Overheard over the fence (Antimustachian neighbours)

[Catbert]

For the past several years there's been a lot of Teslas in my neighborhood.  And now there's increasing number are two Tesla families.  In one block there were 11 Teslas for 20 houses.  I use the past tense because one couple sold their 2 Teslas (a Y and Model 3) reportedly for more than they paid for them.  Replaced them with 2 electric Audis which they paid 25K over sticker...each.

[Sibley]

I've known most of this for a while, but I just put the pieces together about one of my neighbors. This guy is royally screwed, it's just a matter of when.

He's in his early to mid 50s. Lives in a small house, well under 1000sq ft that was originally built as the shack for the farmhands to live in. At some point it got turned into a more permanent home. However, it's got an inadequate foundation - whole thing is sitting on a cinderblock wall that is only 2 blocks high. There's a couple areas where it appears the cinderblock is sinking and/or shifting. The crawl space is truly that - you have to army crawl, if you're thin enough. The kitchen joists rotted out, so the kitchen is literally a gutted room with dirt floor that you can step down into. There have also been instances of water flowing through that space - like a stream. Instead of using the kitchen as a kitchen, the utility room has been semi converted to a kitchen. The 2nd floor is essentially unused and unusable. The joists are weak and sagging, so when you're in the house on the first floor you can see the bow in the ceiling. In the center, I'd estimate it sags about 6 inches.

There's a huge tree in the front yard, about 15 feet from the house. There is also suspected to be a void somewhere beneath the tree or something, because one time neighbor was dumb and stuck the hose down a hole at the side of the tree, turned on the water and forgot about it for a week. Full week. There was no evidence of flooding or water, no idea where it went. His water bill that month confirmed that the hose had actually been on that whole time.

Neighbor used to be in the army. He has VA for medical. He hates the VA and will do anything to avoid going. To the point that he only went to the doctor when his feet got numb and didn't get unnumb after a few months. Diagnosis: diabetes. And he has multiple members of his family who have/had diabetes, so he should have been getting periodic screening. So now, he eats like crap and sometimes takes his medications and thinks the diabetes is gone because his feet aren't numb anymore, now they just hurt frequently. I don't think he lost all feeling, just enough to be noticeable. I also think the pain is masking the numb, because nerves don't just regrow as far as I know. He's taken way more sick days this year than he used to.

Neighbor is also a Trumper, antivaxxer (at least for covid), and antimasker.

He works for a concrete company. Used to do mechanic work. Paid hourly, and gets paid half salary half cash. He thinks this is great because taxes! Only problem is that he doesn't show enough income to refinance the house, so he's paying a lot more in interest. And he clearly hasn't thought through to retirement, because he won't get much from Social Security with such a low reported income.

In terms of savings, I'm sure he has none. Does impulse buying of such things as motorcycles (which he never rides), Revolutionary War reenactment equipment, bullet making equipment, guns, etc. I know he has credit card debt. Does all the shell games with moving money around because he can't actually pay off the debt.

I'm not sure when the status quo is going to fall apart, but it will. He is going to be screwed.

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

[Dee_the_third]

For the past several years there's been a lot of Teslas in my neighborhood.  And now there's increasing number are two Tesla families.  In one block there were 11 Teslas for 20 houses.  I use the past tense because one couple sold their 2 Teslas (a Y and Model 3) reportedly for more than they paid for them.  Replaced them with 2 electric Audis which they paid 25K over sticker...each.

Oh man. This is making me grind my teeth. I have a family member that currently drives a Model 3 mostly to and from work, and is thinking of selling their Highlander for a Model X...."for the safety".

[AMandM]

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

Oh, man, even if (especially if?) self-inflicted, that is so sad! Does he have any grown children or other relations who can help?

[Sibley]

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

Oh, man, even if (especially if?) self-inflicted, that is so sad! Does he have any grown children or other relations who can help?

He does have family but everyone is an hour+ away from here. Its possible he'll end up selling and putting a mobile home somewhere. I think right now he's just in a holding pattern.

[JoePublic3.14]

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

Oh, man, even if (especially if?) self-inflicted, that is so sad! Does he have any grown children or other relations who can help?

He does have family but everyone is an hour+ away from here. Its possible he'll end up selling and putting a mobile home somewhere. I think right now he's just in a holding pattern.

I am curious how you happen to have so much information about this person. Mainly just because it seems like there is a lot of negative energy in that residence, and I work to stay clear of those types of things.

Maybe it’s because we relocate fairly often, but I have never known anything about anyone in the neighborhood similar to these details, even though from outward appearances there are some train wrecks.

Just curious is all…

[Sibley]

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

Oh, man, even if (especially if?) self-inflicted, that is so sad! Does he have any grown children or other relations who can help?

He does have family but everyone is an hour+ away from here. Its possible he'll end up selling and putting a mobile home somewhere. I think right now he's just in a holding pattern.

I am curious how you happen to have so much information about this person. Mainly just because it seems like there is a lot of negative energy in that residence, and I work to stay clear of those types of things.

Maybe it’s because we relocate fairly often, but I have never known anything about anyone in the neighborhood similar to these details, even though from outward appearances there are some train wrecks.

Just curious is all…

Because he's been my neighbor for 4+ years, we talk to each other periodically, I've met his family, he's a neighborhood gossip, we chat via text once in a while.... I assume that you have no interaction with your neighbors beyond "hello"? As for the mobile home idea, I know that because my mom went to visit him after the heart attack and had a 2 hour long conversation with him, which included that bit of info. Then she told me.

On the other hand, I've got various information about another set of neighbors because I've sued them and called the cops on them a lot, being nasty to that level will tend to cause that. Then there's another neighbor who's legendary in the neighborhood for his previous behavior - severe mental illness + a major drinking problem will do that. I'm FB friends with another neighbor because it's easier to communicate with them if needed, so even though I rarely see her I do periodically see her posts.

When you live in a neighborhood where people talk, kids play together, etc then yeah. It's really amazing what you can piece together over time from casual interactions, without really trying. I'm sorry that your life is apparently so devoid of such casual social contacts. You might give it a try, it really does help enrich your life.

MOD NOTE: Please don't be rude.

[JoePublic3.14]

Well, my neighbor's status quo may have collapsed. He had a heart attack. He's home now, doing ok, needs another surgery to insert a 2nd stent. Not able to work right now, and basically no savings. The good thing is he has VA for medical, so that I think is fully covered.

Oh, man, even if (especially if?) self-inflicted, that is so sad! Does he have any grown children or other relations who can help?

He does have family but everyone is an hour+ away from here. Its possible he'll end up selling and putting a mobile home somewhere. I think right now he's just in a holding pattern.

I am curious how you happen to have so much information about this person. Mainly just because it seems like there is a lot of negative energy in that residence, and I work to stay clear of those types of things.

Maybe it’s because we relocate fairly often, but I have never known anything about anyone in the neighborhood similar to these details, even though from outward appearances there are some train wrecks.

Just curious is all…

Because he's been my neighbor for 4+ years, we talk to each other periodically, I've met his family, he's a neighborhood gossip, we chat via text once in a while.... I assume that you have no interaction with your neighbors beyond "hello"? As for the mobile home idea, I know that because my mom went to visit him after the heart attack and had a 2 hour long conversation with him, which included that bit of info. Then she told me.

On the other hand, I've got various information about another set of neighbors because I've sued them and called the cops on them a lot, being nasty to that level will tend to cause that. Then there's another neighbor who's legendary in the neighborhood for his previous behavior - severe mental illness + a major drinking problem will do that. I'm FB friends with another neighbor because it's easier to communicate with them if needed, so even though I rarely see her I do periodically see her posts.

When you live in a neighborhood where people talk, kids play together, etc then yeah. It's really amazing what you can piece together over time from casual interactions, without really trying. I'm sorry that your life is apparently so devoid of such casual social contacts. You might give it a try, it really does help enrich your life.

That’s a pleasant response. Sorry your life is so devoid of something you have to be a gossipy neighbor, then lash out at me for being curious. You might try minding your own business, it enriches one's life also. ( which I’ll do better from here on with you)


MOD NOTE: Please don't be rude, even in response.

[Cassie]

I have moved many times and sometimes end up being friends with a neighbor so it’s normal to know details depending on the level of friendship.

[maisymouser]

Sibley and JoePublic both have good points. It's not a black or white issue, there is no one right answer to how to be a good neighbor or a friendly person.

We live at the end of a dead end road with only two direct neighbors that we can see. Been here 3 years now. While we'll wave to each other nicely and have the occasional chitchat, I get the sense that part of why all of us live here is for the privacy. Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to be friendly with our neighbors and if they wanted I'd be glad to get to know them better. We've helped each other out with minor things here and there (guy with riding mower covers the only ~15' section of grass we have, and my husband has helped chop some wood for that guy)- but it seems that all of us want to just enjoy the quiet. In some ways I feel that NOT being close to my neighbors makes us better neighbors, in this particular space. But context is key here! The way we act as neighbors might be really crappy in a different, more close-knit neighborhood.

I guess my MMM problem is that I don't have enough knowledge about my neighbors to judge whether they are "anti-Mustachian". Nor do I care, since there seems to be mutual respect & responsibility across our property line regarding privacy and judgement. It's a nice problem to have I suppose and the reason I have not posted on this thread until today.

[SwordGuy]

That’s a pleasant response. Sorry your life is so devoid of something you have to be a gossipy neighbor, then lash out at me for being curious. You might try minding your own business, it enriches one's life also. ( which I’ll do better from here on with you)

I re-read your original comment and I can see why someone might have taken it to be a snarky put-down.   The response you got is certainly consistent with that interpretation.

If you didn't mean to be snarky and just made your point very awkwardly, now would be a good time to clarify that and apologize.

And if you did mean it that way, well, I don't see much room for complaint on your part over the response you got.

[JoePublic3.14]

That’s a pleasant response. Sorry your life is so devoid of something you have to be a gossipy neighbor, then lash out at me for being curious. You might try minding your own business, it enriches one's life also. ( which I’ll do better from here on with you)

I re-read your original comment and I can see why someone might have taken it to be a snarky put-down.   The response you got is certainly consistent with that interpretation.

If you didn't mean to be snarky and just made your point very awkwardly, now would be a good time to clarify that and apologize.

And if you did mean it that way, well, I don't see much room for complaint on your part over the response you got.

My intent with the final 'just curious is all…' was meant to defuse any snarky tone. Could have missed with it I suppose.

But why would I apologize? I responded with pretty good parallelism I thought to the final part of the response, which was snarky without possibility of misinterpretation. The rest of the post made sense and was a decent explanation that fulfilled my curiosity.

[Sibley]

For the record - this particular neighbor is a friend. Of mine, and of my parents. Maybe not a close friend, but nevertheless, a friend. I have helped him with things, he has helped me. I'm also aware that he's in serious trouble. I did see him on Friday though, and he's doing ok. Not great, but ok. He's still at severe risk for another heart attack and is trying to navigate VA red tape. On the money front, he's selling all sorts of crap that he doesn't need or want but hasn't gotten rid of thus far, so he's got some money coming in. He's ok-ish for a couple months at least.


And Joe, "just curious is all" in many situations is intended to be insulting by the user. Ever hear of "bless your heart"? "Just curious is all" can absolutely get a similar double meaning. If you don't want the double meaning, then find a different way of expressing yourself.

(In case you didn't notice, I'm angry at you. You insulted me, insulted me again, got called on it by someone else, then made a non-apology, trying to excuse your poor behavior. I suggest you don't respond further, and I don't really want to see you at least a month.)

[dragoncar]

Who needs a fence when we have the internet?

[JoePublic3.14]

For the record - this particular neighbor is a friend. Of mine, and of my parents. Maybe not a close friend, but nevertheless, a friend. I have helped him with things, he has helped me. I'm also aware that he's in serious trouble. I did see him on Friday though, and he's doing ok. Not great, but ok. He's still at severe risk for another heart attack and is trying to navigate VA red tape. On the money front, he's selling all sorts of crap that he doesn't need or want but hasn't gotten rid of thus far, so he's got some money coming in. He's ok-ish for a couple months at least.


And Joe, "just curious is all" in many situations is intended to be insulting by the user. Ever hear of "bless your heart"? "Just curious is all" can absolutely get a similar double meaning. If you don't want the double meaning, then find a different way of expressing yourself.

(In case you didn't notice, I'm angry at you. You insulted me, insulted me again, got called on it by someone else, then made a non-apology, trying to excuse your poor behavior. I suggest you don't respond further, and I don't really want to see you at least a month.)

Hee hee, well bless your heart. I feel bad for people like you. Looked at my words, found a way for it to be perceived as insulting to you. You then directly, no hiding, insulted me. Then you come back and whine when I responded in kind, accusing me of being insulting. Pitiful. Better would have been to assume good intent instead of looking at the possible negative side. But that’s not how you rolled in this case.

I readily admit to insulting you after being insulted, and I think it was warranted in the schoolyard that is a forum. You willing to admit you directed insulted me? Got enough integrity? I'll even simply give you a pass and claim to have fired the first shot (though I didn’t, you just decided to take it that way), will you admit to striking directly back?

I self moderated there and decided that may be too strong, but left it as struck through.

Are you OK there? That's a lot of anger and blame coming through, even ignoring the strike through.

Pretty good. Just like to ask if people are willing to show some integrity and to be accountable for things. For some reason it appears to be a struggle to get some posters to admit things. In my first response to SwordGuy I explained what I meant and said I may have missed that it could come off as snarky. First I’d heard of 'curious' being potentially a mean spirited phrase. Added it to my list.

[MOD NOTE: I deleted the rest of this angry rudeness.  Please stop flagging for moderation.]

[NorthernIkigai]

Who needs a fence when we have the internet?

The internet is not as good at keeping angry dogs inside/outside it.

[AlanStache]

Who needs a fence when we have the internet?

The internet is not as good at keeping angry dogs inside/outside it.

Just wait for the next version update in the metaverse.

[dragoncar]

Who needs a fence when we have the internet?

The internet is not as good at keeping angry dogs inside/outside it.

I don’t know… have you seen any dogs cross the internet?

[Freedomin5]

Went out to a farewell dinner with a few friends, one of whom is repatriating. A good portion of the dinner was spent bemoaning the fact that none of them had their ayis with them during lockdown. One friend said that she had resorted to doing takeout twice a week so that she didn't have to cook everyday, because cooking was such a chore. A few of them had also resorted to only cooking one meal per day (dinner), and letting their kids eat whatever's in the fridge for the other meals. Still another really struggled because her dishwasher had broken down right before lockdown, and so she had to WASH DISHES BY HAND (the horror!) for three months!

[Dicey]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop back up. Our neighbors are classic antimustachians. If they're not eating out, they have their meals delivered. Last year, they had a huge full-gut kitchen remodel done...and they haven't changed their eating habits one bit. Husband used to drive a sensible econobox, but a couple of years ago came home with a brand new short bed truck, i.e. worthless for real work. No worries, because he doesn't do actual physical labor. He's an intellectual and quite proud of it. Of course, they also have a gardener. All of that is a prelude to the real reason I'm posting. 

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV. Thing is, she's an elementary school teacher, working with bilingual kids in a somewhat economically depressed area. Really? Driving a brand-new Jaguar to a school full of underpriviledged kids? It seems incredibly tone deaf. Oh and she doesn't actually use it for anything more challenging than driving on flat roads to school and back, and it doesn't snow here.

[ATtiny85]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop back up. Our neighbors are classic antimustachians. If they're not eating out, they have their meals delivered. Last year, they had a huge full-gut kitchen remodel done...and they haven't changed their eating habits one bit. Husband used to drive a sensible econobox, but a couple of years ago came home with a brand new short bed truck, i.e. worthless for real work. No worries, because he doesn't do actual physical labor. He's an intellectual and quite proud of it. Of course, they also have a gardener. All of that is a prelude to the real reason I'm posting. 

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV. Thing is, she's an elementary school teacher, working with bilingual kids in a somewhat economically depressed area. Really? Driving a brand-new Jaguar to a school full of underpriviledged kids? It seems incredibly tone deaf. Oh and she doesn't actually use it for anything more challenging than driving on flat roads to school and back, and it doesn't snow here.

They are doing their part to push the economy forward…

Hopefully she teaches better than she appears to live, meaning the tone deafness you mention.

[DadJokes]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop back up. Our neighbors are classic antimustachians. If they're not eating out, they have their meals delivered. Last year, they had a huge full-gut kitchen remodel done...and they haven't changed their eating habits one bit. Husband used to drive a sensible econobox, but a couple of years ago came home with a brand new short bed truck, i.e. worthless for real work. No worries, because he doesn't do actual physical labor. He's an intellectual and quite proud of it. Of course, they also have a gardener. All of that is a prelude to the real reason I'm posting. 

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV. Thing is, she's an elementary school teacher, working with bilingual kids in a somewhat economically depressed area. Really? Driving a brand-new Jaguar to a school full of underpriviledged kids? It seems incredibly tone deaf. Oh and she doesn't actually use it for anything more challenging than driving on flat roads to school and back, and it doesn't snow here.

I doubt that the kids know what she drives, unless she's talking about it in class.

[Dicey]

I've been waiting for this thread to pop back up. Our neighbors are classic antimustachians. If they're not eating out, they have their meals delivered. Last year, they had a huge full-gut kitchen remodel done...and they haven't changed their eating habits one bit. Husband used to drive a sensible econobox, but a couple of years ago came home with a brand new short bed truck, i.e. worthless for real work. No worries, because he doesn't do actual physical labor. He's an intellectual and quite proud of it. Of course, they also have a gardener. All of that is a prelude to the real reason I'm posting. 

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV. Thing is, she's an elementary school teacher, working with bilingual kids in a somewhat economically depressed area. Really? Driving a brand-new Jaguar to a school full of underpriviledged kids? It seems incredibly tone deaf. Oh and she doesn't actually use it for anything more challenging than driving on flat roads to school and back, and it doesn't snow here.

I doubt that the kids know what she drives, unless she's talking about it in class.

Dunno, when I was in school, I knew what every teacher drove.

It's a suburban school, with a flat parking lot right in front. Kids will know, parents will know, admin will know, other teachers will know. It's a very poor school, where most kids do not speak English at home.

[jinga nation]

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV.

You sure it ain't leased?
The only time I'd get a Jag is if I could expense the lease.
I know one guy in my gym who has a luxury car allowance from his employer as he is customer-facing in financial services.
His other car: an older Volvo convertible.

[Dicey]

She just bought a brand-new Jaguar SUV.

You sure it ain't leased?
The only time I'd get a Jag is if I could expense the lease.
I know one guy in my gym who has a luxury car allowance from his employer as he is customer-facing in financial services.
His other car: an older Volvo convertible.

Would that make the story better or worse?
Hard to say. When they moved in in 2013, they drove relatively sensible cars. This is the first time they've upgraded their vehicles. It feels like there's a lot of "I deserve it" happening.
One of my springboards to FIRE was that I drove a company car for many years, which helped me pad my 'stache. Nothing as fancy as a Jag, mostly sedans and minivans. Even better, at the end of their term, I could buy them for book value and resell them for a profit.

[moof]

Cross the street neighbor is recently retired.  Given some past comments I don’t believe he is terribly well off.

About two years ago he upgraded his travel trailer while he still had a job so he could qualify for financing.  So in his driveway he has:
1) New travel trailer.
2) Close to new full sized truck to pull #1.
3) Somewhat older camper he hasn’t used in the last few years (not sure why you need both?!)
4) Maybe 5 year old mid sized SUV.
5) Well used red Saturn commuter car.
6) Newly purchased used Chevy Volt to “try and help the environment.”
7) Harley

All that for 2 semi-ambulatory retirees.  He complained that gas is too expensive to take the travel trailer anywhere…

He used to have a small boat, and it may still be there hiding behind the camper.

[ATtiny85]

The amount spent on fireworks was something I overheard in the neighborhood the last two nights. I haven’t priced any, but even at $1 a pop for things flying in the air, there were thousands of dollars turned into noise and air pollution.

[Dollar Slice]

The amount spent on fireworks was something I overheard in the neighborhood the last two nights. I haven’t priced any, but even at $1 a pop for things flying in the air, there were thousands of dollars turned into noise and air pollution.

A couple of years ago I found some discarded fireworks packaging that someone had set off the night before on my block (in the middle of a Manhattan intersection next to 10-story apartment buildings, if you're wondering how stupid pyromaniac fireworks-lovers are), and I googled it because I was curious about the cost of the enormous amount of fireworks that is lit up in my neighborhood every year. They were setting off individual fireworks costing $20 then, and the prices have gone up a lot since. I think inflation is biting people since we only got about five hours of it last night...

[theninthwall]

I don’t know about overheard from neighbors, but this is from my apartment’s office (so technically neighbors, and I don’t want to start another thread).
We had a package room, but it was built too small for the number of tenants they now have here. They have now closed the package room, and tenants are being made to sign up for a service called Fetch. All new leases and lease renewals have a $20 per month Fetch fee now.
Fetch works by you sending your package to them, and they deliver it to your door. You have to go in their website and set a delivery window of two hours each time you get a package.
But here’s the thing, if you don’t use Fetch, then Amazon etc still deliver your package - right to your door. So if you work from home, like us, we get our packages quicker and with less fuss without Fetch.
Not to mention, we are lucky if we get a package every two weeks right now, so essentially it’s adding $10 for every package if we renew our lease. The good-ish news is that we are leaving to go somewhere else, rent for downtown Tampa has just gone stupid.

[jinga nation]

I don’t know about overheard from neighbors, but this is from my apartment’s office (so technically neighbors, and I don’t want to start another thread).
We had a package room, but it was built too small for the number of tenants they now have here. They have now closed the package room, and tenants are being made to sign up for a service called Fetch. All new leases and lease renewals have a $20 per month Fetch fee now.
Fetch works by you sending your package to them, and they deliver it to your door. You have to go in their website and set a delivery window of two hours each time you get a package.
But here’s the thing, if you don’t use Fetch, then Amazon etc still deliver your package - right to your door. So if you work from home, like us, we get our packages quicker and with less fuss without Fetch.
Not to mention, we are lucky if we get a package every two weeks right now, so essentially it’s adding $10 for every package if we renew our lease. The good-ish news is that we are leaving to go somewhere else, rent for downtown Tampa has just gone stupid.

As a landlord in Tampa, with both condo (apartment) and townhouse rentals, Fetch is just plain dumb and stupid. All 3 communities where I own, or sit on the board, voted no on Fetch. None have package offices. Delivery to door by UPS/Fedex/Prime is sufficient. There's also Prime lockers if you don't want delivery to home.

Rent for Tampa (and Hillsborough county) is higher due to the usual increase in insurance and condo association fees. But as a renter, do you know that our previous mayor, Bob "Beautify downtown" Buckhorn declared an open all-out war on rental properties? There's no limit on property tax increases for properties that are non-homestead; we're seeing double digit percentage annual increases, which are passed to renters like yourself. Couple that with a big demand from young professionals moving here to live in desirable areas (downtown, South Tampa) or close to major transit corridors, rents are expected to go up. And then there's landlords selling out to the megasize investors, who're jacking up rents by up to 40%.

[GardenBaker]

The amount spent on fireworks was something I overheard in the neighborhood the last two nights. I haven’t priced any, but even at $1 a pop for things flying in the air, there were thousands of dollars turned into noise and air pollution.

It's like lighting your money on fire. I've never been a fan and cringe when my family buys them.

[AMandM]

The amount spent on fireworks was something I overheard in the neighborhood the last two nights. I haven’t priced any, but even at $1 a pop for things flying in the air, there were thousands of dollars turned into noise and air pollution.

It's like lighting your money on fire. I've never been a fan and cringe when my family buys them.

Two of my neighbors put on home fireworks for the Fourth. The town fireworks were cancelled because of supply chain problems, so I am very happy to have had fireworks I could watch from my front porch. The money aspect doesn`t bother me. Celebrating generally brings some extra cost, whether it`s spent making a birthday cake, using charcoal for the grill, driving to the beach, or filling the air with sparks is all ok with me.

[AlanStache]

...
The money aspect doesn`t bother me. Celebrating generally brings some extra cost, whether it`s spent making a birthday cake, using charcoal for the grill, driving to the beach, or filling the air with sparks is all ok with me.

There is a big difference between two eggs and some flour vs spending +500$ to make noise, smoke and light.

[Taran Wanderer]

Don’t forget the annoying burn marks on the street and sidewalks…

[Adventine]

Don’t forget the annoying burn marks on the street and sidewalks…

And the trash that ends up in the yards and roofs of people who just wanted some peace and quiet.

[Dollar Slice]

Don’t forget the annoying burn marks on the street and sidewalks…

And the trash that ends up in the yards and roofs of people who just wanted some peace and quiet.

Two years ago, a toddler had to get stitches and treated for burns after a lit firework fell/shot/? through the window of his bedroom and hit him in the head while he was in bed, a few miles from me. Fireworks are illegal here, but people just drive across state lines to get them in trigger-happy states who will sell them to anyone with a pulse. People are morons.

[Adventine]

@Dollar Slice that's awful. Was anyone ever charged?


Just this past July 5, I was walking to my usual grocery store and noticed a house that had the remains of fireworks AND spent bullet casings littered all over the sidewalk. Dangerous, trashy and gross, all in one.

[Dollar Slice]

@Dollar Slice that's awful. Was anyone ever charged?

Not that I heard about. I think it would have been very hard to catch them - fireworks aren't traceable, and I'm sure they ran like hell as soon as they saw it go in somebody's window. It was high up (5th or 6th floor IIRC) in a big apartment building so they were too far from the ground to just poke their head out the window and see who did it.

[AMandM]

Yikes. My neighbours' fireworks were nothing like that dangerous. They were smaller--I don't think anything went higher than the rooftop--and all the wrappers were cleaned up immediately afterwards. And the sound was only a little louder than the sound of the downtown fireworks, which carries into our neighbourhood along weird air currents.

[Dollar Slice]

Yikes. My neighbours' fireworks were nothing like that dangerous. They were smaller--I don't think anything went higher than the rooftop--and all the wrappers were cleaned up immediately afterwards. And the sound was only a little louder than the sound of the downtown fireworks, which carries into our neighbourhood along weird air currents.

The "consumer grade" fireworks that are legal in many states can go a couple hundred feet in the air. In some states you don't even have to be 18 to buy them! But I guess if we want "freedom" we might as well let people shoot/throw fireworks at each other... at passing cars... at police... into buildings... and at sleeping homeless people. All things I've read about, personally witnessed, and/or seen video of in the last 2 years. Total anarchy.

[Taran Wanderer]

We used to go to the local beach and its 4th of July war zone. Then we weren’t teenagers anymore and and we grew out of it.

[theninthwall]

I think I've got another one! Our neighbour recently told us he had been looking on Carvana and was excited to see his Mercedes sports car was worth $20k more than he paid for it. So he went to the dealer, and they were happy to of course take the car and sell him a new one. He was thrilled to tell us he now had a Mercedes SUV and what's more, his monthly payment was lower! When we asked him about total prices though, he didn't know how much he had left to pay off his previous car and how much the total for the new one was...

[jinga nation]

I think I've got another one! Our neighbour recently told us he had been looking on Carvana and was excited to see his Mercedes sports car was worth $20k more than he paid for it. So he went to the dealer, and they were happy to of course take the car and sell him a new one. He was thrilled to tell us he now had a Mercedes SUV and what's more, his monthly payment was lower! When we asked him about total prices though, he didn't know how much he had left to pay off his previous car and how much the total for the new one was...

lower payment but longer loan? higher interest rate?
par for the course, focusing on monthly payment instead of price, interest rate.

[Fomerly known as something]

Don’t forget the annoying burn marks on the street and sidewalks…

And the trash that ends up in the yards and roofs of people who just wanted some peace and quiet.

Two years ago, a toddler had to get stitches and treated for burns after a lit firework fell/shot/? through the window of his bedroom and hit him in the head while he was in bed, a few miles from me. Fireworks are illegal here, but people just drive across state lines to get them in trigger-happy states who will sell them to anyone with a pulse. People are morons.

My neighbors house (one block down)  was burned down in 2016 by fireworks.  Melted the siding on the adjencent house.

[ohsnap]

...Our neighbors are classic antimustachians. If they're not eating out, they have their meals delivered. Last year, they had a huge full-gut kitchen remodel done...and they haven't changed their eating habits one bit...

I live in an entire neighborhood like this! We are outside city limits, so not close to any restaurants, and most of the homes have custom kitchens. When we first moved in, a neighbor joked that her husband was unhappy because they had spent $$$ on the kitchen, including Wolf/Viking appliances, and she literally never cooks. I thought she was an outlier, but the longer I've lived here, the more people like her I meet. Really fancy kitchens that they don't use for anything more than an occasional Hello Fresh delivery.  They eat out all the time, or get delivery from one of the very few companies that deliver out here (and there is a constant stream on the neighborhood next-door and FB pages about "we need more delivery in our area!"). One local recently recommended a new restaurant which is "worth the drive" - it was an hour away! These folks are willing to drive 45 miles to a restaurant, partake of food & wine, then drive home 45 miles.  That just doesn't sound fun (or safe) to me.

I thought I'd heard it all until I ran into an acquaintance recently who told me she's tired of all the driving to restaurants and wants to get a group together for monthly dinners cooked by a local chef (who will come into someone's home and use their fancy Wolf appliances, ha!). "It's not expensive" she said, and then revealed that it's $75 per person! I must have looked shocked because she immediately added "but you get to set the menu; he'll cook whatever you want!"   I smiled & murmured something noncommittal about joining the dinner party group. I'm sure she'll find enough takers without us.

[NorthernIkigai]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for a side hustle.

[zolotiyeruki]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for a side hustle.

I imagine that people willing to shell out $75/head/meal are going to have pretty high expectations for their food.

[ohsnap]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for a side hustle.

Yes, my husband and I were discussing this! There are 2 residents in our neighborhood who already take advantage of this - they make up trays of lasagna etc on an occasional basis and post on social media. They always sell out. I don't know what the cottage food laws are in this state - might be worth looking into!  Hubby and I are both decent cooks :)

...I imagine that people willing to shell out $75/head/meal are going to have pretty high expectations for their food.

I'm sure the neighbors who hire the in-home chef have high expectations. But for the 2 "amateur" caterers I just mentioned - they prepare more homestyle meals and sell them for (IIRC) $40 for an 8x8 pan.

[AlanStache]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for a side hustle.

I imagine that people willing to shell out $75/head/meal are going to have pretty high expectations for their food.

Depends.  They may think they know food, but really they may just want stuff with cheese and salt served by someone in a white coat with a kitchen towel over one shoulder.  If you talk a good game and charge a lot, people may think you are good, tap into the "well its more expensive so it must be better" mind set.  And would not hurt to get them a bit drunk early on. 

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for a side hustle.

I imagine that people willing to shell out $75/head/meal are going to have pretty high expectations for their food.

I'm trying to imagine $75 a head for one meal.

For a roast goose dinner for six, which is my most expensive kind of dinner party, I spend:
- $20 on cocktail fixings
- $25 for charcuterie or appetizer fixings
- $10 for ingredients in the salad, soup, or starter courses (I usually pick one but can do all three)
- $40 to $100 for the goose
- $5 for the starch dish ingredients
- $5 for each of the two vegetable dishes
- $5 for condiments
- $5 to $30 for the dessert, with the pie costing about $5 and the authentic Schwartzwald cake closer to $30 because of Kirschwasser
- $20 to $40 for one to two bottles of wine

Even in the absolute worst-case scenario, with a house full of cocktail swilling guests and if I ran out and bought a goose at the last minute instead of looking in my freezer for a frozen one bought at sale prices, I can't spend more than $45 per guest.

I suppose I could create something even more expensive involving Ossetra and snow crabs (I live in a desert) but why?