Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[LennStar]

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

LOL yes, I can understand that. My (unfortunately severely acci-dented) last car was yellow, one of the first after the ubiquious metallic-blueish wave (now it seems every new car is white).

It was not only remarkably cooler in summer then the same model in blue, and a lot more visible (safety!), I also never needed to remember where on the parking lot I was standing. All I needed was to look around and ah!! there!

Today I have seen the same model in a sort of dark pink. Now that certainly is a color where you dont' have to remember the parking spot, too!

Still, yellow is the most practical color.

[mustachepungoeshere]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

[Imma]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

[Luckyvik]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mustachepungoeshere]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I re-use some paper, re-use gift bags, skip the paper altogether and get creative with (upcycled) satin ribbon, or use fabric for my mum, knowing she will then sew with it.

[soccerluvof4]

I made a real nice Tuna Caserole yesterday with crushed chips and some leftover onions from a bean casserole. Well once i put it in the oven i realized I forgot the Tuna.  Still was going leftovers and all by noon the next day.

[BTDretire]

Been their! Do you also have 15 boxes of plastic silverware but not a single fork anywhere? seems like I forget to pack a fork about once a month or so and I spend half my lunch break digging for what feels like the LAST fork.

This reminds me of our local post office, they taped a plastic fork to the top of each pen in the pen cup to keep people from taking them.
While standing in line I'd always say I came here to steal a fork,
but they taped them to those pens!

[merula]

MPP #1: I got too busy with ACTUAL work yesterday and didn't get a chance to do my end-of-month spreadsheet updates and Vanguard buy until now. So the buy doesn't go through until TUESDAY close! Unbelievable....

MPP #2: In the course of doing that spreadsheet update, I realized that Personal Capital had lost track of my 401k login in mid-June. I updated it, and completely blew through a net worth milestone. It was anticlimactic, and I'm strangely disappointed.

[dragoncar]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also do not buy anything with a purely aesthetic purpose. 

[secondcor521]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also do not buy anything with a purely aesthetic purpose.

I skip presents altogether and just give my kids money.  They are weird like me and appreciate the shortcut.

[dragoncar]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also do not buy anything with a purely aesthetic purpose.

I skip presents altogether and just give my kids money.  They are weird like me and appreciate the shortcut.

Careful giving money, they might just blow it on something useless like wrapping paper

[secondcor521]

I feel deeply conflicted about wrapping paper. Why buy a product without any purpose, just to throw it away after 5 minutes of use?

I don't buy wrapping paper, I use paper that comes with deliveries as wrapping paper or sometimes I will sticky tape magazine pages together and make wrapping paper out of that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also do not buy anything with a purely aesthetic purpose.

I skip presents altogether and just give my kids money.  They are weird like me and appreciate the shortcut.

Careful giving money, they might just blow it on something useless like wrapping paper

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

[theadvicist]

I do buy and use wrapping paper, but only plain silver, so that it is not occasion / person specific. Works for weddings, christenings, Christmas, male and female birthdays and only one roll to store.

[markbike528CBX]

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

Like this?   http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/1currencysheets.

This is just too scary --> moneyfactorystore.gov


edit grammar

[Imma]

I do a very boring 10 minute treadmill run twice a week and the only way I can hold on that long is by doing mental FIRE calculations. "What would happen if I would tweak this" - scenarios.  After two years of doing this exercise routine, I'm running out of calculations to make.

( In case you are wondering, yes, I know I can exercise outside, and I do, every single day, but my physical therapist recommends hill running for me and we don't have hills around here )

[markbike528CBX]

....snip... After two years of doing this exercise routine, I'm running out of calculations to make.

When you can mentally plot the data on single log scale, double log scale, and a probability scale, then even Maizeman might not be able to get you further along.  Keep calculating, it is good for you :-)

http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-15160.pdf pg 127, since I'm not skilled at adding pics.

Edit for spelling.

[Aegishjalmur]

my physical therapist recommends hill running for me and we don't have hills around here )

Do you have access to a multilevel office building with stairwells you can access? My DW's office building is square w/ stairways at each corner connected by hallways. All offices have their main doors off of the hallway so you can access the halls/stairways w/out going through someone's workspace. 2 of the stairs are 2 flights, 2 have 3 flights as access the basement, so once around going up and down gets you 10 flights. The north side is a 3 flight and has the least activity of the 4 entrances, so well waiting for DW to get off work(we have 1 car, carpool and I have an earlier schedule than her so I can have an hr, hr and a half to kill) I do the stairs. Do 15 sets up and down on the stairs and you will definitely get a good workout. during the winter I hit the stairs hard, most ever did in one week was in the 800 flights range.... what's nice with the stairs is it's easy to do as many/ as few as you can. If you get tired, you can just stop at one floor and spin around the office(since you are just walking a hallway vs through an office) until you have rested enough and can do some more. It also allows you to adjust what muscles you are using: You can do every step, every other step, run up steps(tend to hit every other step when doing this), or quickstep(go for speed but hitting every stair).

[Threshkin]

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

Like this?   http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/1currencysheets.

This is just too scary --> moneyfactorystore.gov


edit grammar

Broken link.  This worked for me: http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/uncutcurrency.aspx

The ultimate wrapping paper for someone who has everything!

[solon]

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

Like this?   http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/1currencysheets.

This is just too scary --> moneyfactorystore.gov


edit grammar

Broken link.  This worked for me: http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/uncutcurrency.aspx

The ultimate wrapping paper for someone who has everything!

Hah! Might as well burn a $100 bill!

[dragoncar]

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

Like this?   http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/1currencysheets.

This is just too scary --> moneyfactorystore.gov


edit grammar

Broken link.  This worked for me: http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/uncutcurrency.aspx

The ultimate wrapping paper for someone who has everything!

Hah! Might as well burn a $100 bill!

The money isn't destroyed though, you could still cut it up and spend it, or sell it used for a slight discount due to wrinkling (assuming you unwrapped it carefully).  Even torn, you can exchange bills for a new one at the bank. 

The markup on the 50 $1 sheet is only $36, not $100.

[solon]

Heh.  Or use it as wrapping paper.  ;-)

Like this?   http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/1currencysheets.

This is just too scary --> moneyfactorystore.gov


edit grammar

Broken link.  This worked for me: http://www.moneyfactorystore.gov/uncutcurrency.aspx

The ultimate wrapping paper for someone who has everything!

Hah! Might as well burn a $100 bill!

The money isn't destroyed though, you could still cut it up and spend it, or sell it used for a slight discount due to wrinkling (assuming you unwrapped it carefully).  Even torn, you can exchange bills for a new one at the bank. 

The markup on the 50 $1 sheet is only $36, not $100.

Yeah. I was just trying to bring to mind that money-burning post that got deleted.

[Loren Ver]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

When my dad was in the Air Force his scissors kept disappearing.  So he took my Hello Kitty scissors in.  Never had another issue. 

[Fomerly known as something]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

When my dad was in the Air Force his scissors kept disappearing.  So he took my Hello Kitty scissors in.  Never had another issue.

I work in a male dominated field.  All my things I want not to get "lost" has Hello kitty duct tape on it.

[LennStar]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

When my dad was in the Air Force his scissors kept disappearing.  So he took my Hello Kitty scissors in.  Never had another issue.

I work in a male dominated field.  All my things I want not to get "lost" has Hello kitty duct tape on it.

At least now I know the reason for this:

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/attachments/8500111049_a212279791_o-jpg.132295/

[SunshineAZ]

A few months back I got a notice from one of my credit card companies notifying me that they would not be sending me a new card and would be closing out my account when the current card expires due to lack of use.  Last week, I got a notice for a different credit card that they will close that account if I don't use it by October 6th.  So now I have to find a way to use the card before I go on vacation in two weeks.  (I only take 1 card when I go on vacation.)

Honestly I don't really care, but I am worried that losing both cards will negatively impact my credit score.  :( 

[With This Herring]

A few months back I got a notice from one of my credit card companies notifying me that they would not be sending me a new card and would be closing out my account when the current card expires due to lack of use.  Last week, I got a notice for a different credit card that they will close that account if I don't use it by October 6th.  So now I have to find a way to use the card before I go on vacation in two weeks.  (I only take 1 card when I go on vacation.)

Honestly I don't really care, but I am worried that losing both cards will negatively impact my credit score.  :(

Buy groceries?  Or just a pack of gum?

[SunshineAZ]

A few months back I got a notice from one of my credit card companies notifying me that they would not be sending me a new card and would be closing out my account when the current card expires due to lack of use.  Last week, I got a notice for a different credit card that they will close that account if I don't use it by October 6th.  So now I have to find a way to use the card before I go on vacation in two weeks.  (I only take 1 card when I go on vacation.)

Honestly I don't really care, but I am worried that losing both cards will negatively impact my credit score.  :(

Buy groceries?  Or just a pack of gum?

My dog has an appointment at the vet next week, so I will probably use it there.  I just have to make sure I remember to use that card.  :)

[dragoncar]

A few months back I got a notice from one of my credit card companies notifying me that they would not be sending me a new card and would be closing out my account when the current card expires due to lack of use.  Last week, I got a notice for a different credit card that they will close that account if I don't use it by October 6th.  So now I have to find a way to use the card before I go on vacation in two weeks.  (I only take 1 card when I go on vacation.)

Honestly I don't really care, but I am worried that losing both cards will negatively impact my credit score.  :(

The card will stay on your record for like 10 years, so it shouldn't have a large impact if you have other credit.  That said, just paypal me some monies

[Noodle]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

When my dad was in the Air Force his scissors kept disappearing.  So he took my Hello Kitty scissors in.  Never had another issue.

I work in a male dominated field.  All my things I want not to get "lost" has Hello kitty duct tape on it.

I attended college back in the early 1990s in an area that had rainy weather on a regular basis, so as a student walking around campus you pretty much always wanted to have an umbrella in your backpack. Most people had the cheap black umbrellas that they sell at the drugstore and campus bookstore, and there was a constant problem with people snitching each other's umbrellas that had been left to dry. I picked out a deep pink umbrella, figuring that 50% of my classmates would refuse to be seen with it, and it would be easy to pick out among the other 50%. Still had it four years later when I graduated!

[Loren Ver]

My s/o's company provided their employees with porcelain to go coffee mugs (with a resuable silicone lid) with the company logo on them.

He chose the pink one because no one else wanted to be seen with a pink mug and now he's never in doubt which coffee is his.

The power of Pink and Hello Kitty.  Truly amazing!

I have a couple of male friends who only buy pink cigarette lighters for that reason. No-one will nick them.

When my dad was in the Air Force his scissors kept disappearing.  So he took my Hello Kitty scissors in.  Never had another issue.

I work in a male dominated field.  All my things I want not to get "lost" has Hello kitty duct tape on it.

I attended college back in the early 1990s in an area that had rainy weather on a regular basis, so as a student walking around campus you pretty much always wanted to have an umbrella in your backpack. Most people had the cheap black umbrellas that they sell at the drugstore and campus bookstore, and there was a constant problem with people snitching each other's umbrellas that had been left to dry. I picked out a deep pink umbrella, figuring that 50% of my classmates would refuse to be seen with it, and it would be easy to pick out among the other 50%. Still had it four years later when I graduated!

[merula]

September is a three-paycheck month at my work. My 401k withholding strategy is to put those third paychecks almost solely towards the 401k and then split up whatever remains among the other 24 "normal" paychecks.

So, at the beginning of the year, I figured out that I'd need to put in X% for the two third-paychecks and Y% for the regular paychecks, and that'd get me to $18,003. (My work auto-adjusts if you hit $18,000, so the last paycheck in December would be slightly less than Y%.)

Somewhere along the line, something got screwed up. When I was checking on the YTD contributions to make the September changeover, I figured out that if I stuck with X and Y, I'd only contribute $17,997.78 for the full year. Like heck I'm going to leave $2.12 in tax free savings on the table, so I had to recalculate EVERYTHING.

[RWD]

Somewhere along the line, something got screwed up. When I was checking on the YTD contributions to make the September changeover, I figured out that if I stuck with X and Y, I'd only contribute $17,997.78 for the full year. Like heck I'm going to leave $2.12 in tax free savings on the table, so I had to recalculate EVERYTHING.

I had a similar situation at my work one year. My contributions on my last paycheck would only bring me to something like ~$17,970. I decided not to bother changing it since we can only choose whole percentages so it's kind of clunky. However, my employer was nice and automatically increased my contribution for the final paycheck of the year to bring me to $18k exactly. I knew they would keep me from going over, but it was a nice surprise to find my contributions rounded up to the limit.

[Rural]

A couple of years ago I ended up with $6499.99 in HSA contributions. Still not sure how that happened.

[gaja]

My office is currently 900m from home. In the national election last Monday it was decided that my region will be merged with two others, and the office will probably be moved in two years, adding at least an hour on the train to my daily commute. I really can't be bothered to spend so my time without getting paid for it, so I'm considering other options. The employer knows this, and is considering counting time on public transport as work time, letting us work up to 80% of the time from home, and establishing remote offices. It pays being more than one mustachian in the office (and having strong unions).

[pdxmonkey]

My office is currently 9 meters* from my bedroom. Hopefully things work out stuck that the same can be true for you.

*I haven't measured. I suspect that's exaggerating the walking distance. The through walls distance is more like 1.5-2m.

[barbaz]

My office is currently 9 meters* from my bedroom. Hopefully things work out stuck that the same can be true for you.

*I haven't measured. I suspect that's exaggerating the walking distance. The through walls distance is more like 1.5-2m.

You have to consider the detour to the kitchen to grab a drink. The miles add up over the years.

[barbaz]

My office is currently 9 meters* from my bedroom. Hopefully things work out stuck that the same can be true for you.

*I haven't measured. I suspect that's exaggerating the walking distance. The through walls distance is more like 1.5-2m.

You have to consider the detour to the kitchen to grab a drink. The miles add up over the years.

[LennStar]

It pays being more than one mustachian in the office (and having strong unions).

Yeah Unions, the Communistic Hitlers, forcing companies to do things The Market would never allow! They will crush the whole economy and then the land!

[gaja]

It pays being more than one mustachian in the office (and having strong unions).

Yeah Unions, the Communistic Hitlers, forcing companies to do things The Market would never allow! They will crush the whole economy and then the land!

Don't forget that these are the unions for public employees, which I have seen several times on these forums should be banned, because the public sector is a friendly being that is always looking out for the wellbeing of all and we should be grateful we are allowed to work there at all.

[TomTX]

A few months back I got a notice from one of my credit card companies notifying me that they would not be sending me a new card and would be closing out my account when the current card expires due to lack of use.  Last week, I got a notice for a different credit card that they will close that account if I don't use it by October 6th.  So now I have to find a way to use the card before I go on vacation in two weeks.  (I only take 1 card when I go on vacation.)

Honestly I don't really care, but I am worried that losing both cards will negatively impact my credit score.  :(

Having multiple credit cards is helpful for your credit score. Multiple NEW cards are a temporary dip, but it's a pretty weak effect. I've opened a dozen new cards this year and still have an 830 FICO (not Vantage Score, actual FICO) - as of the last Discover update.

I put as much spending as I can on credit cards for the cash back - or even better, a signup bonus. Utilities, groceries, gas, travel for work, etc. Anything that doesn't have a fee to use a credit card - and occasionally something that does have a fee (like property taxes) if I need to finish off a juicy signup bonus.

For example: the Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP.) 50,000 point signup bonus if you spend $4,000 within 3 months. That can be cashed out for $500. No annual fee for the first year, and Chase makes it fairly easy to change to a no-fee card after the year ends (before you have to pay the fee.)

Let's use the real-life example that got me into doing credit card signup bonuses:

I have $4,000 in property taxes coming up - and the County charges 2.19% to use a credit card. Normally a Mustachian would say "No WAY! I'll cut a check instead of paying a fee!"

But that leaves a lot of free money on the table.

Here's how the math works out:

-$88 in fees
+$40 from 1% cash back on the card
+ $500 from the signup bonus

Result: $452 in profit for something that MIGHT take an hour total of my time. If you are just getting started, maybe 2 hours. That includes filling out the online application, setting up a Chase login and password, setting up autopay for the bill, cashing out the points and (after a year) changing to a no-fee card.

Of course, this only works for responsible credit card users.

Disclosure: Using the link in my signature to sign up does get me a referral bonus. It does not reduce your bonus in any way, nor do you have any obligation to use it.

[AmyS]

I have spent the last couple of months reading this entire thread and now I'm done. HOW WILL I GO ON????

[slipslop]

Coworker says "Man, I really need to invest more."
I respond, genuinely agreeing, "Yes, me too."
Coworker says he's considering increasing his contributions to get the company match on his 401k. Asks me how much more I need to invest to get the full match.
I say, "Oh, I was just thinking it would be nice to max out the account." Leaving out that I was thinking it would be nice to max out a Mega Backdoor Roth, since the 401k, 403b, 457 and backdoor Roth IRAs already get fully funded each year...

[barbaz]

I have spent the last couple of months reading this entire thread and now I'm done. HOW WILL I GO ON????

Read Overheard at work next

[LennStar]

I have spent the last couple of months reading this entire thread and now I'm done. HOW WILL I GO ON????

Read Overheard at work next

But beware of foam coming out of orange boxes.

[AmyS]

I have spent the last couple of months reading this entire thread and now I'm done. HOW WILL I GO ON????

Read Overheard at work next

But beware of foam coming out of orange boxes.

Thank you! Will do!

[kaypinkHH]

My MPP: Thought I was only at page 75 of this thread based on my book mark, must have continued reading because was actually on the last page. Had to scroll through 10 pages to get to where I was, just to read the last few comments and then post. The struggle is real.

[Bracken_Joy]

My MPP: I'm accidentally playing hard negotiator with my work, without meaning to.

Situation is this. I enjoy working part time. It gives me plenty of time to be refreshed for my job. And I imagine this is part of why I am very good at my job (nurse). But my company desperately wants me to work more. This is the second year in a row where they've offered me a *massive* raise in order to work more. (They also offered me a different promotion/raise into management, but I turned that down). This means in 2 years with the company, I'm making 1.7x what I started out making as my hourly rate.

Husband pointed out that I'm basically a hard negotiator, because I'm always willing to walk away, and they want results way more than I do. So that's my MPP. People want to pay me so much, I'd be insane not to work a bit more!

[Loren Ver]

My MPP: I'm accidentally playing hard negotiator with my work, without meaning to.

Situation is this. I enjoy working part time. It gives me plenty of time to be refreshed for my job. And I imagine this is part of why I am very good at my job (nurse). But my company desperately wants me to work more. This is the second year in a row where they've offered me a *massive* raise in order to work more. (They also offered me a different promotion/raise into management, but I turned that down). This means in 2 years with the company, I'm making 1.7x what I started out making as my hourly rate.

Husband pointed out that I'm basically a hard negotiator, because I'm always willing to walk away, and they want results way more than I do. So that's my MPP. People want to pay me so much, I'd be insane not to work a bit more!

A great problem to have!😀

[Imma]

My MPP: I'm accidentally playing hard negotiator with my work, without meaning to.

Situation is this. I enjoy working part time. It gives me plenty of time to be refreshed for my job. And I imagine this is part of why I am very good at my job (nurse). But my company desperately wants me to work more. This is the second year in a row where they've offered me a *massive* raise in order to work more. (They also offered me a different promotion/raise into management, but I turned that down). This means in 2 years with the company, I'm making 1.7x what I started out making as my hourly rate.

Husband pointed out that I'm basically a hard negotiator, because I'm always willing to walk away, and they want results way more than I do. So that's my MPP. People want to pay me so much, I'd be insane not to work a bit more!

Same for me! I enjoy working parttime, because it feels like semi-retirement. My boss needs me to pick up some extra shifts now and then and I'm not extremely happy with that, so he gave me quite a big raise and offers me extra incentives. I'd be a fool to not work those extra shifts ( and it would cause the company a lot of trouble if I didn't) but I'm not extremely happy with it. My boss knows I'd rather walk away than work fulltime and that's a good position to be in.

[jlcnuke]

I've had so much overtime this year that I've had to reduce my 401k contribution percentage twice to ensure I get the maximum matching from my company (they match on a per-paycheck basis and don't do a "true up" at the end of the year, so if I max out my contributions in October I miss out on all the matching money for the rest of the year). I think I'll likely have to reduce it further still though...