he is, that not everyone is able to live the way he does or has the opportunities he has. So maybe have him volunteer in a rural/inner city program this summer. But you have to do it as a family. You can’t just dump him in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise it’s not fair. And also, if you just make him do it and don’t participate yourself, he will see that you don’t really hold yourself to the same values.
CW: That’s such a good idea! He totally needs to remember how blessed he is. And volunteering would look good on his college apps! But we can’t this summer because we are going to Bali for two weeks and then to our summer house in Greece. I’ll just tell him he needs to be grateful for what he has.

Me: (face, meet palm)

It gets worse. I initially cut it out for brevity.

I live in Shanghai, and these kids are expat kids or superwealthy Chinese kids. USD$100/week is actually considered "reasonable". A totally non-scientific survey conducted last year by one of the expat magazines found that 20% of expat highschool students have Amex Black cards (I think that's what they're called, the ones with No Credit Limit. Obviously, I've never had one so I may be wrong about the name of the card). Unfortunately, pretty much all the kids in his class have either the X or the 8, though to be fair, I know at least 3 of the kids who recently jumped from the 5s to the X (meaning that their parents didn't rush out to get them the latest and greatest iPhone as soon as it came out).

And because great minds think alike (the minds of the people on this forum), I did suggest that the kid volunteer throughout the school year. The response: "He can't because he has rugby on Monday, tennis on Tuesday, extra tutoring on Wednesdays and Fridays, violin on Thursday, and needs his weekends to catch up on homework. Besides all those volunteer places are in dangerous areas of town, and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting him take the bus/subway there by himself, and our driver doesn't work on the weekends."

Yeah, I don't think I can help you.

(Though I like the idea of getting an iPhone 5. I have an old refurbished 5s with 8GB that dies after 8 hours. I should offer to trade my 5s for his 6s.)

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20097 on: May 09, 2018, 07:31:57 AM »
CW: My kid was mad at me because I got him an iPhone 6s and not the new iphoneX. Apparently everyone in his class has the iphoneX. It’s also super unfair to him that he doesn’t get an allowance when everyone else gets at least $100 per week.
Me: He really needs to learn to be grateful for what he has. He needs to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. I mean, you guys live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town; it’s not like he’s destitute.

You see 90% reasons for "Needs" here. It is shown that from a certain amount of income, happiness does not increase (in fact it may go down).
BUT that amount is not a solid, objective number. It depends on the neighborhood you are in. COMPARING makes you miserable.

(Of course we are talking about "rich" countries here. If you hunger it does not make much of a difference if your neighbor is even more hungry.)

bostonjim

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20098 on: May 10, 2018, 09:25:08 AM »
If my kid ever whines to me that he needs an allowance, I plan on playing this clip for him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f6l1QljpMo

DutchGirl

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20099 on: May 10, 2018, 12:55:07 PM »
Talking at work about that one time when our paycheck was two days late.

CW1: My co-workers were complaining about not being able to pay their rent. Well, in my opinion, if you haven't saved up 1000 euros somewhere in a savings account so that you can still pay your rent when your paycheck is late, that's on you. (Yeah, hurray for CW1!)
CW2: Well, but you can't grow rich. Not with the salaries we earn at our company!

I ... kept silent.