Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253115 times)

RFAAOATB

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 654
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3800 on: August 22, 2014, 12:03:20 PM »
What's the point in having the kids then? Condoms would have been cheaper than boarding school.

High risk investment.  Send kids to Phillips Exeter.  Hope you come out with the next Mark Zuckerberg.


shotgunwilly

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 548
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3801 on: August 22, 2014, 12:35:15 PM »
I think some people see children the same way they see the big house or the BMW - an accessory to show how awesome and successful they are.  That's why their children are always the smartest, prettiest, most athletic, etc.  It's just another status symbol to have a popular kid, send them to the best schools, or dress them in insanely expensive clothes, etc. 

I would bet this mom is even talking about the sacrifice she is making so that her daughter can have the best without realize the best thing she can give her is a mom who cares and wants to spend time with her.  It just makes me sad.  The daughter knows that the only sacrifice that is being made is her and it's on the altar of her mom's career.

This. It's sad, but very true for a large portion of people.

gimp

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3802 on: August 22, 2014, 12:37:50 PM »
High risk investment.  Send kids to Phillips Exeter.  Hope you come out with the next Mark Zuckerberg.

No need for the circlejerk. I went to a school like that - a bit smaller, and not a boarding school. The two Exeter academies were two of the few consistently to do better than us in most things...

A few things to realize -

One, the kids really don't mind for the most part. Most people at my school loved it; before I went there, I had never seen people actually excited to go to class in the morning...

Two, for most parents who send their kids there, there's very little risk. Expensive? 30k or 40k a year ain't much for the vast majority there. Some parents literally didn't know how much it cost because it was just a check to write once a year. My classmate's parents had the record for the biggest divorce settlement in the state. I was the token poor kid on an academic scholarship.

Three, yes, many parents are too focused on college as the end-all, be-all stage. "They're 18 and they're in Yale, our job is done." (By the way, from a class of 130, 13 went to Yale alone... a good third into an ivy and a good third into comparable schools. I didn't, heh heh. I had friends who got into every single school they applied to, and had the first world problem of MIT vs Princeton vs etc etc etc etc...) Now, what school your kid goes to is clearly not that important, but it does tend to set them up for a lifetime of contacts and good examples of ambition and success. They're quite literally in the club from the start while others try to convince their boss or interviewer or whomever that they belong in the club; don't underestimate how powerful it is to go to an interview and talk to someone as an equal. And don't underestimate the ridiculously large effect of being surrounded by smart people all day, every day.

Very few parents hope or think that their kid will be the next dropout-prodigy. Most just want their kids to be successful, which means - having the contacts and ability to start a business, or finding employment in one of the traditionally well-paying and/or dynastic fields (finance, medicine... politics), or simply being able to support themselves as an artist or writer or whatever. And to be perfectly blunt, the schools are structured that if someone get be accepted and do well in such a school, they're pretty much guaranteed to be able to do those things.

Oh, and the parents who focus on sending their kids to such schools tend to do okay in the talk-to-your-kids regularly department. Okay, I don't know how well it works for the boarding school kids, but my experiences showed me that it worked fine for the majority of my classmates. Occasional fuckups happen but that's true for anyone.

There are a few things that more parents should teach their kids at such places... namely, how to want. Everyone learns the lesson - you need to want more - but very few learn what more should mean; left to their own designs, they take cues from their environment, and more becomes a bigger house, a better car, a nice boat... and higher social status, more income, more responsibility, and so on. In short, there's a lot of good and there's some bad. I remember a friend whose parents earned some 400k/year saying that if his dad ever lost his job they'd be broke inside a year. Yeah, there were definitely lessons missed.

I see no issue with large spending on education. As my grandparents always told me - they can take everything from you, your belongings, your home, your money, your land - but they can't take your education. It's the ultimate safety net, much more valuable and much more safe than large equity holdings through vanguard or a real estate business.

I'll also speak against the sentiment that just by spending time with your kids, you can get them a comparable high school education to what these schools offer. Elementary school, maybe, since it's essentially day-care. High school? Not a chance, not unless you have about ten advanced degrees with real-world experience using each. No public school can approach the quality, no home schooling can approach the quality, and no combination of those can either. I'm not saying it's the right choice for everyone, but I am saying: don't try to make yourself feel better by shitting on the people who make that choice by saying that you can do as well as they can in imparting an education; you can't.

crispy

  • Guest
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3803 on: August 22, 2014, 01:31:57 PM »
High risk investment.  Send kids to Phillips Exeter.  Hope you come out with the next Mark Zuckerberg.

No need for the circlejerk. I went to a school like that - a bit smaller, and not a boarding school. The two Exeter academies were two of the few consistently to do better than us in most things...

A few things to realize -

One, the kids really don't mind for the most part. Most people at my school loved it; before I went there, I had never seen people actually excited to go to class in the morning...

Two, for most parents who send their kids there, there's very little risk. Expensive? 30k or 40k a year ain't much for the vast majority there. Some parents literally didn't know how much it cost because it was just a check to write once a year. My classmate's parents had the record for the biggest divorce settlement in the state. I was the token poor kid on an academic scholarship.

Three, yes, many parents are too focused on college as the end-all, be-all stage. "They're 18 and they're in Yale, our job is done." (By the way, from a class of 130, 13 went to Yale alone... a good third into an ivy and a good third into comparable schools. I didn't, heh heh. I had friends who got into every single school they applied to, and had the first world problem of MIT vs Princeton vs etc etc etc etc...) Now, what school your kid goes to is clearly not that important, but it does tend to set them up for a lifetime of contacts and good examples of ambition and success. They're quite literally in the club from the start while others try to convince their boss or interviewer or whomever that they belong in the club; don't underestimate how powerful it is to go to an interview and talk to someone as an equal. And don't underestimate the ridiculously large effect of being surrounded by smart people all day, every day.

Very few parents hope or think that their kid will be the next dropout-prodigy. Most just want their kids to be successful, which means - having the contacts and ability to start a business, or finding employment in one of the traditionally well-paying and/or dynastic fields (finance, medicine... politics), or simply being able to support themselves as an artist or writer or whatever. And to be perfectly blunt, the schools are structured that if someone get be accepted and do well in such a school, they're pretty much guaranteed to be able to do those things.

Oh, and the parents who focus on sending their kids to such schools tend to do okay in the talk-to-your-kids regularly department. Okay, I don't know how well it works for the boarding school kids, but my experiences showed me that it worked fine for the majority of my classmates. Occasional fuckups happen but that's true for anyone.

There are a few things that more parents should teach their kids at such places... namely, how to want. Everyone learns the lesson - you need to want more - but very few learn what more should mean; left to their own designs, they take cues from their environment, and more becomes a bigger house, a better car, a nice boat... and higher social status, more income, more responsibility, and so on. In short, there's a lot of good and there's some bad. I remember a friend whose parents earned some 400k/year saying that if his dad ever lost his job they'd be broke inside a year. Yeah, there were definitely lessons missed.

I see no issue with large spending on education. As my grandparents always told me - they can take everything from you, your belongings, your home, your money, your land - but they can't take your education. It's the ultimate safety net, much more valuable and much more safe than large equity holdings through vanguard or a real estate business.

I'll also speak against the sentiment that just by spending time with your kids, you can get them a comparable high school education to what these schools offer. Elementary school, maybe, since it's essentially day-care. High school? Not a chance, not unless you have about ten advanced degrees with real-world experience using each. No public school can approach the quality, no home schooling can approach the quality, and no combination of those can either. I'm not saying it's the right choice for everyone, but I am saying: don't try to make yourself feel better by shitting on the people who make that choice by saying that you can do as well as they can in imparting an education; you can't.

Your arguments have nothing to do with the conversation.  No one is crapping on quality education or denying that it opens doors. We were commenting on a mother leaving her child for two years because she didn't get in the right private school. Sorry, that's just messed up. 

iwasjustwondering

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 437
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3804 on: August 22, 2014, 01:58:04 PM »
High risk investment.  Send kids to Phillips Exeter.  Hope you come out with the next Mark Zuckerberg.

No need for the circlejerk. I went to a school like that - a bit smaller, and not a boarding school. The two Exeter academies were two of the few consistently to do better than us in most things...

A few things to realize -

One, the kids really don't mind for the most part. Most people at my school loved it; before I went there, I had never seen people actually excited to go to class in the morning...

Two, for most parents who send their kids there, there's very little risk. Expensive? 30k or 40k a year ain't much for the vast majority there. Some parents literally didn't know how much it cost because it was just a check to write once a year. My classmate's parents had the record for the biggest divorce settlement in the state. I was the token poor kid on an academic scholarship.

Three, yes, many parents are too focused on college as the end-all, be-all stage. "They're 18 and they're in Yale, our job is done." (By the way, from a class of 130, 13 went to Yale alone... a good third into an ivy and a good third into comparable schools. I didn't, heh heh. I had friends who got into every single school they applied to, and had the first world problem of MIT vs Princeton vs etc etc etc etc...) Now, what school your kid goes to is clearly not that important, but it does tend to set them up for a lifetime of contacts and good examples of ambition and success. They're quite literally in the club from the start while others try to convince their boss or interviewer or whomever that they belong in the club; don't underestimate how powerful it is to go to an interview and talk to someone as an equal. And don't underestimate the ridiculously large effect of being surrounded by smart people all day, every day.

Very few parents hope or think that their kid will be the next dropout-prodigy. Most just want their kids to be successful, which means - having the contacts and ability to start a business, or finding employment in one of the traditionally well-paying and/or dynastic fields (finance, medicine... politics), or simply being able to support themselves as an artist or writer or whatever. And to be perfectly blunt, the schools are structured that if someone get be accepted and do well in such a school, they're pretty much guaranteed to be able to do those things.

Oh, and the parents who focus on sending their kids to such schools tend to do okay in the talk-to-your-kids regularly department. Okay, I don't know how well it works for the boarding school kids, but my experiences showed me that it worked fine for the majority of my classmates. Occasional fuckups happen but that's true for anyone.

There are a few things that more parents should teach their kids at such places... namely, how to want. Everyone learns the lesson - you need to want more - but very few learn what more should mean; left to their own designs, they take cues from their environment, and more becomes a bigger house, a better car, a nice boat... and higher social status, more income, more responsibility, and so on. In short, there's a lot of good and there's some bad. I remember a friend whose parents earned some 400k/year saying that if his dad ever lost his job they'd be broke inside a year. Yeah, there were definitely lessons missed.

I see no issue with large spending on education. As my grandparents always told me - they can take everything from you, your belongings, your home, your money, your land - but they can't take your education. It's the ultimate safety net, much more valuable and much more safe than large equity holdings through vanguard or a real estate business.

I'll also speak against the sentiment that just by spending time with your kids, you can get them a comparable high school education to what these schools offer. Elementary school, maybe, since it's essentially day-care. High school? Not a chance, not unless you have about ten advanced degrees with real-world experience using each. No public school can approach the quality, no home schooling can approach the quality, and no combination of those can either. I'm not saying it's the right choice for everyone, but I am saying: don't try to make yourself feel better by shitting on the people who make that choice by saying that you can do as well as they can in imparting an education; you can't.

Your arguments have nothing to do with the conversation.  No one is crapping on quality education or denying that it opens doors. We were commenting on a mother leaving her child for two years because she didn't get in the right private school. Sorry, that's just messed up.

+1.  The issue here isn't whether or not high-quality education is valuable.  It's whether or not it's a good idea to get yourself so tied up in material wants that you end up having to stop raising your child before you're finished.  I have this weird idea that when you bring a child into the world, you're making a sort of promise to stick around, out of curiosity over how things are going to turn out if nothing else. It should take more than just a job opportunity and a missed private school seat to interfere with that promise, IMO.

As an adjunct professor at a top university, and ex-wife of someone who went to Choate Rosemary Hall, I also disagree on the difference in quality of the education between public and private.  The prep school freshmen at my school are more confident and outspoken on Day One, and the top one or two kids in class tend to have been prep school kids, but that's in no way an absolute rule.  My ex definitely started university ahead of his public school peers, but by sophomore year he was just keeping pace and ended up with a B average, as did many of his friends from high school.  There was a lot of drugs and plagiarism at Choate, for one thing.  There are plenty of inspired teachers and students at public schools, and some of the best public schools in my area have higher SAT scores than the prep schools.

As the parent of a profoundly gifted 14yo kid, I think public school is doing pretty well by us.  He's been taking high school classes since sixth grade, and recently finished college-level biology.  He could go to any prep school he wanted, but he won't because of his beliefs about social and economic justice.  I actually wanted him to go to a private school, but he wouldn't take the test.  We'll see how he does in high school, but we've been managing pretty well so far.  ;) 

MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3805 on: August 22, 2014, 02:24:57 PM »
I hear a ton of griping about kids in nearly every job I had. For the past year it has been relatively minor as most of the people that I am working either haven't had kids, or theirs are now moved out of the house.

That got me thinking as to how much sooner I am going to hit FIRE as I am not going to be having any kids, something I probably should mention to anyone in the office.

Beric01

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1156
  • Age: 33
  • Location: SF Bay Area
  • Law-abiding cyclist
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3806 on: August 22, 2014, 02:55:59 PM »
I hear a ton of griping about kids in nearly every job I had. For the past year it has been relatively minor as most of the people that I am working either haven't had kids, or theirs are now moved out of the house.

That got me thinking as to how much sooner I am going to hit FIRE as I am not going to be having any kids, something I probably should mention to anyone in the office.

What's hilarious to me is that I have co-workers who gripe about their kids (never stating a single positive about them), and simultaneously give another co-worker a hard time about deciding to not have kids. It's like they haven't though through this simple thing. That or they just want everyone else subjected to their misery (full disclosure: I actually want to have kids someday).

gimp

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3807 on: August 22, 2014, 04:16:06 PM »
Your arguments have nothing to do with the conversation.  No one is crapping on quality education or denying that it opens doors. We were commenting on a mother leaving her child for two years because she didn't get in the right private school. Sorry, that's just messed up.

Oh, I'm sorry for derailing this thread with part of my post. Nobody's ever done that before. /sarcasm

It's not a strawman, unfortunately; it's an argument I've seen here a lot on this forum. It was a good moment to argue against it.

larmando

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 193
  • Location: Germany
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3808 on: August 22, 2014, 04:23:59 PM »
Why does everyone have this idea that you must maintain a balance on your card to get a good credit score?  And why do they insist they are correct in spite of evidence to the contrary?  I have heard so many people tell me this, and they all have terrible credit (because they are the people likely to maintain a credit card balance).

My dad is still convinced of this. He told me it's terrible that I pay off my cc's in full every month because then the credit card companies are going to cancel my cards since they're not making money off of me, then my credit score will drop, and all hell will break loose.

A month after he told me that the first time, my bank sent me a letter saying they increased my limit (without me asking).

Of course the bank isn't making money off of me. But by increasing my limit, they're hoping I'll say "oooh look at all the pretty things I can buy now!" and mess myself up. Nice try, banks. I'm onto you!

Eh, that's a good one. :) I also got a free credit card (they're a bit harder to find in europe), which I pay in full of course, and the bank is writing me every month begging me to take a loan, or an overdraft, or anything. At some point they even were offering me a great 0% for three month on an overdraft, and I thought about using it to pay the mortgage (and then of course repay them after the three months), but then it wasn't quite worth the hassle, and I gave up on the idea. :)





crispy

  • Guest
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3809 on: August 22, 2014, 04:36:04 PM »
Your arguments have nothing to do with the conversation.  No one is crapping on quality education or denying that it opens doors. We were commenting on a mother leaving her child for two years because she didn't get in the right private school. Sorry, that's just messed up.

Oh, I'm sorry for derailing this thread with part of my post. Nobody's ever done that before. /sarcasm

It's not a strawman, unfortunately; it's an argument I've seen here a lot on this forum. It was a good moment to argue against it.

It was a strawman because you were refuting a point that no one made. 

larmando

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 193
  • Location: Germany
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3810 on: August 22, 2014, 04:39:07 PM »
A good friend of mine just leased a brand new Camero at $450/month and asked me to spot the $50 he needed to join our fantasy football league and that he would pay me back on payday... wtf

And another guy spends $50 to run a football team that doesn't even exist! Go figure! :)
(just kidding, we all have hobbies, me not watching football I always found fantasy football a strange concept, but of course I don't mean it badly) :)

MustardTiger

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 179
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3811 on: August 22, 2014, 05:16:25 PM »
At a meeting we were discussing cars and how me and another guy both don't care much for cars and prefer to have cheaper paid off vehicles.  A girl overhears are conversation and says that she loves her hummer and jacked it up so that her and her kids would be be much more safe on the road.  I asked about her gas bill and for her and her husband it was around 1300 a month.

MrsPotts

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 133
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3812 on: August 22, 2014, 05:52:43 PM »
At a meeting we were discussing cars and how me and another guy both don't care much for cars and prefer to have cheaper paid off vehicles.  A girl overhears are conversation and says that she loves her hummer and jacked it up so that her and her kids would be be much more safe on the road.  I asked about her gas bill and for her and her husband it was around 1300 a month.

Holy crap, Batman!

deedeezee

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 63
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3813 on: August 22, 2014, 06:51:49 PM »
At a meeting we were discussing cars and how me and another guy both don't care much for cars and prefer to have cheaper paid off vehicles.  A girl overhears are conversation and says that she loves her hummer and jacked it up so that her and her kids would be be much more safe on the road.  I asked about her gas bill and for her and her husband it was around 1300 a month.

Wow, just...wow.   Speechless.

EricL

  • Guest
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3814 on: August 22, 2014, 09:25:01 PM »
This one is really awful.  I work with a woman who, until about a month ago, lived about 1,000 miles away from our office and worked at another site.  She is doing a two-year rotation at our site.  It's very prestigious to do this at our company, so she is clearly on the move up.  I know this woman because we're on the same global team, so I see her at meetings around the world a couple times a year.  The woman is extremely smart and nice.  She's just a lovely, lovely person -- generous, warm, gets stuff done, etc..

We were at an all-day meeting today, and some of the women were talking about this CW's Prada shoes.  The woman is originally from France, and they were talking about the fact that she always has $400 shoes on, very admiringly.

So later, I chat with her, and ask how the transition is going.  She tells me that they weren't able to get their daughter into the prestigious private school in my neck of the woods, so her husband and daughter are staying back for the two years.  In other words, the woman has moved away from her 10yo daughter for two years, in order to advance her career.  Her eyes filled with tears as she told me.  I asked if she was commuting back each weekend, and she said she couldn't afford it because flights are too expensive.  I just don't understand this, and I wouldn't if it were a man, either.  What is the purpose of life, if not to be physically present during your children's childhood?

This woman is at my job level, and has been for at least five years.  So she's been making nearly $200K for quite a while now.  I just don't understand it.  And how do people not make the connection between the shoes and the other luxe things and the need to move away from your young child?  There's a relationship there!  Wouldn't it be better to send the kid to public school, rather than have her miss her mother for two years?  I just don't understand.

It's sad that she thinks that her daughter going to a prestigious school is more important than having her mother around.  I really feel for that little girl.  People have some whacked out priorities.

I once sat at a work dinner with a group of 8 people who were all debating at what age they could ship their kids to boarding school.  I made a comment that if/when I have kids, I would never do that because I actually would want to spend time with them and they all looked at me like I was a loon.

What's the point in having the kids then? Condoms would have been cheaper than boarding school.

I think some people see children the same way they see the big house or the BMW - an accessory to show how awesome and successful they are.  That's why their children are always the smartest, prettiest, most athletic, etc.  It's just another status symbol to have a popular kid, send them to the best schools, or dress them in insanely expensive clothes, etc. 

I would bet this mom is even talking about the sacrifice she is making so that her daughter can have the best without realize the best thing she can give her is a mom who cares and wants to spend time with her.  It just makes me sad.  The daughter knows that the only sacrifice that is being made is her and it's on the altar of her mom's career.

+1 I'm surprised there are people still like this.  I've read about Churchill and C.S. Lewis' experiences in boarding school and it's basically on child neglect.  They lived to be successful in spite of the experience, not because of it.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3815 on: August 22, 2014, 11:24:21 PM »
At a meeting we were discussing cars and how me and another guy both don't care much for cars and prefer to have cheaper paid off vehicles.  A girl overhears are conversation and says that she loves her hummer and jacked it up so that her and her kids would be be much more safe on the road.  I asked about her gas bill and for her and her husband it was around 1300 a month.

WTF?!  I just did the math, and at $4 a gallon, I could put 3,900 miles per month on my v-fucking-ten three quarter ton pickup for that much (which is coincidentally, about how much I drive it in two years).

Did you happen to point out that jacking it up makes it actually more UNSAFE due to increased risk of rollovers?

Hallihunter

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3816 on: August 23, 2014, 12:02:21 AM »
Love this thread!

I bought a old POS diesel flatbed for my DIY home/ranch projects for $3k....yeah, yeah not frugal but i do dump, lumber, materials, etc. runs almost every wkend, 400 mi. this year, 2nd tank of gas, love those Cummins!
CW was mentioning i bought it at the right time cause they are now $6-8k now.
Asked if he's shopping for a new truck.
CW: yeah mine doesn't get the milage i was hoping (full size, bought used a year ago)
ME: Shopping for a Diesel?
CW: yeah, they have the best fuel economy for the price
ME: ????????
Our job requires us to drive 40k miles a year. We get reimbursed 50 cents a mile. My first 4cy Yoda payed for my next three cars!!

Daisy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2263
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3817 on: August 23, 2014, 02:54:33 AM »
...people still come in with their dunkin donuts, starbucks or wawa coffee cups.

wawa? is this a brand I'm not familiar with, or is this an infantile complainypants person? :)

It's a gas station/minimart chain in PA, saw a lot of them when I was working on-site at a plant there a lot a few years back.

Entire east coast has them now. They're a step above Sheetz. At least they have boarshead meat if you get a sandwich.

They haven't reached NY yet, not where I'm from. My boyfriend is originally from southern Jersey (stones throw away from PA). The first time we went down to visit his parents, he said that we were going to "stop at Wawa to get a hoagie." It was another language for me!

It was a chain of stores started by Baba Wawa. I guess she was looking for something to do in retirement.

MustardTiger

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 179
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3818 on: August 23, 2014, 08:39:06 AM »
At a meeting we were discussing cars and how me and another guy both don't care much for cars and prefer to have cheaper paid off vehicles.  A girl overhears are conversation and says that she loves her hummer and jacked it up so that her and her kids would be be much more safe on the road.  I asked about her gas bill and for her and her husband it was around 1300 a month.

WTF?!  I just did the math, and at $4 a gallon, I could put 3,900 miles per month on my v-fucking-ten three quarter ton pickup for that much (which is coincidentally, about how much I drive it in two years).

Did you happen to point out that jacking it up makes it actually more UNSAFE due to increased risk of rollovers?

That price was for her and her husband's truck as well, but ya I tried to just nod along without saying anything.

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3819 on: August 23, 2014, 09:19:32 AM »
A good friend of mine just leased a brand new Camero at $450/month and asked me to spot the $50 he needed to join our fantasy football league and that he would pay me back on payday... wtf

And another guy spends $50 to run a football team that doesn't even exist! Go figure! :)
(just kidding, we all have hobbies, me not watching football I always found fantasy football a strange concept, but of course I don't mean it badly) :)

Hahaha, guilty as charged. For me it is more a way to keep in contact and talk shit with friends from college.

Christof

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 716
  • Age: 47
  • Location: Germany
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3820 on: August 23, 2014, 12:45:25 PM »
Eh, that's a good one. :) I also got a free credit card (they're a bit harder to find in europe), which I pay in full of course

Hope you picked one that is offering some benefits, eg. the Payback Amex, Deutsche Bahn Mastercard or Cortal Consors Visa.

iris lily

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5657
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3821 on: August 23, 2014, 01:42:03 PM »
Your arguments have nothing to do with the conversation.  No one is crapping on quality education or denying that it opens doors. We were commenting on a mother leaving her child for two years because she didn't get in the right private school. Sorry, that's just messed up.

Oh, I'm sorry for derailing this thread with part of my post. Nobody's ever done that before. /sarcasm

It's not a strawman, unfortunately; it's an argument I've seen here a lot on this forum. It was a good moment to argue against it.

For what it's worth, I didn't think your post was off topic.

Mom leaves child behind for 2 years because child can't get into a proper school in new place. We have no idea how bad the "improper" schools are.

However, I completely would not have done that since I am not a striver and my genes wouldn't produce children who are strivers, they would be smart children but not able to compete in the world of Phillips Exeter.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2014, 01:44:44 PM by iris lily »

Latwell

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 137
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3822 on: August 23, 2014, 04:09:42 PM »
...people still come in with their dunkin donuts, starbucks or wawa coffee cups.

wawa? is this a brand I'm not familiar with, or is this an infantile complainypants person? :)

It's a gas station/minimart chain in PA, saw a lot of them when I was working on-site at a plant there a lot a few years back.

Entire east coast has them now. They're a step above Sheetz. At least they have boarshead meat if you get a sandwich.

There are frequent arguments in my area about the best convienence store: quick check vs wawa.

My previous apartment was practically in quick check's parking lot. A lady that worked there told me it was wierd that she never sees me go in there. I told her I avoid convienence stores like the plague. She couldn't understand why. Idk how she doesn't notice the insane marked up prices.

lithy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 178
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Mount Oliver, PA
  • Drink Indigenous
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3823 on: August 23, 2014, 04:21:10 PM »
We are expecting our first child in November.  Boss knows that I pay just for prepaid minutes and text (through PlatinumTel), he suggested that when the baby comes I'll need to get a family plan with data for me and my wife. 

I managed to just shrug it off at the time, but later as I thought about it, I don't know what that even means.  Does the baby need a data plan?

HairyUpperLip

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 893
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3824 on: August 23, 2014, 04:22:32 PM »
We are expecting our first child in August.  Boss knows that I pay just for prepaid minutes and text (through PlatinumTel), he suggested that when the baby comes I'll need to get a family plan with data for me and my wife. 

I managed to just shrug it off at the time, but later as I thought about it, I don't know what that even means.  Does the baby need a data plan?

my daughter is about to be one and she keeps going over on her 4gb data plan....


jk... babies don't need data plans. I'm not sure what your boss meant? congrats on the baby

puetzk

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3825 on: August 23, 2014, 07:41:33 PM »
 
I managed to just shrug it off at the time, but later as I thought about it, I don't know what that even means.  Does the baby need a data plan?

I would assume he meant for all the pictures/texts you'll be getting of baby being adorable. Since you'll be too busy earning money to pay the phone bill and boarding school to see the kid yourself...

SweetRedWine

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 62
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3826 on: August 23, 2014, 08:41:09 PM »
In the spring a co-worker told everyone in the department about her shopping trip to a local outlet clothing store.  She bought something like 20 articles of summer clothing for under $200.  I don't remember the exact details, just that she was happy about the good deals.  Just this past Friday she announced that she had just finished paying off that shopping trip, so now she could shop for fall clothes.

She is a household of one earning above the average US household wage.   It hurt a little to hear that it took her about 4 months to pay off that amount.  And it hurt that she seemed prepared to turn in into a never ending cycle. 

franklin w. dixon

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 283
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3827 on: August 23, 2014, 10:28:26 PM »
Is this the longest internet thread ever?

Has someone tried to press print to see if it stretches to the moon and back?

i visit another thread on another forum which is over 750 pages and i'm sure there are longer. but this is pretty good!
The forum where I post the most is primarily one giant chat thread that gets closed and remade every 100,000 posts (2500 pages). The threads were numbered until the 40th or so but that was years ago. The most prolific poster has 108,000 posts.

franklin w. dixon

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 283
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3828 on: August 23, 2014, 10:57:44 PM »
Overheard my cube neighbor on the phone, sounding excited as he talked about buying a larger house, "And then you get to buy things to fill it!"
Ugh -know that one.  The house we just bought is by all accounts, not very big - only 1400 feet.  Still way too big for us though - we've got two entire rooms we're trying to figure out what to do with.  Of course our attitude is more "crap.  we might have to buy some stuff to fill it".

This kind of hits home.  Me and my SO were looking to purchase a house this spring.  We were looking for about 8-900 sq ft - we have two kids and thought this would be a great size.  I grew up in a 826 and my wife in a 679 sq ft for famillys of five.  Anyways, when I talked to anyone about this, the question was allways, why so small.  You should save buy bigger.  Or you only need 5% down, so why no spluge and get a bigger house when they found out we hade most of 20% saved...

I was thinking, because we do not need extra crap, and I dont want to be house broke.

I see all the time about living in a smaller house on here. i live in a 900sq ft house now with only one bathroom. for me i think the ideal size is around 1400-1500 and two bathrooms. it is me, my wife, my son, two large dogs, and another child on the way. i would like a little more space, but not looking for anything huge. maybe even 1200 sq ft, just set up better, i think an open floor plan is where we need to be. we only put 5% down (this way before finding this site), however, we made sure to purchase a home that we could afford on one income. and still can.
I got 1150 square feet with 2.5 baths and its pretty sweet bc everybody can poop at the same time which happens well IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES OK. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

franklin w. dixon

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 283
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3829 on: August 23, 2014, 11:03:26 PM »
This one is really awful.  I work with a woman who, until about a month ago, lived about 1,000 miles away from our office and worked at another site.  She is doing a two-year rotation at our site.  It's very prestigious to do this at our company, so she is clearly on the move up.  I know this woman because we're on the same global team, so I see her at meetings around the world a couple times a year.  The woman is extremely smart and nice.  She's just a lovely, lovely person -- generous, warm, gets stuff done, etc..

We were at an all-day meeting today, and some of the women were talking about this CW's Prada shoes.  The woman is originally from France, and they were talking about the fact that she always has $400 shoes on, very admiringly.

So later, I chat with her, and ask how the transition is going.  She tells me that they weren't able to get their daughter into the prestigious private school in my neck of the woods, so her husband and daughter are staying back for the two years.  In other words, the woman has moved away from her 10yo daughter for two years, in order to advance her career.  Her eyes filled with tears as she told me.  I asked if she was commuting back each weekend, and she said she couldn't afford it because flights are too expensive.  I just don't understand this, and I wouldn't if it were a man, either.  What is the purpose of life, if not to be physically present during your children's childhood?

This woman is at my job level, and has been for at least five years.  So she's been making nearly $200K for quite a while now.  I just don't understand it.  And how do people not make the connection between the shoes and the other luxe things and the need to move away from your young child?  There's a relationship there!  Wouldn't it be better to send the kid to public school, rather than have her miss her mother for two years?  I just don't understand.

It's sad that she thinks that her daughter going to a prestigious school is more important than having her mother around.  I really feel for that little girl.  People have some whacked out priorities.

I once sat at a work dinner with a group of 8 people who were all debating at what age they could ship their kids to boarding school.  I made a comment that if/when I have kids, I would never do that because I actually would want to spend time with them and they all looked at me like I was a loon.
My wife's mom desperately wants us to ship off our daughter (9 months) to her so she can take care of the baby and free things up for us and is completely puzzled that we have any hesitation...

Shropskr

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 166
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3830 on: August 24, 2014, 12:27:59 AM »
I was at the beach free swim lessons for the kids. SAHM so it is at work.  Ha.   I was talking with another parent about what we were doing next week.

Other parent "we're going to disney land"
Me "have fun.  We've never been. I've still got my kids convince Great Wolf Lodge,local indoor water park, is better than Disney land."
Other parent"ohh we go there every other month.  I let my kids bring friends, and sometimes my adult children come too"
Me "wow isn't that expensive."
Other parent "yeah but it's fun.  Besides we always get the meal plan and that helps"

We went back to talking about swimming.



robotclown

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 152
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3831 on: August 24, 2014, 06:49:26 PM »
People at work getting really concerned that next payday falls on a holiday.  So instead of getting paid on the first, we'll get paid on the 29th.  Why is this a problem?  Because then it's 17 whole days until next payday!  Apparently this is throwing everyone's finances into chaos.

Zikoris

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4531
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Vancouver, BC
  • Vancouverstachian
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3832 on: August 24, 2014, 07:32:28 PM »
People at work getting really concerned that next payday falls on a holiday.  So instead of getting paid on the first, we'll get paid on the 29th.  Why is this a problem?  Because then it's 17 whole days until next payday!  Apparently this is throwing everyone's finances into chaos.

Oh god, this reminds me of a co-worker from two jobs ago - she was complaining about being paid on the 15th and last day of the month rather than every two weeks. I didn't understand, since to me it's pretty irrelevant, but overall I think fixed dates are more convenient for budgeting purposes (no big income swings with 3 paycheck months, etc). "But sometimes payday is on a Monday and we have to make it through two weekends instead of one!" This was apparently a crisis and meant no grocery shopping.

Same co-worker used one of the big banks that charges high fees (highest fees in Canada, actually). I suggested moving to a free bank to save money, and got another gem: apparently the direct deposit went through a day earlier with this bank, from time to time. Keep in mind, this only happened a few times a year, and the bank charges $30+/month in basic fees.

She ended up declaring bankruptcy over something like $15,000 debt, since she could not figure out how to cut her spending enough to pay it off.

Nords

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3421
  • Age: 63
  • Location: Oahu
    • Military Retirement & Financial Independence blog
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3833 on: August 24, 2014, 11:56:59 PM »
People at work getting really concerned that next payday falls on a holiday.  So instead of getting paid on the first, we'll get paid on the 29th.  Why is this a problem?  Because then it's 17 whole days until next payday!  Apparently this is throwing everyone's finances into chaos.
This is a common theme at Military.com's financial blog "Paycheck Chronicles".  Kate actually lays out the next year's payday calendar and warns the readers months in advance of the occasional stretches of 17-19 days between deposits.

Her readers have commented that on payday they'll see grocery shoppers standing next to the checkouts with their carts fully loaded.  The shoppers are not actually in the checkout line because they don't have enough money in their checking account to pay for their groceries, and their credit cards are already maxed out.  So they'll sit on the sidelines with their smartphones displaying their banking app, hitting refresh until the deposit arrives and the balance updates.  Then they can feed their families!

randymarsh

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1369
  • Location: Denver
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3834 on: August 25, 2014, 12:04:12 AM »
So they'll sit on the sidelines with their smartphones displaying their banking app, hitting refresh until the deposit arrives and the balance updates.  Then they can feed their families!

Irony detected.

Christof

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 716
  • Age: 47
  • Location: Germany
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3835 on: August 25, 2014, 06:12:24 AM »
So they'll sit on the sidelines with their smartphones displaying their banking app, hitting refresh until the deposit arrives and the balance updates.  Then they can feed their families!

Seriously?

Timmmy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 439
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Madison Heights, Michigan
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3836 on: August 25, 2014, 06:19:47 AM »
People at work getting really concerned that next payday falls on a holiday.  So instead of getting paid on the first, we'll get paid on the 29th.  Why is this a problem?  Because then it's 17 whole days until next payday!  Apparently this is throwing everyone's finances into chaos.
This is a common theme at Military.com's financial blog "Paycheck Chronicles".  Kate actually lays out the next year's payday calendar and warns the readers months in advance of the occasional stretches of 17-19 days between deposits.

Her readers have commented that on payday they'll see grocery shoppers standing next to the checkouts with their carts fully loaded.  The shoppers are not actually in the checkout line because they don't have enough money in their checking account to pay for their groceries, and their credit cards are already maxed out.  So they'll sit on the sidelines with their smartphones displaying their banking app, hitting refresh until the deposit arrives and the balance updates.  Then they can feed their families!

This is sad on so many levels.

AllChoptUp

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 180
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3837 on: August 25, 2014, 09:55:19 AM »
People at work getting really concerned that next payday falls on a holiday.  So instead of getting paid on the first, we'll get paid on the 29th.  Why is this a problem?  Because then it's 17 whole days until next payday!  Apparently this is throwing everyone's finances into chaos.
This is a common theme at Military.com's financial blog "Paycheck Chronicles".  Kate actually lays out the next year's payday calendar and warns the readers months in advance of the occasional stretches of 17-19 days between deposits.

Her readers have commented that on payday they'll see grocery shoppers standing next to the checkouts with their carts fully loaded.  The shoppers are not actually in the checkout line because they don't have enough money in their checking account to pay for their groceries, and their credit cards are already maxed out.  So they'll sit on the sidelines with their smartphones displaying their banking app, hitting refresh until the deposit arrives and the balance updates.  Then they can feed their families!

This is sad on so many levels.

It *is* sad.  The local military spouse's facebook page had an extensive thread recently on how to apply/qualify for WIC. 

RFAAOATB

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 654
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3838 on: August 25, 2014, 10:33:57 AM »

It *is* sad.  The local military spouse's facebook page had an extensive thread recently on how to apply/qualify for WIC.

Boo freaking Hoo.  I was insatiably jealous of Soldiers getting BAH and Separation pay just for being married.  You knock a girl up and get a shotgun wedding?  Here's a giant pay raise to go with it.

eyePod

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 963
    • Flipping A Dollar
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3839 on: August 25, 2014, 11:08:13 AM »
I was at the beach free swim lessons for the kids. SAHM so it is at work.  Ha.   I was talking with another parent about what we were doing next week.

Other parent "we're going to disney land"
Me "have fun.  We've never been. I've still got my kids convince Great Wolf Lodge,local indoor water park, is better than Disney land."
Other parent"ohh we go there every other month.  I let my kids bring friends, and sometimes my adult children come too"
Me "wow isn't that expensive."
Other parent "yeah but it's fun.  Besides we always get the meal plan and that helps"

We went back to talking about swimming.

Well, if you stay at the all star resorts, the meal plan is better. More food than you could eat in a day (and that's the basic one). But there's no way that the entire trip isn't a luxury. And once a month?!?! I hope you guys live in florida, but from your great wolf lodge note, I don't think you do...

CaliToCayman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 37
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3840 on: August 25, 2014, 12:04:49 PM »
I managed to just shrug it off at the time, but later as I thought about it, I don't know what that even means.  Does the baby need a data plan?

I think babies now come pre-loaded with twitter and snapchat... so the short answer is yes, they do need a plan.

Jack

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4725
  • Location: Atlanta, GA
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3841 on: August 25, 2014, 12:35:07 PM »
I was at the beach free swim lessons for the kids. SAHM so it is at work.  Ha.   I was talking with another parent about what we were doing next week.

Other parent "we're going to disney land"
Me "have fun.  We've never been. I've still got my kids convince Great Wolf Lodge,local indoor water park, is better than Disney land."
Other parent"ohh we go there every other month.  I let my kids bring friends, and sometimes my adult children come too"
Me "wow isn't that expensive."
Other parent "yeah but it's fun.  Besides we always get the meal plan and that helps"

We went back to talking about swimming.

Well, if you stay at the all star resorts, the meal plan is better. More food than you could eat in a day (and that's the basic one). But there's no way that the entire trip isn't a luxury. And once a month?!?! I hope you guys live in florida, but from your great wolf lodge note, I don't think you do...

Disney Land is not the same thing as Disney World. The former is a single park that's much more of a 'day trip' (kind of like Six Flags), I believe. Still anti-mustachian, but not quite as much as going to Disney World every month would be!!!

Timmmy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 439
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Madison Heights, Michigan
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3842 on: August 25, 2014, 12:37:42 PM »
I was at the beach free swim lessons for the kids. SAHM so it is at work.  Ha.   I was talking with another parent about what we were doing next week.

Other parent "we're going to disney land"
Me "have fun.  We've never been. I've still got my kids convince Great Wolf Lodge,local indoor water park, is better than Disney land."
Other parent"ohh we go there every other month.  I let my kids bring friends, and sometimes my adult children come too"
Me "wow isn't that expensive."
Other parent "yeah but it's fun.  Besides we always get the meal plan and that helps"

We went back to talking about swimming.

Well, if you stay at the all star resorts, the meal plan is better. More food than you could eat in a day (and that's the basic one). But there's no way that the entire trip isn't a luxury. And once a month?!?! I hope you guys live in florida, but from your great wolf lodge note, I don't think you do...

Pretty sure they were talking about monthly trips to great wolf lodge, not Disney.

Gin1984

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4928
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3843 on: August 25, 2014, 12:49:27 PM »
I was at the beach free swim lessons for the kids. SAHM so it is at work.  Ha.   I was talking with another parent about what we were doing next week.

Other parent "we're going to disney land"
Me "have fun.  We've never been. I've still got my kids convince Great Wolf Lodge,local indoor water park, is better than Disney land."
Other parent"ohh we go there every other month.  I let my kids bring friends, and sometimes my adult children come too"
Me "wow isn't that expensive."
Other parent "yeah but it's fun.  Besides we always get the meal plan and that helps"

We went back to talking about swimming.

Well, if you stay at the all star resorts, the meal plan is better. More food than you could eat in a day (and that's the basic one). But there's no way that the entire trip isn't a luxury. And once a month?!?! I hope you guys live in florida, but from your great wolf lodge note, I don't think you do...

Disney Land is not the same thing as Disney World. The former is a single park that's much more of a 'day trip' (kind of like Six Flags), I believe. Still anti-mustachian, but not quite as much as going to Disney World every month would be!!!
Not anymore.   More clumped up than disneyworld but it is no long just "one park".

Goldie

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 21
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3844 on: August 25, 2014, 03:11:25 PM »
I'm new to these parts but wanted to post something I heard at work two years ago that has stuck with me. Two women, both with multiple kids. One recently got remarried and was looking to buy a house. The other is a twice-divorced single mom. The newly remarried mom was complaining that "these banks just expect you to have money lying around for a down payment!"  They spoke some more and I tuned out, then heard the single mom say "No one in this day and age should hold it against someone for having credit card debt; we all do!"

It's been two years and they're both still in apartments. And the recently remarried one has gotten divorced.  I can't feel bad for them because they go to out happy hour weekly and give me the side-eye for not getting manicures like them.  I never told them that I worked and saved every nickel and that's how I put 20% down on a beautiful house and they're clueless. They just care that they're driving nicer cars and have prettier fingernails than me!

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23048
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3845 on: August 25, 2014, 04:12:55 PM »
Overheard my cube neighbor on the phone, sounding excited as he talked about buying a larger house, "And then you get to buy things to fill it!"
Ugh -know that one.  The house we just bought is by all accounts, not very big - only 1400 feet.  Still way too big for us though - we've got two entire rooms we're trying to figure out what to do with.  Of course our attitude is more "crap.  we might have to buy some stuff to fill it".

This kind of hits home.  Me and my SO were looking to purchase a house this spring.  We were looking for about 8-900 sq ft - we have two kids and thought this would be a great size.  I grew up in a 826 and my wife in a 679 sq ft for famillys of five.  Anyways, when I talked to anyone about this, the question was allways, why so small.  You should save buy bigger.  Or you only need 5% down, so why no spluge and get a bigger house when they found out we hade most of 20% saved...

I was thinking, because we do not need extra crap, and I dont want to be house broke.

I see all the time about living in a smaller house on here. i live in a 900sq ft house now with only one bathroom. for me i think the ideal size is around 1400-1500 and two bathrooms. it is me, my wife, my son, two large dogs, and another child on the way. i would like a little more space, but not looking for anything huge. maybe even 1200 sq ft, just set up better, i think an open floor plan is where we need to be. we only put 5% down (this way before finding this site), however, we made sure to purchase a home that we could afford on one income. and still can.
I got 1150 square feet with 2.5 baths and its pretty sweet bc everybody can poop at the same time which happens well IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES OK. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

. . . taco Tuesdays?

jordanread

  • Guest
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3846 on: August 25, 2014, 05:09:43 PM »
Overheard my cube neighbor on the phone, sounding excited as he talked about buying a larger house, "And then you get to buy things to fill it!"
Ugh -know that one.  The house we just bought is by all accounts, not very big - only 1400 feet.  Still way too big for us though - we've got two entire rooms we're trying to figure out what to do with.  Of course our attitude is more "crap.  we might have to buy some stuff to fill it".

This kind of hits home.  Me and my SO were looking to purchase a house this spring.  We were looking for about 8-900 sq ft - we have two kids and thought this would be a great size.  I grew up in a 826 and my wife in a 679 sq ft for famillys of five.  Anyways, when I talked to anyone about this, the question was allways, why so small.  You should save buy bigger.  Or you only need 5% down, so why no spluge and get a bigger house when they found out we hade most of 20% saved...

I was thinking, because we do not need extra crap, and I dont want to be house broke.

I see all the time about living in a smaller house on here. i live in a 900sq ft house now with only one bathroom. for me i think the ideal size is around 1400-1500 and two bathrooms. it is me, my wife, my son, two large dogs, and another child on the way. i would like a little more space, but not looking for anything huge. maybe even 1200 sq ft, just set up better, i think an open floor plan is where we need to be. we only put 5% down (this way before finding this site), however, we made sure to purchase a home that we could afford on one income. and still can.
I got 1150 square feet with 2.5 baths and its pretty sweet bc everybody can poop at the same time which happens well IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES OK. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

. . . taco Tuesdays?
Mundane Mondays? I've had to pee outside twice this week.

NoraLenderbee

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1254
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3847 on: August 25, 2014, 05:37:27 PM »
The newly remarried mom was complaining that "these banks just expect you to have money lying around for a down payment!"  They spoke some more and I tuned out, then heard the single mom say "No one in this day and age should hold it against someone for having credit card debt; we all do!"

I love it when someone talks about "who has money lying around." As if people with savings just have piles of cash on the floor, where we stumble over them and exclaim, "Oh! I could make a down payment with this!" It makes me want to drape some dollar bills on the couch, on the bed, in the recliner, on a cushion, etc., so I can have money actually lying around (instead of working its butt off earning interest and dividends).

Quote
It's been two years and they're both still in apartments. And the recently remarried one has gotten divorced.  I can't feel bad for them because they go to out happy hour weekly and give me the side-eye for not getting manicures like them.  I never told them that I worked and saved every nickel and that's how I put 20% down on a beautiful house and they're clueless. They just care that they're driving nicer cars and have prettier fingernails than me!

Good for you!

4alpacas

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1825
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3848 on: August 25, 2014, 05:41:26 PM »
The newly remarried mom was complaining that "these banks just expect you to have money lying around for a down payment!"  They spoke some more and I tuned out, then heard the single mom say "No one in this day and age should hold it against someone for having credit card debt; we all do!"

I love it when someone talks about "who has money lying around." As if people with savings just have piles of cash on the floor, where we stumble over them and exclaim, "Oh! I could make a down payment with this!" It makes me want to drape some dollar bills on the couch, on the bed, in the recliner, on a cushion, etc., so I can have money actually lying around (instead of working its butt off earning interest and dividends).


I've never mentally pictured "money lying around."  Now I will think of

Alabaster

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 85
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #3849 on: August 25, 2014, 06:52:42 PM »
The newly remarried mom was complaining that "these banks just expect you to have money lying around for a down payment!"  They spoke some more and I tuned out, then heard the single mom say "No one in this day and age should hold it against someone for having credit card debt; we all do!"

I love it when someone talks about "who has money lying around." As if people with savings just have piles of cash on the floor, where we stumble over them and exclaim, "Oh! I could make a down payment with this!" It makes me want to drape some dollar bills on the couch, on the bed, in the recliner, on a cushion, etc., so I can have money actually lying around (instead of working its butt off earning interest and dividends).


That is hilarious. I actually /do/ have small amounts of cash stashed around my house in places where I'll forget about it. I'll come across it randomly and be like "oh yeah, I left some money here encase I need it. Well, I don't need it now, I guess I'll just leave it there". Its a pretty awesome feeling tbh.