Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253298 times)

Gen Y Finance Journey

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8500 on: June 04, 2015, 11:20:14 AM »
And last year, they were hit with an extra tax bill of $13K because "Obamacare", and "somebody has to pay for all those subsidies". I could not for the life of me figure out what this is, because it's not the tax penalty for going uninsured. At first I thought it might be the Cadillac tax, but that doesn't start until 2018?

It's likely an additional Medicare tax that no married couple pays until after they have > $250K in taxable income. So while it sucks to pay an additional $13K, that equates to a very, very large amount of income so don't get out your violin just yet. The tax is either 0.9% of earned taxable income > $250K, or 3.8% of investment income > $250K. Let's assume it's the higher of the two tax rates. This means in order to pay $13K in additional medicare tax from Obamacare: $13,000 / 3.8% = $342,105 investment income in excess of the $250K taxable income threshold.

So either your CW is lying, confused about exactly where the taxes came from, didn't explain it properly, or made a shit ton of money, like $600K + and can afford to subsidize a few people.

I have a friend who complained about exactly the same thing. "We owe $3k in taxes this year because of Obamacare." She and her husband are both on employer sponsored plans. I did a ton of research to try and figure out if there was any way her claim could be true, and came to the same conclusion that the only possible way is the medicare tax that only kicks in for high earners, which they are most decidedly not. Potentially there could be a small effect from the higher deduction threshold for medical expenses, but they would have to have spent a crap ton on unreimbursed medical expenses for it to even make sense for them to itemize (no house, no kids), let alone owe $3k because of it. I tried over and over explaining to her that there's no way Obamacare is causing her to owe taxes, but she refused to believe me. Because everything is Obama's fault.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8501 on: June 04, 2015, 11:24:40 AM »
You know what, at the risk of annoying a ton of people (because in my experience any mention of fatness or slimness bring out INTENSE emotions in people) I totally empathise with you on this.

Welcome to the MMM forums, where your experience is not quite what you may have experienced on other forums. We're pretty awesome around these parts.

My feelings on weight:
1. I don't care what size anyone is
2. I don't care what they eat
3. Food is tasty, it's nice to eat it. Sometimes it's nice to talk about it too.
4. BUT my own body weight, and the amount I eat, is not something to judge, loudly, infront of me. Or make jokes about.

I am naturally quite thin, which for some reason seems to be similar to wearing a sign saying 'please comment on my body in any way you wish, be as rude as you like, I'm thin so it doesn't count as rude anyway'. I have lost count of the amount of times that someone (and it has always been a woman, overweight) has commented along the lines of 'I wish I could eat the way you do', 'you don't understand how hard it is to diet', 'it'll catch up with you when you're older', 'where do you put it all', etc etc.

It makes me so angry, and here is another list for why.

1. I'm female. This is women hating on other women about their size. Just doing the work of mysogynists all by ourselves. Way to go ladies.
2. I don't comment on their bodies. And I'm not judging them for what they eat.
3. But... when they say they wish they could 'eat the way I do', sometimes I just wish I could take them up on that idea and take over their eating habits for just one week, so they have to eat everything I do. And then they might believe me that I just eat a normal amount. And do some exercise.

Sorry for derailing the thread. Rant over.

Preach, sister. I could have written that myself.

Too long, don't read: I agree. The caveat is when people bring up their weight / eating habits themselves.

My family feels the need to comment on my body when I was rail thin (high school runner), each time I would politely tell them that they would likely lose weight if they stopped eating like a pig and started to exercise. They stopped bringing up my thinness.

Team/People,

I don't want to come across as snarky (even though that's kind of my thing), but in this particular instance, health is a majorly important thing for me. I wasn't initially intending to chime in on this latest foam, but I did. I feel bad for all of you who spend time and energy worrying about what others' think. I actually agree with most of you, but it's not relevant. The people who say things like that, unsolicited, are not worth the time and energy to type the responses. Let's move forward. Here is the link to the Strength and Fitness challenge for this year. If you want feedback, go there. If you don't, welcome to the forums, where we give financial advice and face punches for stupid spending. Don't live your life concerning yourself with the stuff people say, let's just do this, and keep going on.

This is the Overheard at Work thread, so things aren't like the rest of things around here. That being said, even though this is foamy, I'd prefer to keep things like we do on the rest of the forums. Just sayin'. Let's do this!!!!

[...]
...it took a long time for me to realize that maybe looking at someone who is trim and fit, and trying to eat like they do - is not a bad idea.  It doesn't always work (I've done a lot of experimentation in the last few years).  [...] Hmm...

You should visit the post I linked to above.

Wings5

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8502 on: June 04, 2015, 10:49:40 PM »
This one's actually mustachian:

Today a senior leader, one of the well-respected silverbacks in the office, told a large group of us over lunch that he was selling his current home and moving into one that's about 1/7 the cost of what he lives in now, and banking the proceeds for retirement.

Torran

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8503 on: June 05, 2015, 02:41:41 AM »
You know what, at the risk of annoying a ton of people (because in my experience any mention of fatness or slimness bring out INTENSE emotions in people) I totally empathise with you on this.

Welcome to the MMM forums, where your experience is not quite what you may have experienced on other forums. We're pretty awesome around these parts.

My feelings on weight:
1. I don't care what size anyone is
2. I don't care what they eat
3. Food is tasty, it's nice to eat it. Sometimes it's nice to talk about it too.
4. BUT my own body weight, and the amount I eat, is not something to judge, loudly, infront of me. Or make jokes about.

I am naturally quite thin, which for some reason seems to be similar to wearing a sign saying 'please comment on my body in any way you wish, be as rude as you like, I'm thin so it doesn't count as rude anyway'. I have lost count of the amount of times that someone (and it has always been a woman, overweight) has commented along the lines of 'I wish I could eat the way you do', 'you don't understand how hard it is to diet', 'it'll catch up with you when you're older', 'where do you put it all', etc etc.

It makes me so angry, and here is another list for why.

1. I'm female. This is women hating on other women about their size. Just doing the work of mysogynists all by ourselves. Way to go ladies.
2. I don't comment on their bodies. And I'm not judging them for what they eat.
3. But... when they say they wish they could 'eat the way I do', sometimes I just wish I could take them up on that idea and take over their eating habits for just one week, so they have to eat everything I do. And then they might believe me that I just eat a normal amount. And do some exercise.

Sorry for derailing the thread. Rant over.

Preach, sister. I could have written that myself.

Too long, don't read: I agree. The caveat is when people bring up their weight / eating habits themselves.

My family feels the need to comment on my body when I was rail thin (high school runner), each time I would politely tell them that they would likely lose weight if they stopped eating like a pig and started to exercise. They stopped bringing up my thinness.

Team/People,

I don't want to come across as snarky (even though that's kind of my thing), but in this particular instance, health is a majorly important thing for me. I wasn't initially intending to chime in on this latest foam, but I did. I feel bad for all of you who spend time and energy worrying about what others' think. I actually agree with most of you, but it's not relevant. The people who say things like that, unsolicited, are not worth the time and energy to type the responses. Let's move forward. Here is the link to the Strength and Fitness challenge for this year. If you want feedback, go there. If you don't, welcome to the forums, where we give financial advice and face punches for stupid spending. Don't live your life concerning yourself with the stuff people say, let's just do this, and keep going on.

This is the Overheard at Work thread, so things aren't like the rest of things around here. That being said, even though this is foamy, I'd prefer to keep things like we do on the rest of the forums. Just sayin'. Let's do this!!!!

[...]
...it took a long time for me to realize that maybe looking at someone who is trim and fit, and trying to eat like they do - is not a bad idea.  It doesn't always work (I've done a lot of experimentation in the last few years).  [...] Hmm...

You should visit the post I linked to above.

Fair point: I was massively derailing the thread with my rage there. Back to the finances. 

Chilling out and not caring what other people think is a very good suggestion. I think however that it's one of those goals that might be a lifetime's work ;)

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8504 on: June 05, 2015, 06:33:30 AM »
+1 to being thin somehow making your body and eating habits an invitation to comment. "Aren't to having any more than that? Come on, you're so tiny, you can afford to!" How about I say "Gosh, are you eating all that? Surely you shouldn't as you're so fat already."

This has reminded of an old CW-of-sorts (same very small course at college). Every day I would bring lunch from home and she would get a free lunch from the canteen (hot main and pudding for low-income students). Every day she would eat hers in five seconds flat and then pause, look over at mine, and say "That looks nice" with this weird hungry look in her eyes. She would then complain about the free meal she had just eaten, saying it wasn't as nice as mine and she wishes she could eat what I was eating (which, believe me, was nothing spectacular - either a sandwich or tinned beans in some form). Then she would pretend to work while actually just watching me eat. In the end, I are my lunch at the top of the stairwell by the fuse box to escape.

And to think Id forgotten all about that! Thankfully have literally not seen or heard of this girl since the day I graduated, but all sorts of crazy anti-Mustachian and just plain creepy stuff is coming flooding back.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8505 on: June 05, 2015, 08:14:34 AM »
+1 to being thin somehow making your body and eating habits an invitation to comment. "Aren't to having any more than that? Come on, you're so tiny, you can afford to!" How about I say "Gosh, are you eating all that? Surely you shouldn't as you're so fat already."

I'm sorry and yeah I know the impulse to respond with that. I remember being told to eat sweets when I was in high school, I was rail thin from running a lot and my mom's friends felt like it was their mission to put some fat on me. One of them asked me why I don't eat __ and I responded with, "Because I don't want to end up like" and stopped. My mom was beat red, though partially from wanting to laugh.  I don't think the women understood the reference. I was kinda cheeky in my youth.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8506 on: June 05, 2015, 09:24:59 AM »
This one's actually mustachian:

Today a senior leader, one of the well-respected silverbacks in the office, told a large group of us over lunch that he was selling his current home and moving into one that's about 1/7 the cost of what he lives in now, and banking the proceeds for retirement.
There's a different thread for posts such as these.

Hunny156

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8507 on: June 05, 2015, 10:04:02 AM »
Kinda foamy, but still overheard at work and with some financial reference:

I bring at least two bananas to work daily, and sometimes mandarin oranges when in season.  I also bring a head of romaine lettuce daily and eat it leaf by leaf - I actually like the way these things taste.  I get rabbit comments all the time...

One of my co-workers is in poor physical condition - diabetic and no other male in his family has lived past 55 w/o dying from a coronary.  He's in his early 50's, so he is trying to make the effort, but in all the wrong ways.  We once had a lunch meeting, and after eating our company supplied box lunches from Panera, he pulled out a Ziploc bag w/fried chicken in it!  Most recently, he's decided that natural hormone replacement therapy is the solution, so he's eating 500 calories/day and blowing a ton of money on daily supplements, plus doing this quarterly procedure where they cut open a part of your thigh and insert these hormone beads, for about $1,500 each time!  Insurance does not cover this, and since he's on wife #3, he really can't afford any of this crap, which doesn't seem to be working anyhow.  But he will stop by to inform me that bananas are super high in sugar and therefore not good for you.  Sad...

My former boss on the other hand was pretty amusing.  I work in a very non-pc environment.  I would come back to my desk and find a banana and two oranges placed in a very, um, creative way!  Use your imagination.  :)

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8508 on: June 05, 2015, 10:15:58 AM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Hunny156

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8509 on: June 05, 2015, 10:33:10 AM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Close enough, I'm in the suburbs of Austin.  But our corporate offices are in Houston.  I'd bet we work in the same industry.

Hunny156

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8510 on: June 05, 2015, 12:28:25 PM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Close enough, I'm in the suburbs of Austin.  But our corporate offices are in Houston.  I'd bet we work in the same industry.

I wouldn't exactly call a suburb of Austin the "deep South". As a native Texas (DFW-area), I always make it a point to separate Texas from "the South", especially the areas near the big cities. Sounds like the boss is just a conservative nutjob, regardless of location.

I would have to disagree with you there.  Austin is certainly a progressive blueberry, but get one inch outside of the city, and it's regressive all the way.  I'm in Williamson County, and all the southern stereotypes hold true here.  It's a nice place to live, but us progressive types learned a long time ago to smile and change the subject when it comes to politics or religion.

It's very sad, because the suburbs of most of the big cities do a lot to neutralize the Democratic votes that are cast.  I'm not saying it's a waste of a vote, but it is disheartening to see that this trend will make it much harder to turn TX back to blue.  Jon Stewart did a really good segment on it after Wendy Davis lost.

I will agree that the boss is a conservative nutjob.  He fits in very well here.

Apples

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8511 on: June 05, 2015, 02:13:06 PM »

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

I live and work in a rural area of a northern state.  I have had actual discussions with coworkers disagreeing that Obama has not, in fact, had the most Executive Orders ever.  This is something that is a fact, and can be found online.  But nope, the Dictator in Chief is definitely just sending out dozens of those babies every week.  Also, carbon dating is a giant worldwide conspiracy theory and they're doing it wrong, because the 6,000 years old earth as stated in the Bible is the way it really is. Oy.

GrowingAMustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8512 on: June 06, 2015, 08:25:57 AM »
I work at the water department collecting bill payments and dealing with people that has been cut off. I can get some wild and stupid stories sometimes.  Here is a sample of a few stories I heard this week.
Cut off customer 1:  I don't think I can afford to pay this bill and reconnection.
Coworker:  I'm sorry but I can't recconect until you pay the entire bill and reconnection.
Cut off customer 1:  Ok, but I don't know if I will be able to feed the kids.
(customer pays)
Coworker:  The June bill is up, and your your bill is really high.  Do you have a leak?
Cut off customer1:  No, we filled up the pool.

I call customer 2 which is a business to tell him that his bill would be cut off the next morning if it wasn't paid, and he said he would be in.  He didn't show so I sent the order for him to be cut off.
Cut off customer 2 comes to my desk:
Cut off customer 2 (angerly says):  the guy that cut off my water would not take my payment.
me:  he isn't allowed to because it is a safety issue with him, he could be robbed.
Cut off customer 2:  He shouldn't cut it off, and give you time to pay
me:  didn't I call you to tell you?
(he stops talking and gives me the payment)

Customer 3 (we have a lot of issues from this guy: he said he would be in first thing Monday morning he knows he was ready to be disconnect.  I said ok, but I knew he wouldn't be in.  We cut him off Tuesday  because he didn't show.  He comes in and pays, about 30 mins later he calls)
Cut off customer 3:  You shouldn't cut me off I told you I would come in on Monday.
me:  I know you said you would come in Monday.  Its Tuesday.
Cut off customer 3:  Man, its just one day.
Me:  I'm sorry but you said you would be in, it should have been cut off last week.
Cust off customer 3:  When will it be cut on? I need to go to work!
Me:  The meter reader is at lunch, It will be least an hour.
Cut off customer 3:  I need to take a shower!  Your causing me to be late for work.
Me:  You caused your own self to be late to work.
(he hangs up)

ThriftyTechie

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8513 on: June 06, 2015, 08:37:35 AM »
CW recently got into a decent job in the tech industry after years of being broke working shitty jobs. He still has a mountain of student loans, so I was surprised when he started looking for 1 bdrm apartments to rent. We live in San Francisco, where living in a 1 bdrm by yourself can cost you $20k a year more than sharing a multi bdrm house with roommates. He said he was tired of living like a student. At least he didn't buy a fancy car, just a fancy motorcycle.

wenchsenior

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8514 on: June 06, 2015, 09:35:36 AM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Close enough, I'm in the suburbs of Austin.  But our corporate offices are in Houston.  I'd bet we work in the same industry.

I wouldn't exactly call a suburb of Austin the "deep South". As a native Texas (DFW-area), I always make it a point to separate Texas from "the South", especially the areas near the big cities. Sounds like the boss is just a conservative nutjob, regardless of location.

I would have to disagree with you there.  Austin is certainly a progressive blueberry, but get one inch outside of the city, and it's regressive all the way.  I'm in Williamson County, and all the southern stereotypes hold true here.  It's a nice place to live, but us progressive types learned a long time ago to smile and change the subject when it comes to politics or religion.

It's very sad, because the suburbs of most of the big cities do a lot to neutralize the Democratic votes that are cast.  I'm not saying it's a waste of a vote, but it is disheartening to see that this trend will make it much harder to turn TX back to blue.  Jon Stewart did a really good segment on it after Wendy Davis lost.

I will agree that the boss is a conservative nutjob.  He fits in very well here.

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

That is a very kind view of humanity LOL.

The fact that your experience is that this type of view is NOT the norm in Texas (where I also live) makes me think you must be extremely fortunate in the people you work or associate with. Texas is PACKED with this type of nutjob. Most of rural America is. Urban America otoh, seems bursting with people who think taxing the 1% will solve every problem the United States ever had, or ever will have...which is a different brand of fantasy-world.

I've lived and worked in a lot of states, both small towns and big cities that are not the Deep South, and it is :plants tongue in cheek: my totally objective, politically just-left-of-center,  non-biased, data-driven opinion that the average American is 1) irrational; 2) and also bone-ignorant about everything outside their immediate circle. Facts mean little to most people; people form opinions based on emotion, and then try to find reasons to support their opinion...Cherry picking data if available; pulling imaginary stuff out of their butts if not. It's not really their fault, exactly, it's just how the human race is evolutionarily wired (including me, so I try lots of techniques to self-check my emotional responses to things, usually not terribly successfully).

If the Deep South is worse than Texas in this regard, then it must be truly mind-boggling.


TN_Steve

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8515 on: June 06, 2015, 02:58:05 PM »
...
I've lived and worked in a lot of states, both small towns and big cities that are not the Deep South, and it is :plants tongue in cheek: my totally objective, politically just-left-of-center,  non-biased, data-driven opinion that the average American Human is 1) irrational; 2) and also bone-ignorant about everything outside their immediate circle. Facts mean little to most people; people form opinions based on emotion, and then try to find reasons to support their opinion...Cherry picking data if available; pulling imaginary stuff out of their butts if not. It's not really their fault, exactly, it's just how the human race is evolutionarily wired (including me, so I try lots of techniques to self-check my emotional responses to things, usually not terribly successfully).

...

:-)  (from a libertarianish atheist living and enjoying life on the edge of religious south and a liberal outpost therein;  I just try to keep my mouth/opinions shut and try to enjoy those from either side of the spectrum!)

civil

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8516 on: June 06, 2015, 07:25:55 PM »
I work at the water department collecting bill payments and dealing with people that has been cut off. I can get some wild and stupid stories sometimes. 

I used to work at a public works department too, and we got lots of these stories! My favorite was when we would call the cable company and find out the customers were still paying $150/month to Comcast while neglecting their gas bill. The city had some sort of restriction on cutting off the gas heat in the winter (people could freeze to death), so we had to wait til spring and cut them off. But the whole time, they were voluntarily stiffing the city because we couldn't cut them off, and Comcast definitely would. One guy even upgraded his cable package in the winter, because he knew he could save money on his gas bill.

I also dealt with city programs giving free stuff (shoes, paint, computers) to 'low income' people, many of whom had tens of thousands of dollars of unnecessary electronics scattered about their houses, or five luxury vehicles, huge pools, etc.... but the aid formulas don't require them to sell their assets to get aid, or maybe they just weren't reporting anything they had. It would have been fine (everyone has bad times, right?) except that these people often treated me like shit and bragged about their 'lawn guy' and 'pool guy.'

Overall, though, the few people who were genuinely grateful for city services made up for the rest.

TexasStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8517 on: June 06, 2015, 09:21:36 PM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Close enough, I'm in the suburbs of Austin.  But our corporate offices are in Houston.  I'd bet we work in the same industry.

I wouldn't exactly call a suburb of Austin the "deep South". As a native Texas (DFW-area), I always make it a point to separate Texas from "the South", especially the areas near the big cities. Sounds like the boss is just a conservative nutjob, regardless of location.

I would have to disagree with you there.  Austin is certainly a progressive blueberry, but get one inch outside of the city, and it's regressive all the way.  I'm in Williamson County, and all the southern stereotypes hold true here.  It's a nice place to live, but us progressive types learned a long time ago to smile and change the subject when it comes to politics or religion.

It's very sad, because the suburbs of most of the big cities do a lot to neutralize the Democratic votes that are cast.  I'm not saying it's a waste of a vote, but it is disheartening to see that this trend will make it much harder to turn TX back to blue.  Jon Stewart did a really good segment on it after Wendy Davis lost.

I will agree that the boss is a conservative nutjob.  He fits in very well here.

You haven't been to the Deep South if you think the suburbs of Austin qualify. There is more to Deep South culture than the things you mentioned.

Even though I would not be a progressive liberal, it bugs me when people say things like Obama Bin Laden just like it did when they called Bush Hitler. Dumb, ignorant and judgmental all in one.

CupcakeGuru

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8518 on: June 07, 2015, 06:17:22 AM »
I work with an awesome guy who is totally bad with money. He mentioned he had to leave early one day to apply for a loan at the bank to fix his sewer line. He said it would cost about $10,000 and "Who has that kind of cash lying around".

The next week, he left early to go to his kid's school to bring a check to pay for his kid (age 12) to go to Europe on a field trip. Trip cost $8,000.

Guy's job title "Head of Finance" and he makes over $150,000 a year.

wenchsenior

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8519 on: June 07, 2015, 07:43:22 AM »
...
I've lived and worked in a lot of states, both small towns and big cities that are not the Deep South, and it is :plants tongue in cheek: my totally objective, politically just-left-of-center,  non-biased, data-driven opinion that the average American Human is 1) irrational; 2) and also bone-ignorant about everything outside their immediate circle. Facts mean little to most people; people form opinions based on emotion, and then try to find reasons to support their opinion...Cherry picking data if available; pulling imaginary stuff out of their butts if not. It's not really their fault, exactly, it's just how the human race is evolutionarily wired (including me, so I try lots of techniques to self-check my emotional responses to things, usually not terribly successfully).

...

:-)  (from a libertarianish atheist living and enjoying life on the edge of religious south and a liberal outpost therein;  I just try to keep my mouth/opinions shut and try to enjoy those from either side of the spectrum!)

Thanks for fixing my post! So true!

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8520 on: June 07, 2015, 09:48:23 AM »
CW recently got into a decent job in the tech industry after years of being broke working shitty jobs. He still has a mountain of student loans, so I was surprised when he started looking for 1 bdrm apartments to rent. We live in San Francisco, where living in a 1 bdrm by yourself can cost you $20k a year more than sharing a multi bdrm house with roommates. He said he was tired of living like a student. At least he didn't buy a fancy car, just a fancy motorcycle.

You might be a little harsh. It's hard to bust your butt in part time jobs and school for years and not see much come of it.  It hurts the pride and paying hefty amounts to patch it is a natural reaction.  Telling this guy he should go back to living like a starving student will only garner a blank stare. But proposing the potential benefits of such a reversal may gain a convert.

Plus sharing living space isn't always easy. Some people lack the temperment and some just swear it off after too many crappy roommates.

Sam E

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8521 on: June 07, 2015, 11:00:00 AM »
CW recently got into a decent job in the tech industry after years of being broke working shitty jobs. He still has a mountain of student loans, so I was surprised when he started looking for 1 bdrm apartments to rent. We live in San Francisco, where living in a 1 bdrm by yourself can cost you $20k a year more than sharing a multi bdrm house with roommates. He said he was tired of living like a student. At least he didn't buy a fancy car, just a fancy motorcycle.

You might be a little harsh. It's hard to bust your butt in part time jobs and school for years and not see much come of it.  It hurts the pride and paying hefty amounts to patch it is a natural reaction.  Telling this guy he should go back to living like a starving student will only garner a blank stare. But proposing the potential benefits of such a reversal may gain a convert.

Plus sharing living space isn't always easy. Some people lack the temperment and some just swear it off after too many crappy roommates.

I agree on the roommates bit for sure. I'd rather have an apartment for myself that I can pay a bit more for than to rely on other people to make rent in addition to the inconveniences and difficulties of living with other people, especially when you're talking about renting and sharing an entire house with multiple people.

For me, personally, I want home to be a place to relax and recharge, and being an introvert the best way for me to do that is to be alone and not having to deal with draining social interaction.

Though if I was in that person's shoes with all the student loan debt I'd probably be looking for a studio apartment rather than 1 bedroom to save on rent.

rockm87

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8522 on: June 08, 2015, 05:21:14 AM »
CO: credit card companies are suckers, they dont realise I'm paying my bill with money I've just withdrawn from my credit card.
Me: you know you get charged interest for cash withdrawals on a credit card, youre just adding to your debt
CO: I dont, because it's just from a normal cash machine
Me:...

nothing...why bother....doesnt read his statements, wont balance transfer as it's 'too difficult'...struggling to pay off the card....*sigh*

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8523 on: June 08, 2015, 08:57:20 AM »
I also bring a head of romaine lettuce daily and eat it leaf by leaf - I actually like the way these things taste.  I get rabbit comments all the time...

To be fair, that does sound pretty rabbit-y.

But I'm guessing that unlike a rabbit you don't use your jaw to bring more of the leaf into your mouth while chowing down on it.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8524 on: June 08, 2015, 12:29:05 PM »
I also bring a head of romaine lettuce daily and eat it leaf by leaf - I actually like the way these things taste.  I get rabbit comments all the time...

To be fair, that does sound pretty rabbit-y.

But I'm guessing that unlike a rabbit you don't use your jaw to bring more of the leaf into your mouth while chowing down on it.

I also love romaine and had an idea for a post-fire business.*  It's modeled after how I sometimes eat my "salad."  Basically I get a bunch of romaine leaves and put them in a tall cup.  Then I dip them in a dressing.  Ends up being like a healthy version of chicken strips, and if you attach the dipping cause to the cup it would be good on the go.  You could put some grilled chicken strips in there too.  Pretty sure there's no market for this, though. 


*my basic goal is to do something where I get to hang out in a nice sunny location and people watch, and get paid for it, like a non busy hot dog stand at a park or something like that.

fantabulous

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8525 on: June 08, 2015, 12:47:42 PM »
I also love romaine and had an idea for a post-fire business.*  It's modeled after how I sometimes eat my "salad."  Basically I get a bunch of romaine leaves and put them in a tall cup.  Then I dip them in a dressing.  Ends up being like a healthy version of chicken strips, and if you attach the dipping cause to the cup it would be good on the go.  You could put some grilled chicken strips in there too.  Pretty sure there's no market for this, though. 

Offer a deep fried version of it. Yes, I'm suggesting deep fried romaine, not just the chicken.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8526 on: June 08, 2015, 12:52:08 PM »
I also bring a head of romaine lettuce daily and eat it leaf by leaf - I actually like the way these things taste.  I get rabbit comments all the time...

To be fair, that does sound pretty rabbit-y.

But I'm guessing that unlike a rabbit you don't use your jaw to bring more of the leaf into your mouth while chowing down on it.

I also love romaine and had an idea for a post-fire business.*  It's modeled after how I sometimes eat my "salad."  Basically I get a bunch of romaine leaves and put them in a tall cup.  Then I dip them in a dressing.  Ends up being like a healthy version of chicken strips, and if you attach the dipping cause to the cup it would be good on the go.  You could put some grilled chicken strips in there too.  Pretty sure there's no market for this, though. 


*my basic goal is to do something where I get to hang out in a nice sunny location and people watch, and get paid for it, like a non busy hot dog stand at a park or something like that.

You would be surprised how much people are willing to pay if you package it up nicely for them. It's all marketing, in the end, that defines the modern consumer.

Just see how much Fresh Kitchen in Tampa charges for their salads. http://www.cicciorestaurantgroup.com/images/MENUS-CICCIO-FRESHKITCHEN/FKWebMenu.pdf   
You can easily make the same at a fraction of the price, using organic if you wish. I've tried it (for free), it's meh!

music lover

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8527 on: June 08, 2015, 01:01:43 PM »
Oh gawd.

I ref hockey, and have been playing it from age 6 to now. Tell her to go to Play it again sports for the skates. Or Ebay. Or Hockeymonkey.com closeout, or Hockeygiant.com closeout, or... And tell her that the blades that came with the skates are fine. And that he is 13, his slapshot sucks, and he doesn't need the most expensive stick (I can probably guarantee my slapshot is about 4 times as good as his... and my stick cost $30, although those are near impossible to find now).

Also tell her that the kid isn't going to make the NHL, or even a decent college team, so pull him out of AAA and go down to AA or A. Private lessons? They're over paying. Because, again, he isn't making the NHL. Put a hockey net in the basement, tell him to shoot for an hour a day aiming at the corners, and give him a golf ball and tell him to stick handle it througha bucnh of pucks for obstacles.

Signed, a guy who could have played club hockey in college but didn't, and a guy who has reffed everything from Club College to Juniors (pre-pro) to semi-pro, and everything below that.

My friend quit a good paying government job with great benefits to run a hockey school for 6 or 8 two-week sessions per year. The amount of money that people will pay to put their kids in a hockey school is mind boggling.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8528 on: June 08, 2015, 02:51:38 PM »
*my basic goal is to do something where I get to hang out in a nice sunny location and people watch, and get paid for it, like a non busy hot dog stand at a park or something like that.

Hot dog carts are surprisingly cheap. I actually considered getting one and setting up near my old college; they had an exclusive contract with their food service vendor, so every place on campus was equally terrible. There's a big market there.

shotgunwilly

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8529 on: June 08, 2015, 03:25:25 PM »

My current boss is an older gentleman, who clearly doesn't understand that politics should not be brought up in the workplace.  He routinely refers to "Obama Bin Laden".  This week, he said it in a meeting with a lot of international co-workers.  They visibly recoiled at that comment.  I resisted the urge to point out that outside of the US, our president is viewed far more favorably than he is here in the deep South!

Are you in Houston? A friend of mine describes her work in much the same way.

Close enough, I'm in the suburbs of Austin.  But our corporate offices are in Houston.  I'd bet we work in the same industry.

I wouldn't exactly call a suburb of Austin the "deep South". As a native Texas (DFW-area), I always make it a point to separate Texas from "the South", especially the areas near the big cities. Sounds like the boss is just a conservative nutjob, regardless of location.

I would have to disagree with you there.  Austin is certainly a progressive blueberry, but get one inch outside of the city, and it's regressive all the way.  I'm in Williamson County, and all the southern stereotypes hold true here.  It's a nice place to live, but us progressive types learned a long time ago to smile and change the subject when it comes to politics or religion.

It's very sad, because the suburbs of most of the big cities do a lot to neutralize the Democratic votes that are cast.  I'm not saying it's a waste of a vote, but it is disheartening to see that this trend will make it much harder to turn TX back to blue.  Jon Stewart did a really good segment on it after Wendy Davis lost.

I will agree that the boss is a conservative nutjob.  He fits in very well here.

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

Hey now, give them a break. They can't all spend the majority of their time on the internet studying the science and getting their "facts" from disproportionately liberal forum communities and misinformed media sources.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8530 on: June 08, 2015, 03:32:32 PM »
As someone who once had a car payment I don't see how that's an excuse. It's all about living within one's means. I used to keep an extra $1000-1500 sitting in the checking account as a floor that I would never plan on spending, just in case I overspent or didn't get paid on time or something. It may not be the most optimal life arrangement, but it's extremely easy to do and better than having your hair on fire once per month! In the 3 or 4 years I had that loan I never had a financial problem.

(BTW people telling me my advice is inapplicable because I don't have a house/kid/fancy car in my life is a big pet peeve of mine, so it's nice that I can actually speak from experience on one of these!)

When I was single (years ago) that would have been enough money to keep on tap for emergencies. These days $5K is what I prefer to have on tap. I'm aiming for 6 months of salary as we can save it. Honestly we've always gotten by without much in savings but we were very poor for a long time. I don't want to be poor anymore and I don't want to worry that one of our very elderly cars will leave us stranded and I'll need to seek a loan to repair it.

Never called on our parents for money, never needed a loan for a car repair (done them myself and saved big money over the years), etc. Some of that was luck, some of that was careful planning. Mostly luck though. ;)

The money experts always recommended what seemed like to us unattainable amounts of emergency cash. Finally we're to a place where we can actually make progress in that direction. All it would have taken was better decisions about 20 years ago. -eye rolling-

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8531 on: June 08, 2015, 03:45:21 PM »
I've got two in the past week.

1.  Can anyone lend me $600 for Yo Gabba Gabba tickets?  Child X really LOVES them but we can't afford to go.  Me "Holy CRAP a kids show is that expensive?!?!"  Her "Well, that's the first 15 rows and you get a back stage VIP pass, only the best for child X (who is all of maybe 3 and won't remember anything about this meeting"  Mind you I am pretty sure they are still paying off around 60k in credit card debt that she wracked up before getting married.

2.  Co Worker who gets in large boxes from fancy stores all the time and routinely spends hundreds a week on clothes.   "Ugh, our home health aid wants a raise, I TOLD her 4 years ago when we hired her there would be no raises because we can't afford it".  Me: "Well how much are you paying her"  Her "800 a month for both of my parents who are on dialysis and live in NYC"  Her and her husband pull in over 200k (probably closer to 250) a year combined, this aid takes care of her parents 24-7 365 because she doesn't want to have to deal with them and when I asked she swore poverty that she couldn't afford an extra 50 a month to pay this woman (under the table mind you)...aaaand she just spent 3k, on a couch that she was flashing pictures in the office of...  We continued to talk and I brought up early retirement and got the "I don't know how you can save on our crappy salaries, we can only save 300 a month"....she earns about 20-30k more a year than me, and I'm pushing 90 a year.

#1 - we are taking a family vacation this year. Discussing places to go and thought of a free museum. Then I dismissed it b/c we'd been. Then remembered the kids were so small that the oldest doesn't remember it and the second wasn't in this world yet. Wahoo! They'll love it...

#2 - Worked for a lady just like this. Could give us college guys a small raise b/c she was too tight (stingy) yet she leased one fancy import convertible after another.  My coworker was complaining that she ought to give us a raise (we had a good crew that went above and beyond for her) and i told him to try if he liked but there would not be any raises.

Years later I found out through the grapevine that she and her hubby weren't rich but huge spenders - boat, RV, vacation house, home pool, etc. They spent every dime they made. Eventually they split and she took up a favorite substance to abuse - don't know which one. Money woes continued and then the detached garage burned down (taking an RV with it). Then the house burned down. Then some commercial property burned as well. Huh? Who is that unlucky? With no evidence to the contrary and because I have a huge imagination - I think I know what happened as well as many other folks who live around here...

firelight

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8532 on: June 08, 2015, 04:20:29 PM »
Not overheard from work, but from a guy that I'm selling my spare watch to.

I had listed it at $140 and he wanted to buy it at $100. We agreed on $120 and he said he is down to his last $100 and needs to wait till Friday to be paid. He asked me to hold the item for him till Friday. :O

If all he has is $100, he shouldn't be buying a stupid watch. But I'm the seller and I'll take his offer.

Migrator Soul

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8533 on: June 08, 2015, 06:57:36 PM »
A bit different. We were out on the range, and I was helping some junior soldiers with their equipment. One of them had mentioned how he is broke all the time, and can't afford to take his girlfriend out on a date. Me being the curious and slightly helpful sort, I inquired about where all his spare cash goes. He said, well, "I have a really high insurance payment, because I keep getting nailed with speeding tickets, and my car payment is pretty good sized, then I have to pay for unlimited data, tethering, and such on my phone, and I just bought a new iphone six, and I had to tint my windows on my car after getting a new aftermarket stereo put in, and I hate the DFAC food, so I go out to ***** bar to eat, and end up drinking."

It goes on for a while. A while being the point where I stopped listening and waited for his mouth to close. My response was "You are a retard. If you want to get your shit together, ask. But before you waste money on a woman that you will claim is the love of your life in six months to get out of the barracks, you may want to downsize just a bit on all this shit you don't need."

Queue whining about how he needs this and that and the other.. The next month I see him come to work with brand new rims on his vehicle. Always bright.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8534 on: June 08, 2015, 07:58:16 PM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2015, 09:52:15 PM by Daisy »

fb132

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8535 on: June 09, 2015, 05:01:58 AM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
As long as you don't abuse on eating avocados, nuts and eggs, it is still better than eatin Doritos, Coca Cola and chocolate that most people prefer to eat.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8536 on: June 09, 2015, 06:38:38 AM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
As long as you don't abuse on eating avocados, nuts and eggs, it is still better than eatin Doritos, Coca Cola and chocolate that most people prefer to eat.

I feel really bad for these people.  Some of them honestly believe that there is too much sugar in fruit, or fat in an avocado and end up making the decision to eat processed junk instead.  There is so much misinformation about diet out there, it's not surprising that many people develop radically skewed ideas about food and eating.

dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8537 on: June 09, 2015, 08:00:20 AM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
As long as you don't abuse on eating avocados, nuts and eggs, it is still better than eatin Doritos, Coca Cola and chocolate that most people prefer to eat.

I feel really bad for these people.  Some of them honestly believe that there is too much sugar in fruit, or fat in an avocado and end up making the decision to eat processed junk instead.  There is so much misinformation about diet out there, it's not surprising that many people develop radically skewed ideas about food and eating.
At the risk of getting foamy... I agree with this.  Eating fat is not the issue, eating sugar is not the issue.  The issue is that we have gotten everything out of whack.  Omega 6 fat is supposed to be consumed in about a 4:1 ratio with omega 3 fat.  We are consuming it about 16:1.  This is because of the way that we are processing everything.  I remember as a kid, picking a carrot out of the garden we grew, whipping it on my pants, and eating it...dirt and all.  If you allowed that today, you would be a bad parent.  We need to go back to a simpler time.   

Simpler for food.  Simpler because we did not seem to need all of the useless stuff we "need" now.  So I guess less stuff, more cash flow, better food... Hmm I might be on to something.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8538 on: June 09, 2015, 08:15:26 AM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
As long as you don't abuse on eating avocados, nuts and eggs, it is still better than eatin Doritos, Coca Cola and chocolate that most people prefer to eat.

I feel really bad for these people.  Some of them honestly believe that there is too much sugar in fruit, or fat in an avocado and end up making the decision to eat processed junk instead.  There is so much misinformation about diet out there, it's not surprising that many people develop radically skewed ideas about food and eating.
At the risk of getting foamy... I agree with this.  Eating fat is not the issue, eating sugar is not the issue.  The issue is that we have gotten everything out of whack.  Omega 6 fat is supposed to be consumed in about a 4:1 ratio with omega 3 fat.  We are consuming it about 16:1.  This is because of the way that we are processing everything.  I remember as a kid, picking a carrot out of the garden we grew, whipping it on my pants, and eating it...dirt and all.  If you allowed that today, you would be a bad parent.  We need to go back to a simpler time.   

Simpler for food.  Simpler because we did not seem to need all of the useless stuff we "need" now.  So I guess less stuff, more cash flow, better food... Hmm I might be on to something.

I find obesity to be similar to people that can't save. It's a simple matter of what matters to each of us individually. The fat women with 'tyroid' problems, is like someone who complains that they can't save their earnings even though they may make 30k more than their mustachain coworker. She may think that skinny people are lucky, and I'm guessing that she will think that people that FIRE in their 30s are depraved or come from money or have some special skill that mere mortals like her lack.

I will admit I lose my patience with such people and have stopped being idle and just nodding at their comments. My coworkers are pretty good about not making stupid comments, but I have a salesmen that will not shut up about anything and I have had to become harsh with him about it. The fat coworker mentioned by 11ducks is lucky I don't work with her, I'm usually pretty quick to say, "No I"m not fit by luck, I'm fit because I don't stuff a cake down my throat. Next time you mention my foot, I'll mention your food."

dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8539 on: June 09, 2015, 08:25:25 AM »
Aargh- I used to sit opposite the most negative, draining woman ever. She was overweight,  loudly claimed it was thyroid (nope, it's the cakes you shove into your gaping maw daily), and would critique every piece of food I brought in, looking for the unhealthy stuff, and then exclaim about the sugary/fatty parts of my lunch, and oh, aren't you lucky, wouldn't it be nice to have a metabolism like yours??? Drove me nuts. I used to put a square of chocolate in my oats each morning in lieu of sweetener, and god, she never failed to tell the whole office about my 'chocolatey' breakfast (never mind the hour I spent in the gym before work, and that it was 10grams of chocolate). She would point out my bananas and handful of nuts and smugly tell me they were way too full of sugar/fat for her, but ooh, lucky naturally skinny you, you can eat it. I wanted to smother her. Sorry, a bit OT. Coworkers.

I believe I've posted this here before, but I have _never_ gotten unsolicited advice on my diet or exercise from someone who was actually fit.

I also find it frustrating when someone who appears to be not-in-the-best-shape makes comments on me eating avocados or nuts or whole eggs (the yolk and all!) or some other thing like that and they claim that it is "high fat - you shouldn't eat it!". Fruits - "too much sugar!". Whole eggs - "the yolks will kill you!". Although I think this may be the types of things they hear from their doctors or some widely accepted (but incorrect) nutritional advice.

Me - I prefer to eat whole natural foods in a balanced way. I usually just stare back at them because, at least from outward appearances, I think I am healthier than they are. But who really knows...I could drop dead tomorrow from eating avocados, nuts, and whole eggs. No one really knows others' internal health.
As long as you don't abuse on eating avocados, nuts and eggs, it is still better than eatin Doritos, Coca Cola and chocolate that most people prefer to eat.

I feel really bad for these people.  Some of them honestly believe that there is too much sugar in fruit, or fat in an avocado and end up making the decision to eat processed junk instead.  There is so much misinformation about diet out there, it's not surprising that many people develop radically skewed ideas about food and eating.
At the risk of getting foamy... I agree with this.  Eating fat is not the issue, eating sugar is not the issue.  The issue is that we have gotten everything out of whack.  Omega 6 fat is supposed to be consumed in about a 4:1 ratio with omega 3 fat.  We are consuming it about 16:1.  This is because of the way that we are processing everything.  I remember as a kid, picking a carrot out of the garden we grew, whipping it on my pants, and eating it...dirt and all.  If you allowed that today, you would be a bad parent.  We need to go back to a simpler time.   

Simpler for food.  Simpler because we did not seem to need all of the useless stuff we "need" now.  So I guess less stuff, more cash flow, better food... Hmm I might be on to something.

I find obesity to be similar to people that can't save. It's a simple matter of what matters to each of us individually. The fat women with 'tyroid' problems, is like someone who complains that they can't save their earnings even though they may make 30k more than their mustachain coworker. She may think that skinny people are lucky, and I'm guessing that she will think that people that FIRE in their 30s are depraved or come from money or have some special skill that mere mortals like her lack.

I will admit I lose my patience with such people and have stopped being idle and just nodding at their comments. My coworkers are pretty good about not making stupid comments, but I have a salesmen that will not shut up about anything and I have had to become harsh with him about it. The fat coworker mentioned by 11ducks is lucky I don't work with her, I'm usually pretty quick to say, "No I"m not fit by luck, I'm fit because I don't stuff a cake down my throat. Next time you mention my foot, I'll mention your food."

I get some of your point.  There can be issues with thyroid... it can up your weight by something like 3-4%.  No really a big deal.  But, companies now have perfected making food, so it is addicting.  Did you know that sugar, fat mix in processed food activates the same regions of the brain as does cocaine.  I get that you can change, but as someone who has recently, it is hard and requires a lifestyle change.
/foam

My co worker has just bought a 2500 sq foot house that has a 1400 sq ft shop in the back yard.(My house is only 1050 sq feet). It also has a 3 car garage attached to the front of the house. He has both of them full of all the stuff he and his SO has accumulated over the years.  He doesn't even have room for his cars in the garage, and has to park them on the street.

They have decided that they need to renovate the new house.  So first thing he talks about is the $15000 gas cooktop that they "need" for the kitchen.  Then they are going to change one of the bedrooms, into a walk in closet for the master bed room.  They have gotten a blue print of the house and are making it into a feature wall in this closet.  It will be etched on glass.  Total cost of the closet, according to him $30000.

Wow...$30000 for a place to store your clothes....

There is more... Much more.  But it hurts to go on.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8540 on: June 09, 2015, 08:33:05 AM »

I get some of your point.  There can be issues with thyroid... it can up your weight by something like 3-4%.  No really a big deal.  But, companies now have perfected making food, so it is addicting.  Did you know that sugar, fat mix in processed food activates the same regions of the brain as does cocaine.  I get that you can change, but as someone who has recently, it is hard and requires a lifestyle change.
/foam

I understand your point entirely and don't mean to discount someone's health concerns. I'm aware of how food companies have become among the biggest drug dealers in the world, and my reaction was to be more conscious of what I put into my body. Though I work out a good amount, I will admit that I am overweight due to eating foods that I shouldn't...but I understand that this is on me, and no one else. It may be hard to overcome thyroid problems, but it certainly can be done. I know a girl that was about 280 pounds in college, I didn't know her then but was amazed at hearing this because when I had met her (5 years after she graduated) she had lost half of that weight by exercising, eating healthy, and taking medication for her thyroid (this is just an example, I don't know specifics of her case or anyone's, so don't know how typical this result is). The point I'm making it is that nothing in life is easy and there will always be obstacles. While the result you want may be unfeasible, I believe that that instead of complaining, we would be better off if we worked out butts off to try to overcome them.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8541 on: June 09, 2015, 09:29:08 AM »
CW was just recognized for 30 years of service. Uhhh...WHY are you still working after 30 years? Nevermind. We get to talking about our kids. She has two sons. One just graduated college and the other just finished his 2nd or 3rd year. Both sons have moved home for summer. She complained that they're total slobs and have doubled her grocery bill -- this in the first 5 mins of our conversation.

ME: So what's the graduate up to?
CW: Well, he has a part-time job.  He's saving up for a trip to Europe in 8 months and didn't want to commit to an employer and then have to resign.
ME: Oh
CW: Yeah, it's so nice to only have to pay for one kid in college.
ME: Oh, you helped your boys with college? So that means no student loans then, at least?
CW: Heavens no...we could only help so much. Both boys have HUGE loans. At least the oldest has finally started paying for his own gas. We told him he'd have to after he decided to lease a new car.
ME: (gulping for air) So...you paid for his car, gas, insurance all through college? Do you pay their cell phone bills too?
CW: Well, yeah, of course...

So, I'm trying to wrap my head around this, and I can't. The 24 year old graduate will only take a part-time job because he wants to spend a month or more in Europe next year. He just leased a car. Has thousands in student loans. Mooches terribly off his parents. And everybody is fine with the whole situation. Meanwhile, his dear old mom is slaving away at a high stress job and taking extra work over summer to "pay the bills". Seriously?


dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8542 on: June 09, 2015, 09:33:47 AM »

I get some of your point.  There can be issues with thyroid... it can up your weight by something like 3-4%.  No really a big deal.  But, companies now have perfected making food, so it is addicting.  Did you know that sugar, fat mix in processed food activates the same regions of the brain as does cocaine.  I get that you can change, but as someone who has recently, it is hard and requires a lifestyle change.
/foam

I understand your point entirely and don't mean to discount someone's health concerns. I'm aware of how food companies have become among the biggest drug dealers in the world, and my reaction was to be more conscious of what I put into my body. Though I work out a good amount, I will admit that I am overweight due to eating foods that I shouldn't...but I understand that this is on me, and no one else. It may be hard to overcome thyroid problems, but it certainly can be done. I know a girl that was about 280 pounds in college, I didn't know her then but was amazed at hearing this because when I had met her (5 years after she graduated) she had lost half of that weight by exercising, eating healthy, and taking medication for her thyroid (this is just an example, I don't know specifics of her case or anyone's, so don't know how typical this result is). The point I'm making it is that nothing in life is easy and there will always be obstacles. While the result you want may be unfeasible, I believe that that instead of complaining, we would be better off if we worked out butts off to try to overcome them.
We are making the same point in different ways... even with a thyroid issue you can lose weight.  And you are right, noting in life is easy, but the things that are hard make us stronger and better people.

dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8543 on: June 09, 2015, 09:39:00 AM »
CW was just recognized for 30 years of service. Uhhh...WHY are you still working after 30 years? Nevermind. We get to talking about our kids. She has two sons. One just graduated college and the other just finished his 2nd or 3rd year. Both sons have moved home for summer. She complained that they're total slobs and have doubled her grocery bill -- this in the first 5 mins of our conversation.

ME: So what's the graduate up to?
CW: Well, he has a part-time job.  He's saving up for a trip to Europe in 8 months and didn't want to commit to an employer and then have to resign.
ME: Oh
CW: Yeah, it's so nice to only have to pay for one kid in college.
ME: Oh, you helped your boys with college? So that means no student loans then, at least?
CW: Heavens no...we could only help so much. Both boys have HUGE loans. At least the oldest has finally started paying for his own gas. We told him he'd have to after he decided to lease a new car.
ME: (gulping for air) So...you paid for his car, gas, insurance all through college? Do you pay their cell phone bills too?
CW: Well, yeah, of course...

So, I'm trying to wrap my head around this, and I can't. The 24 year old graduate will only take a part-time job because he wants to spend a month or more in Europe next year. He just leased a car. Has thousands in student loans. Mooches terribly off his parents. And everybody is fine with the whole situation. Meanwhile, his dear old mom is slaving away at a high stress job and taking extra work over summer to "pay the bills". Seriously?

We have to give our kids the best right?

Seriously though... maybe let the kid make mistakes and learn.  Stop babying the kids and let them become an adult.  If you want productive members of society then you must allow them to be.  I moved from home when I was 18, struggled to make it paying rent and what ever.  I knew that my parents would never let me starve, but I did not ask for money because I was an idiot.    I did have 2 weeks once where all I ate was KD and hot dogs because that was all I could afford after spending my cheque on stupid stuff.  I was OK.  ARG... if we keep babying people, we will get babies.

/rant

iamlindoro

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8544 on: June 09, 2015, 09:44:16 AM »
CW was just recognized for 30 years of service. Uhhh...WHY are you still working after 30 years? Nevermind. We get to talking about our kids. She has two sons. One just graduated college and the other just finished his 2nd or 3rd year. Both sons have moved home for summer. She complained that they're total slobs and have doubled her grocery bill -- this in the first 5 mins of our conversation.

ME: So what's the graduate up to?
CW: Well, he has a part-time job.  He's saving up for a trip to Europe in 8 months and didn't want to commit to an employer and then have to resign.
ME: Oh
CW: Yeah, it's so nice to only have to pay for one kid in college.
ME: Oh, you helped your boys with college? So that means no student loans then, at least?
CW: Heavens no...we could only help so much. Both boys have HUGE loans. At least the oldest has finally started paying for his own gas. We told him he'd have to after he decided to lease a new car.
ME: (gulping for air) So...you paid for his car, gas, insurance all through college? Do you pay their cell phone bills too?
CW: Well, yeah, of course...

So, I'm trying to wrap my head around this, and I can't. The 24 year old graduate will only take a part-time job because he wants to spend a month or more in Europe next year. He just leased a car. Has thousands in student loans. Mooches terribly off his parents. And everybody is fine with the whole situation. Meanwhile, his dear old mom is slaving away at a high stress job and taking extra work over summer to "pay the bills". Seriously?

Being a mustachian too, I totally get where you're coming from.  I think we've got to try not to get to myopic, though, as this is very common both in terms of parenting behavior and young adult behavior.  I would wager that a vast majority of parents pay for their kids gas, cell phone bills, and other incidentals during college.  I would stake the same amount on most kids relying more on loans than parental contributions.

The Europe trip is less widespread, but still pretty common.  Hey, I did it.  In fact, with a few notable exceptions (I was paying my own living costs) this could totally be me.  Got out of school, worked a part time job, saved up, went and lived in Europe for almost a year.

As I said, I get what you're saying here-- just wanted to call out that this forum is most fun when it's the truly outrageous rather than emphasizing behavior that is common and (compared to some of the crazier stories) not all that self destructive.  Heck, even as a mustachian I could see myself paying gas, food, and cell phone for my kids when they're in college.  I'd probably encourage travel abroad, too, though I would insist on them covering their living expenses as they saved.

merula

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8545 on: June 09, 2015, 10:03:07 AM »
I did have 2 weeks once where all I ate was KD and hot dogs because that was all I could afford after spending my cheque on stupid stuff. 

KD?  What is that?

Given than the author is Canadian, I'm going to assume Kraft Dinner, aka Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Kevin S.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8546 on: June 09, 2015, 10:05:39 AM »
I did have 2 weeks once where all I ate was KD and hot dogs because that was all I could afford after spending my cheque on stupid stuff. 

KD?  What is that?

guessing kraft dinner?


dycker1978

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8547 on: June 09, 2015, 10:05:51 AM »
I did have 2 weeks once where all I ate was KD and hot dogs because that was all I could afford after spending my cheque on stupid stuff. 

KD?  What is that?

Given than the author is Canadian, I'm going to assume Kraft Dinner, aka Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
Yup no name brand comes on sale for about .25 a box.

Sam E

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8548 on: June 09, 2015, 10:29:45 AM »
CW was just recognized for 30 years of service. Uhhh...WHY are you still working after 30 years? Nevermind. We get to talking about our kids. She has two sons. One just graduated college and the other just finished his 2nd or 3rd year. Both sons have moved home for summer. She complained that they're total slobs and have doubled her grocery bill -- this in the first 5 mins of our conversation.

ME: So what's the graduate up to?
CW: Well, he has a part-time job.  He's saving up for a trip to Europe in 8 months and didn't want to commit to an employer and then have to resign.
ME: Oh
CW: Yeah, it's so nice to only have to pay for one kid in college.
ME: Oh, you helped your boys with college? So that means no student loans then, at least?
CW: Heavens no...we could only help so much. Both boys have HUGE loans. At least the oldest has finally started paying for his own gas. We told him he'd have to after he decided to lease a new car.
ME: (gulping for air) So...you paid for his car, gas, insurance all through college? Do you pay their cell phone bills too?
CW: Well, yeah, of course...

So, I'm trying to wrap my head around this, and I can't. The 24 year old graduate will only take a part-time job because he wants to spend a month or more in Europe next year. He just leased a car. Has thousands in student loans. Mooches terribly off his parents. And everybody is fine with the whole situation. Meanwhile, his dear old mom is slaving away at a high stress job and taking extra work over summer to "pay the bills". Seriously?

Being a mustachian too, I totally get where you're coming from.  I think we've got to try not to get to myopic, though, as this is very common both in terms of parenting behavior and young adult behavior.  I would wager that a vast majority of parents pay for their kids gas, cell phone bills, and other incidentals during college.  I would stake the same amount on most kids relying more on loans than parental contributions.

The Europe trip is less widespread, but still pretty common.  Hey, I did it.  In fact, with a few notable exceptions (I was paying my own living costs) this could totally be me.  Got out of school, worked a part time job, saved up, went and lived in Europe for almost a year.

As I said, I get what you're saying here-- just wanted to call out that this forum is most fun when it's the truly outrageous rather than emphasizing behavior that is common and (compared to some of the crazier stories) not all that self destructive.  Heck, even as a mustachian I could see myself paying gas, food, and cell phone for my kids when they're in college.  I'd probably encourage travel abroad, too, though I would insist on them covering their living expenses as they saved.

You're right that this is a common style of parenting, but it doesn't require a Mustachian to take issue with it. My parents raised me such that they expected by the time I was a teenager that if I wanted something, I could pay for it. They told me very early on, if I wanted a cell phone I'd have to buy it. If I wanted a driver's license, I'd be paying for the driver's ed, license fees, gas I use, and my portion of the insurance -- if I couldn't afford it, they'd be happy to give me rides as needed or tell me to walk/bike wherever. If I wanted a car, same deal: Get a job, save up, pay for a car; until then I can borrow theirs when I need it. Of course my parents would pay for things for me, within reason, and help out on certain things, because they were reasonable people. But the overarching principle was, "If you want it, you must also be willing to work for it." It's not about Mustachianism or frugality, it's just about giving your kids the tools to grow into responsible, independent, able, working adults.

iamlindoro

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8549 on: June 09, 2015, 10:36:17 AM »
You're right that this is a common style of parenting, but it doesn't require a Mustachian to take issue with it. My parents raised me such that they expected by the time I was a teenager that if I wanted something, I could pay for it. They told me very early on, if I wanted a cell phone I'd have to buy it. If I wanted a driver's license, I'd be paying for the driver's ed, license fees, gas I use, and my portion of the insurance -- if I couldn't afford it, they'd be happy to give me rides as needed or tell me to walk/bike wherever. If I wanted a car, same deal: Get a job, save up, pay for a car; until then I can borrow theirs when I need it. Of course my parents would pay for things for me, within reason, and help out on certain things, because they were reasonable people. But the overarching principle was, "If you want it, you must also be willing to work for it." It's not about Mustachianism or frugality, it's just about giving your kids the tools to grow into responsible, independent, able, working adults.

I can't find a single sentence here I disagree with.  My point was just that if we take commonplace and marginally destructive behaviors and raise them to the level of "hall of shame," it removes all nuance from our ability to judge these things and we risk becoming shrill and myopic.  I don't think what was described is the right way to parent/spend, but I also want to try to retain some semblance of perspective.