Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[highplainsdrifter]

I'm looking at my closet today and I think, I remember buying those pants when I graduated college 8 years ago. I have no plans on replacing them either. I then proceed to secure the 8 year old pants with a belt that my mother bought me as a freshman in high school 16 years ago. I have no plans on replacing the belt either.

Awesome.  My DH is still using the wallet his parents gave him for his 16th birthday.  He's 52. 

Philosophical question -- is this really an MPP?  Because it seems 100% good.  If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it . . . ?  :)

Good point. I guess I was thinking from the standpoint, old clothing would be a problem for a non-mustachian consumer.

Philosophical question -- do Mustachian's have problems or is their badassity so evolved that regular people problems are our entertainment?

[JZinCO]

Since the Federal Employee's shutdown stories (and it should have) got nuked I'll mentioned this here as a MPP.  My MPP having to keep my mouth shut when my co-workers are complaining about their hardships.  We are all working so it is a big topic at the "water cooler."  Most comment 1 missed check is ok but now they are getting concerned.   Me:  It'll be months before I'd have to consider pulling money out of my taxable account let alone worry about missing a bill.

When I mentioned I made sure to send a "paycheck" from my emergency fund to my checking account on Friday I got the can you send me some money.

Local NPR ran a 'in their words' piece interviewing federal employees and contractors. My contractor friend gave a real sob story (I do feel very bad for them) about their student loans, mortgage, and 2 car notes. On top of that they had to use up all vacation time and won't get backpay.
The reason I reference that story here is because one of the interviewed fed employees certainly has MPP. They said "oh I've been doing alot of home improvement and volunteering. My biggest gripe is we will be behind on time sensitive work". The fact that this individual did not reference his personal finances and is spending time and money (productively) during furlough tells me they must be mustachian.

[solon]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

That's nothing. Right now, as we speak, I have five pounds of dead cow in my my freezer. I ground it up and put it in five separate freezer bags. And you know what else...? I'm going to eat it!

[laserlady]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

When I was in law school, I went to a fancy dinner at the university chancellor's house, and he told us all about how his wife's cat had recently died while she was on vacation.  He didn't know what she'd want him to do with the body, but "we've got lots of freezer space because of catering events like this," so he just stuffed it in the freezer of the catering fridge and left it there until she got back a few days before this dinner.

[Trifle]

I'm looking at my closet today and I think, I remember buying those pants when I graduated college 8 years ago. I have no plans on replacing them either. I then proceed to secure the 8 year old pants with a belt that my mother bought me as a freshman in high school 16 years ago. I have no plans on replacing the belt either.

Awesome.  My DH is still using the wallet his parents gave him for his 16th birthday.  He's 52. 

Philosophical question -- is this really an MPP?  Because it seems 100% good.  If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it . . . ?  :)

Good point. I guess I was thinking from the standpoint, old clothing would be a problem for a non-mustachian consumer.

Philosophical question -- do Mustachian's have problems or is their badassity so evolved that regular people problems are our entertainment?

LOL -- :)

[frugalnacho]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

That's nothing. Right now, as we speak, I have five pounds of dead cow in my my freezer. I ground it up and put it in five separate freezer bags. And you know what else...? I'm going to eat it!

I was going to say the main purpose of my freezer is storing dead animals.

[Spruit]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

That's nothing. Right now, as we speak, I have five pounds of dead cow in my my freezer. I ground it up and put it in five separate freezer bags. And you know what else...? I'm going to eat it!

I was going to say the main purpose of my freezer is storing dead animals.

"Honey, would you please remember to take the dead woodpecker with you to work next time? I want it out of the freezer" is not an unfamiliar sentence in this household. #biologistlife...

[Sugaree]

MPP... our move gave us access to city compost and a recycling system that still accepts a lot of plastics. So now we have very little trash. This means, even with our relatively small can, our trash starts to stink long before it's full (dog poo....). I hate wasting the bags by throwing them away partially filled, but I can't handle the smell!

(For the "solvers", no, my city doesn't do plastic shopping bags, and I use my own bags anyway, so I can't just use those. We don't eat cereal or bread, so can't use those bags either. Current plan is for the time being to use the plastic produce bags as a bag within a bag for the dog poo bags, but even those will be gone soon when we get our reusable produce bags bought!)

Could you get a different type of indoor bin, like the ones they used to use for women's sanitary towels. There you don't need to open the whole lid to throw something away.

At our house, if we have a smelly bag, we hang it outside on a spike, until it can be put in the bigger bin. Whenever we eat shrimp(s), the shells really smell very soon. I put those in 2 bags and hang the bag outside in the spike until garbage is collected. I have learned not to put these in the composting bin, as it will smell for 2 months.

I'm not sure how mustachian of a solution this is, but there is a product out there called the diaper genie. I guess it somehow seals each individual diaper in its own plastic bag to cut down on the smell (I used cloth, so I can't vouch for how well it works).  I think I've seen a version for the litterbox too.  The downside is that you do have to purchase refill bags for it.

[Bracken_Joy]

MPP... our move gave us access to city compost and a recycling system that still accepts a lot of plastics. So now we have very little trash. This means, even with our relatively small can, our trash starts to stink long before it's full (dog poo....). I hate wasting the bags by throwing them away partially filled, but I can't handle the smell!

(For the "solvers", no, my city doesn't do plastic shopping bags, and I use my own bags anyway, so I can't just use those. We don't eat cereal or bread, so can't use those bags either. Current plan is for the time being to use the plastic produce bags as a bag within a bag for the dog poo bags, but even those will be gone soon when we get our reusable produce bags bought!)

Could you get a different type of indoor bin, like the ones they used to use for women's sanitary towels. There you don't need to open the whole lid to throw something away.

At our house, if we have a smelly bag, we hang it outside on a spike, until it can be put in the bigger bin. Whenever we eat shrimp(s), the shells really smell very soon. I put those in 2 bags and hang the bag outside in the spike until garbage is collected. I have learned not to put these in the composting bin, as it will smell for 2 months.

I'm not sure how mustachian of a solution this is, but there is a product out there called the diaper genie. I guess it somehow seals each individual diaper in its own plastic bag to cut down on the smell (I used cloth, so I can't vouch for how well it works).  I think I've seen a version for the litterbox too.  The downside is that you do have to purchase refill bags for it.

The additional plastic waste of that more than undoes any I’m avoiding by taking my bags out less often.

[dragoncar]

MPP... our move gave us access to city compost and a recycling system that still accepts a lot of plastics. So now we have very little trash. This means, even with our relatively small can, our trash starts to stink long before it's full (dog poo....). I hate wasting the bags by throwing them away partially filled, but I can't handle the smell!

(For the "solvers", no, my city doesn't do plastic shopping bags, and I use my own bags anyway, so I can't just use those. We don't eat cereal or bread, so can't use those bags either. Current plan is for the time being to use the plastic produce bags as a bag within a bag for the dog poo bags, but even those will be gone soon when we get our reusable produce bags bought!)

Could you get a different type of indoor bin, like the ones they used to use for women's sanitary towels. There you don't need to open the whole lid to throw something away.

At our house, if we have a smelly bag, we hang it outside on a spike, until it can be put in the bigger bin. Whenever we eat shrimp(s), the shells really smell very soon. I put those in 2 bags and hang the bag outside in the spike until garbage is collected. I have learned not to put these in the composting bin, as it will smell for 2 months.

I'm not sure how mustachian of a solution this is, but there is a product out there called the diaper genie. I guess it somehow seals each individual diaper in its own plastic bag to cut down on the smell (I used cloth, so I can't vouch for how well it works).  I think I've seen a version for the litterbox too.  The downside is that you do have to purchase refill bags for it.

The additional plastic waste of that more than undoes any I’m avoiding by taking my bags out less often.

You could use the fundamental principle - the diaper genie just twists the bag to lock in smells.  What you could do is fill your bag 1/10 of the way and then after a week, tie off at the bottom.  you'll still have perhaps 8/10 of the bag left and the smell will be reduced (not eliminated)

[Rural]

MPP... our move gave us access to city compost and a recycling system that still accepts a lot of plastics. So now we have very little trash. This means, even with our relatively small can, our trash starts to stink long before it's full (dog poo....). I hate wasting the bags by throwing them away partially filled, but I can't handle the smell!

(For the "solvers", no, my city doesn't do plastic shopping bags, and I use my own bags anyway, so I can't just use those. We don't eat cereal or bread, so can't use those bags either. Current plan is for the time being to use the plastic produce bags as a bag within a bag for the dog poo bags, but even those will be gone soon when we get our reusable produce bags bought!)

Could you get a different type of indoor bin, like the ones they used to use for women's sanitary towels. There you don't need to open the whole lid to throw something away.

At our house, if we have a smelly bag, we hang it outside on a spike, until it can be put in the bigger bin. Whenever we eat shrimp(s), the shells really smell very soon. I put those in 2 bags and hang the bag outside in the spike until garbage is collected. I have learned not to put these in the composting bin, as it will smell for 2 months.

I'm not sure how mustachian of a solution this is, but there is a product out there called the diaper genie. I guess it somehow seals each individual diaper in its own plastic bag to cut down on the smell (I used cloth, so I can't vouch for how well it works).  I think I've seen a version for the litterbox too.  The downside is that you do have to purchase refill bags for it.

The additional plastic waste of that more than undoes any I’m avoiding by taking my bags out less often.

Flush the dog poop?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

MPP... our move gave us access to city compost and a recycling system that still accepts a lot of plastics. So now we have very little trash. This means, even with our relatively small can, our trash starts to stink long before it's full (dog poo....). I hate wasting the bags by throwing them away partially filled, but I can't handle the smell!

(For the "solvers", no, my city doesn't do plastic shopping bags, and I use my own bags anyway, so I can't just use those. We don't eat cereal or bread, so can't use those bags either. Current plan is for the time being to use the plastic produce bags as a bag within a bag for the dog poo bags, but even those will be gone soon when we get our reusable produce bags bought!)

Could you get a different type of indoor bin, like the ones they used to use for women's sanitary towels. There you don't need to open the whole lid to throw something away.

At our house, if we have a smelly bag, we hang it outside on a spike, until it can be put in the bigger bin. Whenever we eat shrimp(s), the shells really smell very soon. I put those in 2 bags and hang the bag outside in the spike until garbage is collected. I have learned not to put these in the composting bin, as it will smell for 2 months.

I'm not sure how mustachian of a solution this is, but there is a product out there called the diaper genie. I guess it somehow seals each individual diaper in its own plastic bag to cut down on the smell (I used cloth, so I can't vouch for how well it works).  I think I've seen a version for the litterbox too.  The downside is that you do have to purchase refill bags for it.

The additional plastic waste of that more than undoes any I’m avoiding by taking my bags out less often.

Flush the dog poop?

I was going to say noooo, you can't do that because it carries disease, but apparently that restriction only applies to cat poop. Interesting. Flushing dog poop is acceptable, but it seems like you would still need a bag to pick it up with.

I actually DO flush cat poop because my cat is and has always been 100% indoors and no one's idea of a mouser, so that the chances that she could have toxo are really, really low.

[BTDretire]

I just spent $99 to purchase two tickets to watch a talk in an auditorium.
 My MPP, they charge an additional $22 in fees for the two tickets.
If the tickets are $60.50 instead of $49.50, why don't they just say so.
 Grrr!

[Izybat]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

[Linea_Norway]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

[LennStar]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

Izybat's complete post was that she tries to sell her house for months.
Having someone living in there does not make that easier and very likely lowers the price even if you can sell.
Also how would the renters feel if after 2 month they get the message to get out again because the house sold?

[Linea_Norway]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

Izybat's complete post was that she tries to sell her house for months.
Having someone living in there does not make that easier and very likely lowers the price even if you can sell.
Also how would the renters feel if after 2 month they get the message to get out again because the house sold?

I am thinking of short-term rental, with the renters informed with the fact that they might have to move out soon. Sometimes companies want to do this for their employees.

Maybe the house could also be pulled out of the housing market for some time to try again later. It is often not a good sign for a house to be on the market for so long.

[Imma]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

Izybat's complete post was that she tries to sell her house for months.
Having someone living in there does not make that easier and very likely lowers the price even if you can sell.
Also how would the renters feel if after 2 month they get the message to get out again because the house sold?

Where I live there you can rent out a house that's for sale under a special set of rules. The renters get to live somewhere for a few months for a below market price and the owner loses less money. Win-win.

[radram]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

We did this.... in 2000! The house did not sell for 4 months. We thought it would not sell in winter, so found a renter that wanted only a 6 month lease. Perfect, we thought. 6 months later, still didn't sell, so we rented it again... and again... and again. At least $750 per month (now $840), every month, for 18 years. Missed out on rent maybe 4 months total for renter swaps, carpets, painting, etc.

We did have to evict 1 couple, and another couple owes us about $1,000 we will never see. It worked out great for us, but it was not without risk.

One thing to check: Our insurance company required a different policy for a house that was not occupied during that first 4 month attempt at selling.. You might want to check and make sure the home has had proper coverage during this 7 month time of being vacant.

That across the country thing could be a real barrier. Mine is 1 1/2 hours away and is sometimes inconvenient.

Keep us posted.

[ketchup]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

That's nothing. Right now, as we speak, I have five pounds of dead cow in my my freezer. I ground it up and put it in five separate freezer bags. And you know what else...? I'm going to eat it!

I was going to say the main purpose of my freezer is storing dead animals.

"Honey, would you please remember to take the dead woodpecker with you to work next time? I want it out of the freezer" is not an unfamiliar sentence in this household. #biologistlife...

[Sugaree]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

We did this.... in 2000! The house did not sell for 4 months. We thought it would not sell in winter, so found a renter that wanted only a 6 month lease. Perfect, we thought. 6 months later, still didn't sell, so we rented it again... and again... and again. At least $750 per month (now $840), every month, for 18 years. Missed out on rent maybe 4 months total for renter swaps, carpets, painting, etc.

We did have to evict 1 couple, and another couple owes us about $1,000 we will never see. It worked out great for us, but it was not without risk.

One thing to check: Our insurance company required a different policy for a house that was not occupied during that first 4 month attempt at selling.. You might want to check and make sure the home has had proper coverage during this 7 month time of being vacant.

That across the country thing could be a real barrier. Mine is 1 1/2 hours away and is sometimes inconvenient.

Keep us posted.

Also, check your local ordinances.  My city requires that the owner, or a property manager, live within 50 miles of the city limits. 

[Izybat]

Last year we moved across the country. We knew we were going to do it, so we stockpiled money like crazy to cover the moving expenses (what wasn't covered by my company). We closed on a new house in early June 2018, and put our old house on the market in late June 2018.

Here we are seven months later, and the first house hasn't sold yet, however, we can currently pay both mortgages with no problem (well, we can't contribute as much as I would like to our retirements, but still, we can cover both). I was complaining at work the other day, mostly just annoyed that our house hasn't sold in 7 months (winter in upstate NY), and made the mistake of saying "I can't believe I still own two houses". My coworker just looked at me like I was crazy.

You should rent out the house you are not currently living in.

We did this.... in 2000! The house did not sell for 4 months. We thought it would not sell in winter, so found a renter that wanted only a 6 month lease. Perfect, we thought. 6 months later, still didn't sell, so we rented it again... and again... and again. At least $750 per month (now $840), every month, for 18 years. Missed out on rent maybe 4 months total for renter swaps, carpets, painting, etc.

We did have to evict 1 couple, and another couple owes us about $1,000 we will never see. It worked out great for us, but it was not without risk.

One thing to check: Our insurance company required a different policy for a house that was not occupied during that first 4 month attempt at selling.. You might want to check and make sure the home has had proper coverage during this 7 month time of being vacant.

That across the country thing could be a real barrier. Mine is 1 1/2 hours away and is sometimes inconvenient.

Keep us posted.

Also, check your local ordinances.  My city requires that the owner, or a property manager, live within 50 miles of the city limits.

Thanks all for the suggestions. We had to keep it on the market (it was part of the relocation deal with my current company). They reimbursed for some expenses, but only if it was on the market, and sold with in 1 year of my original hire date a the new company. We have also briefly discussed converting it to a rental, bit it's in rural upstate New York, and not exactly a hot spot of rental activity.

If we don't get it sold within the time limit allotted for my relocation reimbursement, we'll rethink out options.

[Zaga]

Ugh, so mad!  We can only change our 401-K contributions once a quarter and someone in HR effed mine up and didn't change it.  I increased my contributions on November 26th, that's plenty of time for it to take effect in January, and it didn't change.  Bah.

But I called the 401-K servicer and they gave me the name in my building to go and yell at for messing up.

[RetiredAt63]

"Honey, would you please remember to take the dead woodpecker with you to work next time? I want it out of the freezer" is not an unfamiliar sentence in this household. #biologistlife...

I used to get "We are running out of space, please take the insects to work."  At least they are smaller than birds.    ;-) 
 
Insect collections used for teaching have a lot of breakage, and I did a lot of specimen replacement.

[Dicey]

Ugh, so mad!  We can only change our 401-K contributions once a quarter and someone in HR effed mine up and didn't change it.  I increased my contributions on November 26th, that's plenty of time for it to take effect in January, and it didn't change.  Bah.

But I called the 401-K servicer and they gave me the name in my building to go and yell at for messing up.

@Zaga, If it's their mistake, they are obligated to fix it immediately and not wait for the next cycle. They CAN change it any time, it's just their policy not to, most likely.  #askmehowiknow.

[letsdoit]

when you go into HR you could dress up and act pompous like your MIL is the best lawyer in town and you could easily sue them 

[Zaga]

Well I emailed the right people today, and they are fixing it and backdating it to the beginning of January!  My next paycheck is going to be so tiny lol!

[TomTX]

Well I emailed the right people today, and they are fixing it and backdating it to the beginning of January!  My next paycheck is going to be so tiny lol!

MPP:

There are so few places where "My next paycheck is going to be so tiny!" is appropriately understood as bragging...

I have like... one person at work who understands.

[Zaga]

Well I emailed the right people today, and they are fixing it and backdating it to the beginning of January!  My next paycheck is going to be so tiny lol!

MPP:

There are so few places where "My next paycheck is going to be so tiny!" is appropriately understood as bragging...

I have like... one person at work who understands.

Ha ha, oh yeah, won't be mentioning this to my coworkers!  The only people who need to know is the HR person who is fixing it, and the payroll person who sends my info to ADP.

I set my 401-K to 20%, which is good but not huge.  I'm not sure if this is being backdated by 1 pay period or 2 because of where they fell, so my next pay will have either 40% or 60% go to the 401-K.  Should be fun!

[Linea_Norway]

Mustachian People Problem:  I had to install a battery tender on my car because I only put about 3K miles on it annually.  Too many days of not driving at all and when I do drive to work it is only a 2.6 mile commute, not enough to recharge via the alternator. 

Cue tiny violins.   

You are not the only Mustachian person with this problem. Two of my former colleages, one who cycled to work and one who walked to work also both had this problem.

[Dicey]

Well I emailed the right people today, and they are fixing it and backdating it to the beginning of January!  My next paycheck is going to be so tiny lol!

Woot! I was so "that person" in my last job. I would make requests that they didn't believe, so instead of verifying with me, they just ignored my requests. Big mistake. In the course of me tenure, I was able to get some big wrongs righted, which felt good. When a friend was squeezed out after many years of good and faithful service, he was able to push them for an additional settlement, due to years of erroneously calculated vacation pay. In part because of my struggles with HR, he knew their policy was illegal in our state. He used that knowledge to his advantage, which still makes me happy to think about. FWIW, my company had a long history of short-changing employees. A friend's dad got screwed by them many years before. He brought about a lawsuit that resulted in a little thing called ERISA. It's good to push for what is right, for the benefit of all.

[Zaga]

Good for your friend!  And wow about erisa!

[Taran Wanderer]

(For the "solvers",

Hot damn, I'm a stereotype.

For potentially stinky-becoming stuff that won't be thrown out for a while, sometimes I'll store it in a freezer if I have space.

Probably not the best option for dog poo, though.

Warning: people with a sensitive stomach probably should not read on.

I grew up on a hobby farm and we used to store dead small animals in the lowest drawer of the freezer (i.e. chickens and rabbits).

That's nothing. Right now, as we speak, I have five pounds of dead cow in my my freezer. I ground it up and put it in five separate freezer bags. And you know what else...? I'm going to eat it!

I was going to say the main purpose of my freezer is storing dead animals.

"Honey, would you please remember to take the dead woodpecker with you to work next time? I want it out of the freezer" is not an unfamiliar sentence in this household. #biologistlife...

When I was a kid, we stayed with our grandparents while our parents were out of town. While there, we killed a mole... and kept it in the chest freezer for,the next week so we could show it to our arenas when they got back. There were soooooo excited...

[Reynold]

Well, they are chipping away at my "effective" yield (by wasting my time.)  Apparently the transaction got flagged in their fraud department, and I wasted more than a half hour on the phone with a three-way-call between Chase and Ally so that Chase could be confident that it was "legitimate" that I was xferring $15K into my newly opened account.  What a bunch of assclowns.

Good luck with Chase.  My in-laws banked with them, and at least twice we found a "'mystery" $10 charge on their account, no explanation, and when we called they took it right off without any argument, but also without any explanation of what it was for.  Are they just counting on people not checking their statements to make some free money?  Also, when we tried to get Chase to move their savings account from one paying 0.01% (yes, one one hundredth of a percent) interest to one paying 1% interest, it took three in person visits over two months. 

[Linea_Norway]

Last time the fuel was cheap, I filled up the car with cheap diesel. Recently DH went for his work to Sweden and drove a couple of hours. On the way back the tank was pretty empty, but he didn't want to fill it up completely with expensive fuel (as fuel prices vary a lot). Now the tank is again almost empty with the warning light on. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning fuel prices tend to be cheapest. But because of a snow storm yesterday we didn't go anywhere on Sunday. On today I decided to walk to work, also to avoid snow chaos on the roads. On thursday afternoon we will again have to drive a long way and I don't know if I get a new option to fill up the tank for a low price.

[rantk81]

Last time the fuel was cheap, I filled up the car with cheap diesel. Recently DH went for his work to Sweden and drove a couple of hours. On the way back the tank was pretty empty, but he didn't want to fill it up completely with expensive fuel (as fuel prices vary a lot). Now the tank is again almost empty with the warning light on. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning fuel prices tend to be cheapest. But because of a snow storm yesterday we didn't go anywhere on Sunday. On today I decided to walk to work, also to avoid snow chaos on the roads. On thursday afternoon we will again have to drive a long way and I don't know if I get a new option to fill up the tank for a low price.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told that in extreme cold temperatures, it is best not to get close to running out of fuel.  I've been told that any impurities or potentially water (or condensed or otherwise) will be more prevalent in the tank and fuel lines when your tank is almost empty -- and is more susceptible to freezing and causing a problems...

[Raenia]

Last time the fuel was cheap, I filled up the car with cheap diesel. Recently DH went for his work to Sweden and drove a couple of hours. On the way back the tank was pretty empty, but he didn't want to fill it up completely with expensive fuel (as fuel prices vary a lot). Now the tank is again almost empty with the warning light on. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning fuel prices tend to be cheapest. But because of a snow storm yesterday we didn't go anywhere on Sunday. On today I decided to walk to work, also to avoid snow chaos on the roads. On thursday afternoon we will again have to drive a long way and I don't know if I get a new option to fill up the tank for a low price.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told that in extreme cold temperatures, it is best not to get close to running out of fuel.  I've been told that any impurities or potentially water (or condensed or otherwise) will be more prevalent in the tank and fuel lines when your tank is almost empty -- and is more susceptible to freezing and causing a problems...

I've heard that too - so I guess my MPP is that I am down to 1/4 tank and have been meaning to fill up the next time I go to the farther away grocery store (since I walk to the closer one) - but I haven't needed to go to that store all week and still have nothing I need there!  I hate to make a trip out just for gas, but I may have to at this rate.

[RetiredAt63]

Last time the fuel was cheap, I filled up the car with cheap diesel. Recently DH went for his work to Sweden and drove a couple of hours. On the way back the tank was pretty empty, but he didn't want to fill it up completely with expensive fuel (as fuel prices vary a lot). Now the tank is again almost empty with the warning light on. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning fuel prices tend to be cheapest. But because of a snow storm yesterday we didn't go anywhere on Sunday. On today I decided to walk to work, also to avoid snow chaos on the roads. On thursday afternoon we will again have to drive a long way and I don't know if I get a new option to fill up the tank for a low price.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told that in extreme cold temperatures, it is best not to get close to running out of fuel.  I've been told that any impurities or potentially water (or condensed or otherwise) will be more prevalent in the tank and fuel lines when your tank is almost empty -- and is more susceptible to freezing and causing a problems...

And if there is an emergency and you need the vehicle, you don't have much fuel in it.  Around here the most likely emergency is power loss due to heavy snow/freezing rain, so it doesn't have to be something dramatic like a hurricane.  No power means no power for the pumps so no fuel.

In winter I fill up when my tank gets to half, no matter the price.  If prices varied that much over the week, I might take the car to a nearby gas station to fill up on a cheap day, and do whatever errands need doing on the way.

[Linea_Norway]

I don't like to have an almost empty fuel tank either. But in this case, I hadn't realized that DH had emptied the tank so much.

This morning (tuesday) on my way to work, I drove to the next village where there is a petrol station. The diesel was pretty cheap. Normally the cheap day is Monday morning, so I was lucky. I also used the cash back credit card for the petrol chain, so it should even up even cheaper. I had forgotten to plug in the motor warmer cable, so the car had to start with a cold motor at -10C, but it still worked. This weekend we go to a colder area where the diesel works noticeably worse because of the cold and we have no motor warmer available. I think the petrol stations in Norway even blend som petrol through the diesel in the winter to prevent it from getting too thick.

[fredbear]

...so the car had to start with a cold motor at -10C, but it still worked. This weekend we go to a colder area where the diesel works noticeably worse because of the cold and we have no motor warmer available. ...

At those temperatures a diesel needs fuel conditioner.  You can get it at any auto parts store and some convenience stores.  Cheap insurance, and good for longevity. 

[Gerard]

My mustachian people "problem": I had planned to retire in early July. HR tells me that work years and retirement are calculated at end of semesters, so my official retirement date will be Aug 31. Yes, they're going to pay me to do virtually nothing for two months, because that's "policy".

The problem part is re-planning my tax strategy for the year. I think I can manage...

[LennStar]

My mustachian people "problem": I had planned to retire in early July. HR tells me that work years and retirement are calculated at end of semesters, so my official retirement date will be Aug 31. Yes, they're going to pay me to do virtually nothing for two months, because that's "policy".

The problem part is re-planning my tax strategy for the year. I think I can manage...

The problem will be if they expect you to do nothing. Because that is deadly.
It is tried method to get rid of unwanted employees that are unkickable under normal circumstances. You place them in front of an empty desk and order them to watch that desk (or a survailance camera pointing at a wall - you get the idea). Nothing more.
If they start doing anything else - like reading the newspaper (or today more playing on their phone) you have a reason to kick them.

[Fish Sweet]

Starting off the new year trying to decide if I want to empty my savings account into my Roth IRA or churn a couple of bank accounts before maxing out the Roth.  I didn't keep enough cash on hand to do both (only anticipated the Roth before I started reading about bank account churning here on MMM, thanks guys!) so feeling kind of conflicted at the moment.

Also planning on making some big IKEA furniture purchases in the near future, so I'll probably spring for a credit card and then cancel as soon as buying time is over.   I don't have enough room in my wallet for another card.

[TomTX]

Starting off the new year trying to decide if I want to empty my savings account into my Roth IRA or churn a couple of bank accounts before maxing out the Roth.  I didn't keep enough cash on hand to do both (only anticipated the Roth before I started reading about bank account churning here on MMM, thanks guys!) so feeling kind of conflicted at the moment.

Also planning on making some big IKEA furniture purchases in the near future, so I'll probably spring for a credit card and then cancel as soon as buying time is over.   I don't have enough room in my wallet for another card.

If you intend to do CC churning longer term, just keeping the card (and downgrading at annual fee time if there is one) is typically more beneficial.

[Fish Sweet]

Starting off the new year trying to decide if I want to empty my savings account into my Roth IRA or churn a couple of bank accounts before maxing out the Roth.  I didn't keep enough cash on hand to do both (only anticipated the Roth before I started reading about bank account churning here on MMM, thanks guys!) so feeling kind of conflicted at the moment.

Also planning on making some big IKEA furniture purchases in the near future, so I'll probably spring for a credit card and then cancel as soon as buying time is over.   I don't have enough room in my wallet for another card.

If you intend to do CC churning longer term, just keeping the card (and downgrading at annual fee time if there is one) is typically more beneficial.

I've only recently started doing CC churning, but I find it a little discomforting to have a whole bunch of different credit cards and credit lines open, to be honest.  I'd rather keep 3-4 max and cycle in and out of another 2-3.  That said, I'm still relatively new to churning-- does that make sense?

[TomTX]

Starting off the new year trying to decide if I want to empty my savings account into my Roth IRA or churn a couple of bank accounts before maxing out the Roth.  I didn't keep enough cash on hand to do both (only anticipated the Roth before I started reading about bank account churning here on MMM, thanks guys!) so feeling kind of conflicted at the moment.

Also planning on making some big IKEA furniture purchases in the near future, so I'll probably spring for a credit card and then cancel as soon as buying time is over.   I don't have enough room in my wallet for another card.

If you intend to do CC churning longer term, just keeping the card (and downgrading at annual fee time if there is one) is typically more beneficial.

I've only recently started doing CC churning, but I find it a little discomforting to have a whole bunch of different credit cards and credit lines open, to be honest.  I'd rather keep 3-4 max and cycle in and out of another 2-3.  That said, I'm still relatively new to churning-- does that make sense?

Average age of accounts is a fair sized factor in whether you are granted more cards, particularly premium cards and cards from certain issuers (they all have their own quirks) - I would rather just keep the card open and let it age.

It can also look bad to issuers if they see that you are opening cards and then immediately closing them after getting the bonus.

[Sugaree]

Starting off the new year trying to decide if I want to empty my savings account into my Roth IRA or churn a couple of bank accounts before maxing out the Roth.  I didn't keep enough cash on hand to do both (only anticipated the Roth before I started reading about bank account churning here on MMM, thanks guys!) so feeling kind of conflicted at the moment.

Also planning on making some big IKEA furniture purchases in the near future, so I'll probably spring for a credit card and then cancel as soon as buying time is over.   I don't have enough room in my wallet for another card.

If you intend to do CC churning longer term, just keeping the card (and downgrading at annual fee time if there is one) is typically more beneficial.

I've only recently started doing CC churning, but I find it a little discomforting to have a whole bunch of different credit cards and credit lines open, to be honest.  I'd rather keep 3-4 max and cycle in and out of another 2-3.  That said, I'm still relatively new to churning-- does that make sense?

Average age of accounts is a fair sized factor in whether you are granted more cards, particularly premium cards and cards from certain issuers (they all have their own quirks) - I would rather just keep the card open and let it age.

It can also look bad to issuers if they see that you are opening cards and then immediately closing them after getting the bonus.

On this note, make a plan before you just start applying for anything and everything.  For example, Chase will turn you down if you've opened 5 or more cards in the last two years.  So, if you want any of the UR family of cards do that first. 

[Bloop Bloop]

I live in Australia where there are two types of schools - public and private. It's roughly 2/3 and 1/3. Private schools cost up to $40,000 a year.

It's an insane amount of money.

The strange thing is that many middle class families send their kids to private schools. They have to absolutely blow the budget to do so, but they do it as a mark of pride. Strange, because as far as I can tell (from asking my private school educated friends), all the benefits of a "private education" were ephemeral: better facilities, posher surroundings. Those things are nice, but I don't think they add anything to the skillset or gumption of a child.

I suspect the only real benefit of a private school education is that your kids learn "class manners" and related trappings earlier. But if you really care about it that much, send them to etiquette class, or something. Or teach them yourself. Or get them to network in university and they will learn it all, maybe a bit later than the other kids, but early enough to still get a good job.

This comes up because the other day an acquaintance of mine made a snide comment about my car being somewhat extravagant. I shot back - "Well it's a lot less than 6 years of private school education, and at least it has an objective benefit." Hehe.

[Steeze]

MPP: I owe 2200 in taxes and I was expecting a return. Now my savings rate will drop to 45% next month to cover the bill. I will have to talk to HR to ask for additional withholding this year. Worst of all my February numbers are going to be unimpressive when I enter them in my spreadsheet. Sad.

[RWD]

MPP: I owe 2200 in taxes and I was expecting a return.

My Mustachian problem: knowing the difference between a tax return and refund and having to hold myself back from correcting others who use it wrong. I think I failed...