Author Topic: Overheard at Work 2  (Read 1117021 times)

JLee

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #500 on: March 26, 2019, 08:45:58 AM »
I was just overhearing a conversation about retirement planning and how most of the country is woefully unprepared. It made me happy to hear that discussed at work.

carolinap

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #501 on: March 26, 2019, 09:48:55 AM »
DH dropped these two stories at dinner last night (at home, of course).

Colleague the first is paying $1,000 per month for car insurance. In the last year, he's totalled two vehicles,  his luve-in GF totalled her car and the GF's live-in daughter totalled hers. He totalled his truck by hitting a telephone while pulling out of his very long driveway. He was texting. Presumably the telephone pole was not newly installed.

Colleague the second's spouse is a pill popper. She used through her pregnancy and their six year old is so delayed that she's still in diapers. The wife has had five car accidents in the last 60 days. In the latest one, she sideswiped a guardrail, abandoned the vehicle, then reported it stolen. Colleague is filing for divorce this week. Their poor child.

The first story is antimustachian, the second is just sad

boyerbt

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #502 on: March 26, 2019, 11:27:42 AM »
I was just overhearing a conversation about retirement planning and how most of the country is woefully unprepared. It made me happy to hear that discussed at work.

Was it an upbeat conversation then? I overhear similar conversations but it typically is a more cynical conversation where the people are agreeing that it is impossible to save and retire in:

- this economy
- this day and age
- city/state
- any other excuse

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #503 on: March 26, 2019, 11:28:50 AM »
In my country, pension premiums are paid for jointly by employers and employees. The pension contributions are tax-deferred so your taxable income is lower + you don't pay wealth tax over money that is tied up in a pension instead of in your bank account. Pensions also seem to be much safer than they are in the US.

In some situations the employer doesn't pay the premium (for example during unpaid leave, parental leave, sabbatical) but the employee is offered the option to pay the full premium so this period is covered by the pension. Seems like payroll has been routinely advising people not to pay their own premiums, because "they yearly pension doesn't rise as much as the amount of premium you pay now" which is
 1. Not true in all cases
2. Very much depends on how long you or your spouse will receive the pension (i.e. if your spouse is 20 years younger in all likelihood you'll get your money's worth out of the pension contributions)
3. Assumes the employee has no savings
4. Doesn't factor in that contributions are tax deductible
5. Doesn't factor in the benefits of having a lower taxable income

JLee

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #504 on: March 26, 2019, 11:41:26 AM »
I was just overhearing a conversation about retirement planning and how most of the country is woefully unprepared. It made me happy to hear that discussed at work.

Was it an upbeat conversation then? I overhear similar conversations but it typically is a more cynical conversation where the people are agreeing that it is impossible to save and retire in:

- this economy
- this day and age
- city/state
- any other excuse

Mostly yeah - basically they were saying how they were meeting with the (work / Fidelity provided) financial advisor and they were largely on track, but most Americans can't handle a $400 emergency and that's rather scary overall.

bluebelle

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #505 on: March 26, 2019, 12:06:54 PM »
In my country, pension premiums are paid for jointly by employers and employees. The pension contributions are tax-deferred so your taxable income is lower + you don't pay wealth tax over money that is tied up in a pension instead of in your bank account. Pensions also seem to be much safer than they are in the US.

In some situations the employer doesn't pay the premium (for example during unpaid leave, parental leave, sabbatical) but the employee is offered the option to pay the full premium so this period is covered by the pension. Seems like payroll has been routinely advising people not to pay their own premiums, because "they yearly pension doesn't rise as much as the amount of premium you pay now" which is
 1. Not true in all cases
2. Very much depends on how long you or your spouse will receive the pension (i.e. if your spouse is 20 years younger in all likelihood you'll get your money's worth out of the pension contributions)
3. Assumes the employee has no savings
4. Doesn't factor in that contributions are tax deductible
5. Doesn't factor in the benefits of having a lower taxable income
I am always amazed at how uninformed most HR folks are.  It seems to be universal.  And it doesn't seem to stop them from speaking with authority.

Prairie Stash

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #506 on: March 26, 2019, 01:42:42 PM »
In my country, pension premiums are paid for jointly by employers and employees. The pension contributions are tax-deferred so your taxable income is lower + you don't pay wealth tax over money that is tied up in a pension instead of in your bank account. Pensions also seem to be much safer than they are in the US.

In some situations the employer doesn't pay the premium (for example during unpaid leave, parental leave, sabbatical) but the employee is offered the option to pay the full premium so this period is covered by the pension. Seems like payroll has been routinely advising people not to pay their own premiums, because "they yearly pension doesn't rise as much as the amount of premium you pay now" which is
 1. Not true in all cases
2. Very much depends on how long you or your spouse will receive the pension (i.e. if your spouse is 20 years younger in all likelihood you'll get your money's worth out of the pension contributions)
3. Assumes the employee has no savings
4. Doesn't factor in that contributions are tax deductible
5. Doesn't factor in the benefits of having a lower taxable income
I am always amazed at how uninformed most HR folks are.  It seems to be universal.  And it doesn't seem to stop them from speaking with authority.
It borders into illegal here to present an employee with financial advice without being a financial advisor, the company becomes responsible if it’s bad advice. My HR is very careful to present options, they never encourage a choice though. It’s a fine line, but it’s their duty to be a resource of information, not to tell or advise people what to do.

When my wife went on leave she had the option of keeping optional insurance. HR was careful to say what benefits she would get, they never once said she should keep it. We opted out, it wasn’t right for us. They did their jobs perfectly, lots of information but never telling a person what to do.

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #507 on: March 26, 2019, 02:37:51 PM »
DH dropped these two stories at dinner last night (at home, of course).

Colleague the first is paying $1,000 per month for car insurance. In the last year, he's totalled two vehicles,  his luve-in GF totalled her car and the GF's live-in daughter totalled hers. He totalled his truck by hitting a telephone while pulling out of his very long driveway. He was texting. Presumably the telephone pole was not newly installed.

Colleague the second's spouse is a pill popper. She used through her pregnancy and their six year old is so delayed that she's still in diapers. The wife has had five car accidents in the last 60 days. In the latest one, she sideswiped a guardrail, abandoned the vehicle, then reported it stolen. Colleague is filing for divorce this week. Their poor child.

The first story is antimustachian, the second is just sad
I agree that it's sad, but there's plenty of anitmustachianism to go along with the sadness.

Gerard

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #508 on: March 26, 2019, 04:02:38 PM »
his luve-in GF

This is either very clever or the Freudian slip of the day. Kudos either way.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #509 on: March 26, 2019, 04:57:35 PM »
In my country, pension premiums are paid for jointly by employers and employees. The pension contributions are tax-deferred so your taxable income is lower + you don't pay wealth tax over money that is tied up in a pension instead of in your bank account. Pensions also seem to be much safer than they are in the US.

In some situations the employer doesn't pay the premium (for example during unpaid leave, parental leave, sabbatical) but the employee is offered the option to pay the full premium so this period is covered by the pension. Seems like payroll has been routinely advising people not to pay their own premiums, because "they yearly pension doesn't rise as much as the amount of premium you pay now" which is
 1. Not true in all cases
2. Very much depends on how long you or your spouse will receive the pension (i.e. if your spouse is 20 years younger in all likelihood you'll get your money's worth out of the pension contributions)
3. Assumes the employee has no savings
4. Doesn't factor in that contributions are tax deductible
5. Doesn't factor in the benefits of having a lower taxable income
I am always amazed at how uninformed most HR folks are.  It seems to be universal.  And it doesn't seem to stop them from speaking with authority.
It borders into illegal here to present an employee with financial advice without being a financial advisor, the company becomes responsible if it’s bad advice. My HR is very careful to present options, they never encourage a choice though. It’s a fine line, but it’s their duty to be a resource of information, not to tell or advise people what to do.

When my wife went on leave she had the option of keeping optional insurance. HR was careful to say what benefits she would get, they never once said she should keep it. We opted out, it wasn’t right for us. They did their jobs perfectly, lots of information but never telling a person what to do.

It's basically the same in here. I work in payroll as well and always try to present the options in a neutral way, with a list of pros and cons for each option.

What this person has been doing is making staff sign a waiver that they were informed of the risk that they would pay more than they'd get paid out in retirement and that they can't hold the company liable in that case. They hadn't informed the employee about any of the other aspects and were pretty clear about what the "right" choice was from their tone of voice.

If you tell the average employee their choice is so bad they need to sign a waiver, without providing context, to me that's basically the same as giving very bad advice. The employee thinks you're the expert and most of them follow your advice blindly.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #510 on: March 26, 2019, 10:36:12 PM »
DH dropped these two stories at dinner last night (at home, of course).

Colleague the first is paying $1,000 per month for car insurance. In the last year, he's totalled two vehicles,  his luve-in GF totalled her car and the GF's live-in daughter totalled hers. He totalled his truck by hitting a telephone while pulling out of his very long driveway. He was texting. Presumably the telephone pole was not newly installed.

Colleague the second's spouse is a pill popper. She used through her pregnancy and their six year old is so delayed that she's still in diapers. The wife has had five car accidents in the last 60 days. In the latest one, she sideswiped a guardrail, abandoned the vehicle, then reported it stolen. Colleague is filing for divorce this week. Their poor child.

I wish vehicles were seen more in line with the risk that they pose, closer to lethal weapons.
"Jane's shot 5 people in the last 60 days" would get a lot more attention. 
I love cars, but with great power comes great responsibility.

My heart goes out to that child.

accountingteacher

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #511 on: March 27, 2019, 08:28:59 AM »
In my country, pension premiums are paid for jointly by employers and employees. The pension contributions are tax-deferred so your taxable income is lower + you don't pay wealth tax over money that is tied up in a pension instead of in your bank account. Pensions also seem to be much safer than they are in the US.

In some situations the employer doesn't pay the premium (for example during unpaid leave, parental leave, sabbatical) but the employee is offered the option to pay the full premium so this period is covered by the pension. Seems like payroll has been routinely advising people not to pay their own premiums, because "they yearly pension doesn't rise as much as the amount of premium you pay now" which is
 1. Not true in all cases
2. Very much depends on how long you or your spouse will receive the pension (i.e. if your spouse is 20 years younger in all likelihood you'll get your money's worth out of the pension contributions)
3. Assumes the employee has no savings
4. Doesn't factor in that contributions are tax deductible
5. Doesn't factor in the benefits of having a lower taxable income
I am always amazed at how uninformed most HR folks are.  It seems to be universal.  And it doesn't seem to stop them from speaking with authority.
It borders into illegal here to present an employee with financial advice without being a financial advisor, the company becomes responsible if it’s bad advice. My HR is very careful to present options, they never encourage a choice though. It’s a fine line, but it’s their duty to be a resource of information, not to tell or advise people what to do.

When my wife went on leave she had the option of keeping optional insurance. HR was careful to say what benefits she would get, they never once said she should keep it. We opted out, it wasn’t right for us. They did their jobs perfectly, lots of information but never telling a person what to do.

It's basically the same in here. I work in payroll as well and always try to present the options in a neutral way, with a list of pros and cons for each option.

What this person has been doing is making staff sign a waiver that they were informed of the risk that they would pay more than they'd get paid out in retirement and that they can't hold the company liable in that case. They hadn't informed the employee about any of the other aspects and were pretty clear about what the "right" choice was from their tone of voice.

If you tell the average employee their choice is so bad they need to sign a waiver, without providing context, to me that's basically the same as giving very bad advice. The employee thinks you're the expert and most of them follow your advice blindly.

It's kind of ironic that the waiver the payroll person is asking the employees to sign actually provides evidence of the ineptitude of the advice.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #512 on: March 27, 2019, 09:58:47 AM »
It's kind of ironic that the waiver the payroll person is asking the employees to sign actually provides evidence of the ineptitude of the advice.

Yeah. If anyone is giving me "advice" and wants me to sign a waver, I put my hands on by back and am very dubious of this advise.

economista

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #513 on: March 27, 2019, 12:24:20 PM »
Two of my coworkers who are always complaining about money were talking excitedly in the hallway. One of them had gotten a package and was opening it. It was a pair of Rothys. One coworker was talking about how she's got 2 of them now and is wanting to buy a third pair in a print. That's over $500 in shoes!

Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #514 on: March 27, 2019, 02:52:59 PM »
Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

Maybe I live under a rock, but I have never heard of either of these brands.

economista

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #515 on: March 27, 2019, 03:10:58 PM »
Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

Maybe I live under a rock, but I have never heard of either of these brands.

They are $200 pairs of flats. Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic and can be put in the washer which is why I’m enticed - I hate when flats get smelly.

Tieks are leather and have a blue stripe on the back

Miss Piggy

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #516 on: March 27, 2019, 03:33:49 PM »
Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

Maybe I live under a rock, but I have never heard of either of these brands.

They are $200 pairs of flats. Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic and can be put in the washer which is why I’m enticed - I hate when flats get smelly.

Tieks are leather and have a blue stripe on the back

Interesting. Those plastic ones sound a little sweaty, but overall good for the environment. I hope.

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #517 on: March 27, 2019, 09:33:16 PM »
Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

Maybe I live under a rock, but I have never heard of either of these brands.

They are $200 pairs of flats. Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic and can be put in the washer which is why I’m enticed - I hate when flats get smelly.

Tieks are leather and have a blue stripe on the back

Interesting. Those plastic ones sound a little sweaty, but overall good for the environment. I hope.
I actually have Rothy’s after I put a call out for recommendations to my greater crowd of social media friends. I have pretty strict requirements for my wide feet (flexible, flat, thin soles, comfort above all, want quality that lasts). Flats from Target just don’t cut it for my oddly-shaped feet. I got a pair (I think the flats are $120) and got a second when I got several $20 off coupons stacked up from referring friends.

I love that they are recycled. The shoes are a woven material so they aren’t sweaty the way you’d expect a plastic shoe to be. I love that I wear them everywhere and doing everything, including rainy rides to work on my bike. If they get dirty, I throw them in the wash and they come out looking brand-new. I’ve worn pretty much nothing but them for the last year except when on a run or at the gym and they still look basically new. If they really do continue to hold up then I’ll consider them a better buy than my other shoes that give up after a few years.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #518 on: March 28, 2019, 01:36:24 AM »
One of my co-workers (about 50 years old) is about to buy a home. He just emigrated here and is correctly renting a home. The and his wife have money from selling their previous home. So far, so good.

He talked to a bank to get a preapproval for a mortgage, which is something you need here to make an offer on a home. The bank was presenting him the option of the flexi-mortgage. This is just an amount of credit that the bank gives you, based on the value of your home and you need to pay it back on a certain date, e.g. after 30 years. You need to pay a monthly interest, but you can decide not to pay that fee for several months as often as you like. As long as you pay it in the end with all the extra interest. You can also take out a big sum when the mortgage is partly paid down, to buy a car or a new kitchen, and just use the same mortgage. The mortgage has a higher interest rate than a traditional mortgage.
My co-worker thinks this sounds as a good alternative. He likes to be able to not pay the monthly interest for some months and then catch up later when he receives a lump sum out of a savings fund.

From me he just wanted to know whether this was something safe to bet on. I have heard a sincere financial expert speaking about this type of mortgage, who said it was a good alternative for people who are financially responsible, something my co-worker says he is.

I really had to keep my mouth shut for the rest of my thoughts. I would not get a mortgage with higher interest than necessary. I would also not choose to not pay the monthly fee for some months, because that means paying extra interest later. I really had to keep in mind that for my co-worker, it might be a good alternative, even though it means he won't be paying down his mortgage any time soon.

The good thing is that the bank has pre-qualified him for a mortgage that is twice as high as he asked for and he is not planning to get such a high mortgage. Good for him.

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #519 on: March 28, 2019, 07:19:54 AM »
Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

Maybe I live under a rock, but I have never heard of either of these brands.

They are $200 pairs of flats. Rothy’s are made from recycled plastic and can be put in the washer which is why I’m enticed - I hate when flats get smelly.

Tieks are leather and have a blue stripe on the back

Interesting. Those plastic ones sound a little sweaty, but overall good for the environment. I hope.
I actually have Rothy’s after I put a call out for recommendations to my greater crowd of social media friends. I have pretty strict requirements for my wide feet (flexible, flat, thin soles, comfort above all, want quality that lasts). Flats from Target just don’t cut it for my oddly-shaped feet. I got a pair (I think the flats are $120) and got a second when I got several $20 off coupons stacked up from referring friends.

I love that they are recycled. The shoes are a woven material so they aren’t sweaty the way you’d expect a plastic shoe to be. I love that I wear them everywhere and doing everything, including rainy rides to work on my bike. If they get dirty, I throw them in the wash and they come out looking brand-new. I’ve worn pretty much nothing but them for the last year except when on a run or at the gym and they still look basically new. If they really do continue to hold up then I’ll consider them a better buy than my other shoes that give up after a few years.

I have no problem paying $$ for a quality pair of shoes that lasts for a few years. My Danskos, Birkenstocks, Merrell sneakers, and Frye boots have all been worth the money. I’m intrigued by the Rothy’s flats!

talltexan

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #520 on: March 28, 2019, 09:17:48 AM »
I can't help but recall Carrie (From "Sex and the City"): "I like my money where I can see it: hanging in my closet!"

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #521 on: March 28, 2019, 10:40:50 AM »
I can't help but recall Carrie (From "Sex and the City"): "I like my money where I can see it: hanging in my closet!"

*shrugs* I can pay a small price for cheap shoes that wear out quickly and need to be replaced often, or I can pay more for better quality and wear the same shoes (that have been broken in to fit my feet exactly) for several years. My Frye boots are on year 7. I need to have the heels resoled, but I expect to get at least another decade out of them. YMMV.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #522 on: March 28, 2019, 11:17:07 AM »
*shrugs* I can pay a small price for cheap shoes that wear out quickly and need to be replaced often, or I can pay more for better quality and wear the same shoes (that have been broken in to fit my feet exactly) for several years. My Frye boots are on year 7. I need to have the heels resoled, but I expect to get at least another decade out of them. YMMV.

See also the Sam Vimes "Boots" Theory of Economic Injustice.

cassafrass

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #523 on: March 28, 2019, 01:56:46 PM »
Yesterday I walked into a conversation two coworkers were having about what they would do if they won the $750 million lottery jackpot. Both were spouting off the usual:  cars, houses, boats, world travel, personal masseuse etc.

But the really interesting part of the conversation came up when CW1 started talking about how she'd start by paying off all of her debt and then seemed to have an epiphany: "You know, if we didn't have any debt, no credit cards debt, no car payments, no mortgage, we could live a really nice life on our salary."

I smiled and nodded while inwardly cringing at the thought of what her monthly debt bills must be (this is the coworker who once told me that she, her mom and her sister shop as a hobby and often go out to the outlets on the weekend for some mindless spending).

eliza

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #524 on: March 28, 2019, 02:11:57 PM »
Two of my coworkers who are always complaining about money were talking excitedly in the hallway. One of them had gotten a package and was opening it. It was a pair of Rothys. One coworker was talking about how she's got 2 of them now and is wanting to buy a third pair in a print. That's over $500 in shoes!

Rothy's and Tieks are a big deal around my office - LOTS of women have them. My supervisor says she buys shoes instead of clothes and she has at least 10 pairs of each. Craziness! I dream about having one pair of either one, but I just keep buying the cheap flats from Target instead.

I got a pair of Tieks for Christmas in 2017.  They were comfy once broken in, but they didn't hold up well at all.  The (large interior) stitching started coming undone within a month or two.  I sent a picture to the company, but they insisted it was a cosmetic issue only.   Then after about eight months of semi-regular use the front sole of one of the shoes came half undone and the shoes became unwearable.  I thought about trying to insist the company fix them, but then realized I didn't actually like them enough to justify it.  I'll stick to my $20 Walmart/Target black flats instead.

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #525 on: March 28, 2019, 08:14:51 PM »
I used to not care about wearing cheap shoes. When I took up running in my mid-20s my feet got about a size bigger and my tolerance for squished toes and poorly fitting shoes went dramatically down. It was like I developed this awareness and appreciation for my feet that I hadn’t had previously. So I am more picky about my shoes now and more willing to spend $ to find something that fits my needs.

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #526 on: March 29, 2019, 06:23:51 AM »
With the right brand shoes can really last. I bought "cheap" shoes for years and years before finding shoes that suddenly lasted 3-4 times longer than the cheap shoes and felt good enough to wear everyday.

Imagine that - feels good and lasts too.

cassafrass

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #527 on: March 29, 2019, 06:31:57 AM »
This is more of a "Spotted at Work," but I see it every Friday and it drives me crazy:

Every week my department has a morning seminar with free refreshments including coffee and bagels. Everyone on our floor is invited to attend. There is a group of coworkers who, pretty much every week, walk over to the Starbucks in our building to buy coffees to bring back and drink in the seminar.

Oh, and guess what type of coffee is brewed and served at the seminar? Starbucks! I JUST DON'T GET IT!

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #528 on: March 29, 2019, 08:26:12 AM »
This is more of a "Spotted at Work," but I see it every Friday and it drives me crazy:

Every week my department has a morning seminar with free refreshments including coffee and bagels. Everyone on our floor is invited to attend. There is a group of coworkers who, pretty much every week, walk over to the Starbucks in our building to buy coffees to bring back and drink in the seminar.

Oh, and guess what type of coffee is brewed and served at the seminar? Starbucks! I JUST DON'T GET IT!

Are they getting plain, brewed coffee or espresso with flavoring and dairy? Because frankly, Starbucks brewed coffee sucks.

cassafrass

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #529 on: March 29, 2019, 08:36:26 AM »
Quote

Are they getting plain, brewed coffee or espresso with flavoring and dairy? Because frankly, Starbucks brewed coffee sucks.

Maybe some fancy-schmancy espresso drinks? Today someone literally got up in the middle of the seminar and came back with an iced coffee from Starbucks. I'm not much of a coffee snob, so I guess I'll never understand...
« Last Edit: March 29, 2019, 09:10:45 AM by cassafrass »

Freedomin5

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #530 on: March 29, 2019, 09:01:03 AM »
Someone brought fancy cupcakes to a meeting at work. I just found out they were $9 per cupcake. I’m glad I ate one and took two to go (they were leftovers and no one wanted them).

jps

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #531 on: March 29, 2019, 09:09:14 AM »
Someone brought fancy cupcakes to a meeting at work. I just found out they were $9 per cupcake. I’m glad I ate one and took two to go (they were leftovers and no one wanted them).

OK, so I'm going to need to hear a little more about these $9 cupcakes. Did they have gold foil?

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #532 on: March 29, 2019, 09:25:08 AM »
Someone brought fancy cupcakes to a meeting at work. I just found out they were $9 per cupcake. I’m glad I ate one and took two to go (they were leftovers and no one wanted them).

OK, so I'm going to need to hear a little more about these $9 cupcakes. Did they have gold foil?

That would be more expensive.
It was probably just some hand made cupcakes from a monk who meditated 20 years in the Himalaya on the meaning of cupcakes for your sould if working for $Megacorp

Freedomin5

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #533 on: March 29, 2019, 09:30:56 AM »
Someone brought fancy cupcakes to a meeting at work. I just found out they were $9 per cupcake. I’m glad I ate one and took two to go (they were leftovers and no one wanted them).

OK, so I'm going to need to hear a little more about these $9 cupcakes. Did they have gold foil?

They kind of looked like these cupcakes (picture courtesy of the Internet since I didn’t actually take a picture of the cupcake). They had a chocolate base. Some kind of fancy imported Belgian dark chocolate and imported chocolate chips. And each one’s frosting was individually hand crafted.

cassafrass

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #534 on: March 29, 2019, 09:38:47 AM »
And each one’s frosting was individually hand crafted.

Not to argue that $9 cupcakes are worth it, but after trying to decorate my son's birthday cake this year, I realized how much time and skill goes into pretty decorations like that. So I can't blame whoever is selling them for that price - I just probably wouldn't ever buy them. But I like admiring pictures!

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #535 on: March 29, 2019, 09:51:12 AM »
And each one’s frosting was individually hand crafted.

Not to argue that $9 cupcakes are worth it, but after trying to decorate my son's birthday cake this year, I realized how much time and skill goes into pretty decorations like that. So I can't blame whoever is selling them for that price - I just probably wouldn't ever buy them. But I like admiring pictures!

Yeah, cake decorating is a tricky skill. I might splurge on a few fancy cupcakes like that for a special occasion (e.g., my MIL's upcoming 70th birthday, if she didn't prefer cheesecake). I wouldn't ever waste the money on a work meeting where people would be just as happy with donuts from Tim Horton's.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #536 on: March 29, 2019, 10:42:28 AM »
Too pretty to eat.

jps

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #537 on: March 29, 2019, 10:54:52 AM »
Those do look pretty sweet. I can appreciate some food art, even if I wouldn't buy it.

phildonnia

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #538 on: March 29, 2019, 03:21:53 PM »
It borders into illegal here to present an employee with financial advice without being a financial advisor, the company becomes responsible if it’s bad advice.

Back in the old days, I worked at a silicon-valley startup.  They became pretty desperate for money, and started marketing stock options heavily at employees.  They pretty much straight-up told us that we could make no better investment than putting large amounts of cash into a single tech company.  And I have to say, the company had a strong family feel, in which the CEO was a wise father whose advice we could trust to make us all rich.

One guy borrowed against his 401(k) to buy in.  I ended up flipping mine the instant it went public, and only lost a few thousand. 

Threshkin

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #539 on: March 29, 2019, 04:21:38 PM »
It borders into illegal here to present an employee with financial advice without being a financial advisor, the company becomes responsible if it’s bad advice.

Back in the old days, I worked at a silicon-valley startup.  They became pretty desperate for money, and started marketing stock options heavily at employees.  They pretty much straight-up told us that we could make no better investment than putting large amounts of cash into a single tech company.  And I have to say, the company had a strong family feel, in which the CEO was a wise father whose advice we could trust to make us all rich.

One guy borrowed against his 401(k) to buy in.  I ended up flipping mine the instant it went public, and only lost a few thousand.

I had a similar experience and loss with a silicon valley IPO.  Painful.

Wrenchturner

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #540 on: March 29, 2019, 05:40:08 PM »
CW#1: Bought a 45k$ Civic(in Canada) but lamented he couldn't buy winter tires...
CW#2: Bought tickets to a cruise before his time off was approved.  It wasn't approved.  They sold his ticket to his wife's friend at a loss.
CW#3: Traded in their "old" car for a brand new one, driver side window promptly froze open in a drive thru!
CW#4: Has an adult daughter, son and his wife at home, he's the only breadwinner.  He's receiving an inheritance and buying a motorcycle.  (I think he should hire some muscle to "motivate" his son, jk...).  Actually I told him he should buy a condo and rent it to his son, but I guess his son is a deadbeat at 20. 

horsepoor

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #541 on: March 31, 2019, 09:15:31 PM »
CW#1: Bought a 45k$ Civic(in Canada) but lamented he couldn't buy winter tires...

I didn't think that was possible, but maybe it's the Civic TypeR? https://automobiles.honda.com/civic-type-r

It even gets terrible mileage for a small car!

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #542 on: March 31, 2019, 09:40:20 PM »
I tend to find an inverse correlation between how pretty a cake is and how delicious it is. I think most frosting tastes like crap and just don’t understand the point of putting time and energy into foodstuffs that are at best barely edible. But maybe I say that in part because my family has a history of baking excellent-tasting cakes and then doing a crappy job on the frosting. I personally can make a damn good chocolate cake but it always looks like it was frosted by a 6 year-old.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #543 on: April 01, 2019, 01:13:46 AM »
I tend to find an inverse correlation between how pretty a cake is and how delicious it is. I think most frosting tastes like crap and just don’t understand the point of putting time and energy into foodstuffs that are at best barely edible. But maybe I say that in part because my family has a history of baking excellent-tasting cakes and then doing a crappy job on the frosting. I personally can make a damn good chocolate cake but it always looks like it was frosted by a 6 year-old.

One word: ganache. Get some in your life immediately.

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #544 on: April 01, 2019, 01:34:10 AM »
I tend to find an inverse correlation between how pretty a cake is and how delicious it is. I think most frosting tastes like crap and just don’t understand the point of putting time and energy into foodstuffs that are at best barely edible. But maybe I say that in part because my family has a history of baking excellent-tasting cakes and then doing a crappy job on the frosting. I personally can make a damn good chocolate cake but it always looks like it was frosted by a 6 year-old.

One word: ganache. Get some in your life immediately.
Looks intriguing. Do you know of any good non-dairy recipes?

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #545 on: April 01, 2019, 01:37:47 AM »
Okay, a little googling seems to indicate that I can use dairy alternative mills. I’m curious to try with my most-excellent cashew milk actually.

https://blog.planete-gateau.com/ganache-sans-lactose/

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #546 on: April 01, 2019, 02:00:27 AM »
I tend to find an inverse correlation between how pretty a cake is and how delicious it is. I think most frosting tastes like crap and just don’t understand the point of putting time and energy into foodstuffs that are at best barely edible. But maybe I say that in part because my family has a history of baking excellent-tasting cakes and then doing a crappy job on the frosting. I personally can make a damn good chocolate cake but it always looks like it was frosted by a 6 year-old.

When we get served cake at work, I am the one who usually eats some of the marzipan flower decorations. As long as it is fresh, I like the taste of it. But when it is old and dried out, then meh!
« Last Edit: April 01, 2019, 10:59:06 AM by Linea_Norway »

ysette9

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #547 on: April 01, 2019, 02:04:48 AM »
Marzipan is one thing but often cake decoration here is just vegetable fat and sugar with food coloring. Gross!

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #548 on: April 01, 2019, 06:03:55 AM »
Marzipan is one thing but often cake decoration here is just vegetable fat and sugar with food coloring. Gross!

And it's usually gritty sugar in the frosting. Blech. Even as a kid, I scraped off that stuff. Cake is good. Crap frosting is not.

Good real buttercream frosting, OTOH...yes please. Marzipan would also be acceptable.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work 2
« Reply #549 on: April 01, 2019, 07:37:18 AM »
I will do marshmallow fondant with a buttercream crumbcoat.  I completely understand why big, intricate cakes are so expensive.  The last cake I did for my kid took three days and probably $50 worth of ingredients.  And that was using cake mix (I doctored it up a little with different flavorings and stuff though).  Which is still cheaper than the chocolate/almond/raspberry concoction that I make about every other Thanksgiving.