Overheard at Work

[Debts_of_Despair]

Our family of 8 does about 8 loads per week, 420-ish loads per year.   

A load of laundry per week, per person?!

I think you might be doing something wrong... Does your family consist of 8 large men by any chance?

You have too many clothes.

[MBot]

A lot depends on the size of the washer as well. You may do a lot "more" loads but actually have less laundry.

A 3.0 cubic foot washer does about 10-12 pounds of laundry
A 5.0 cubic foot one does about 23-25 pounds

Big difference!

Our old top-loader could be stuffed with almost double of what fits in our "new" (bought used for $150) super-efficient front-loader.

But the new one uses about a quarter of the power and water, so I'm OK with that.

[Taran Wanderer]

I'm a big guy, and I do about a load a week for me.  Would be / should be more if I worked out more.  DW does about a load a week for her.  Then there are the kids.  Then the bath towels weekly, the pool/beach towels when we go, the sheets monthly, the dog towels sometimes.  And most of our clothes don't get washed after every wearing (underwear, socks, and workout clothes do).

That adds up to 7 to 9 loads of laundry a week and keeps us smelling good and looking presentable, but not coiffed.  This seems completely reasonable to me.

[iwasjustwondering]

I have two teenage boys who both do sports.  Believe me when I say that we need to do at least one load per kid per week.  The kid who does cross country is soaked from head to toe after a run, and he runs every day.  He can't let his clothes sit in the hamper for too long because they stink up his room.  Having kids also means the kitchen table is not a great option, so yeah I will wash the sheets.

[trek240]

My gas bill was under $12 last month for a gas dryer, gas cook top, and gas water heater

Actually, the land where my dryer sits cost me about $1900 to purchase.  So that guy does have a point.  In 30 years, I hope that I can sell that land for about $4k though.

That money you spent for your dryer space could have been worth $3k after 10 years. Shame on you for putting your FIRE at risk for a luxury.

/s

[SeaEhm]

My gas bill was under $12 last month for a gas dryer, gas cook top, and gas water heater

Actually, the land where my dryer sits cost me about $1900 to purchase.  So that guy does have a point.  In 30 years, I hope that I can sell that land for about $4k though.

That money you spent for your dryer space could have been worth $3k after 10 years. Shame on you for putting your FIRE at risk for a luxury.

/s

Hi S,

Thank you for your advice.  I recently sold two of my bicycles because they also took up a lot of space.  I guess I could have hung them so they would not need to occupy $2500 worth of space. 

I do still have two bicycles though, so for a while I had purchased land for $5000 to store four bicycles.   I am still new to this site and learning though.  I would hang my current bicycle but my 1% selective OCD does not allow for me to suspend it upside down or vertical.   It must be stored sitting on the floor with minimal amounts of anything touching it.

[arebelspy]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

[dragoncar]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

Hi )

I don't think people should sign off with obscure internet symbols.

/rant

[BTDretire]

...
Have sex on the kitchen table ...

Yep, there are many who get their oral pleasures somewhat crossed up!

[LennStar]

Lunch in lower Manhattan for $15 sounds honestly pretty cheap to me!  What do they do, drink the leftover water from the hotdog cart guy for that price?

Midtown Manhattan lunch prices near me... sandwich (falafel, meatball, grilled chicken etc.) $6-$8. Fancy salad: $10-$12. Sauteed greens/grains/veg bowl: $8-$9. Pizza: $1-$3/slice. Soup: $3-$6.

Of course you could find more expensive places if you tried, but the restaurant/take-out prices here are not that bad.

Good answer, I was going to say that while I imagine Manhattan will have higher prices than nearly the rest of the country, I'm sure you can find lunch for under $10 if you look. If nothing else there has to be a hot dog stand within walking distance of some of the office buildings.

Haha, reminds me of Heidelberg.
There si a cable train (?) up to the castle. The fare was 1,50€ up+down.
You could buy a Bratwurst for 3€ about 30m away fromt he lower station.
About 100m away from the upper station, near the castle, about 300m air distance fron the first Bratwurst, here it would cost you 5,00€.
I didnt buy it btw.

[Mr Dumpster Stache]

The boss called together all the low-level managers today and gave us the "lots of things are changing over the next few months/years, have a good attitude and maybe some of us won't get fired" talk. (He wasn't being mean or threatening, just trying to be honest.)

I was thinking how great it is to know that if I get volunteered for something that doesn't work with how I want to live my life, I have FU money and the ability to live modestly. I can ditch if things get too tough and find something else. I know a lot of my peers and even the managers above us aren't in that situation.

[mm1970]

we do towels once a month maybe every 3 weeks and do sheets i dont even know once every two months if that. i'm not doing alot of running in my sleep so i dont really sweat in bed.

We do about 4 loads a week for 4.  Boys sheets need to be changed because they wet the bed or the pullup leaks.

And, well, I'm a middle-aged woman.  I sweat.

Add in my workout gear, and the towels.  After a week, the towels smell musty and gross.

are you cleaning yourself in the shower prior to using it or using it as a mop to clean up the otherly bodily fluids left on the bed? if the latter i'd wash it probably after one use.  otherwise i hang towels after showering and have no issue with musty smell in a week.

yeah kids sheets wetting them yada .. makes sense but just didnt realize people washed things this much.

Of course I'm washing before drying myself off with the towel.

It still smells after a week.  Depending on the time of year, it doesn't fully dry between uses, so I imagine it's moisture/ mustiness.

[ender]

Some people are a LOT more sensitive to the "musty smell" too.

As someone who is, I am fairly consistently surprised how many family/roommates I've had who can't smell a towel that smells gross to me.

[arebelspy]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

Hi )

I don't think people should sign off with obscure internet symbols.

/rant

All internet symbols are obscure until they're used enough to be recognizable.  "LOL," for example, was something that was quite obscure 20 years ago, as was ":)"

/s is common enough that I recognized it, and by him/her using it, it makes it more common and widespread.  You should feel lucky to have learned it now, grandpa, so you can be hip and with it when you see it next.

Your rant is against language/communication evolving, which... good luck with that.  ;)

(To be clear: Not understanding it: A-OK.  Ranting against it?  A bit silly, IMO.  But my ranting about your ranting is just as silly, I suppose, as people ranting against communication changing is as common as communication changing. So I recognize my own silliness as well. :)  )

[dragoncar]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

Hi )

I don't think people should sign off with obscure internet symbols.

/rant

All internet symbols are obscure until they're used enough to be recognizable.  "LOL," for example, was something that was quite obscure 20 years ago, as was ":)"

/s is common enough that I recognized it, and by him/her using it, it makes it more common and widespread.  You should feel lucky to have learned it now, grandpa, so you can be hip and with it when you see it next.

Your rant is against language/communication evolving, which... good luck with that.  ;)

(To be clear: Not understanding it: A-OK.  Ranting against it?  A bit silly, IMO.  But my ranting about your ranting is just as silly, I suppose, as people ranting against communication changing is as common as communication changing. So I recognize my own silliness as well. :)  )

I wasn't ranting, that's my name

/rant

[arebelspy]

lol

/s

/s

[Sibley]

It was a real live example how a well off family can become ‘poor’ in just two generations. The grandparents were upper-class, the father becomes a gynecologist and should have remained upper-class but his shopping addiction is holding him in middle class (for now, since he is still working and making good money, once he retires I am afraid it is going to be a different story) and she is making a middle class wage but has upper class taste but doesn’t realize that without the support of her mother who is also middle class she would have ended up poor …

I know someone with similar issue. Grandparents started poor, pulled themselves up to a comfortable retirement & leaving money when they died. Parents started lower middle class, ended up lower upper class. They have their issues, mostly mental/emotional, but money wise they've got plenty.

Daughter? Has tastes, expectations of what she was raised with. Worked at a law firm doing admin work $14/hr for 6 years. Law firm started having trouble, people jumping ship all over, despite being told that job searching was a good idea, she stayed there, got transferred into another dept that needed people. Not a good fit, so fired. Then spent 6 MONTHS not really job searching, living off savings & unemployment. Then got a part time, minimum wage manual labor job. Also in here her car was totaled (freak storm flooded the parking lot & the car), so she bought a brand new 2016 Prius. In cash.

She has the option to move back in with her parents, but for mental & emotional health reasons, that is a really bad idea. I'm not sure when she'll wake up to reality, but she spends more than I do and I make 4x what she does. She's headed for a hard crash.

[Sibley]

And I'm convinced you're messing with me. My dryer probably cost $400 like 8 years ago and is still going strong. Dryer sheets?  They're what, $2.99 for a box of 500?  And space?  Seriously?  Part of the beauty of a dryer is that I don't have space to air dry everything I, my wife, and my kid wear in a given week. Takes up far more space than the 9sq ft my dryer does.

Seriously, you're fucking with me right?

Why do you even use dryer sheets?

Reduces static cling.

And softens cloths. And makes them smell nice. They help to keep stains out of your cloths.

And reduces lint on clothing in the dryer process.

They can also cause rashes, allergic reactions, and similar issues for the poor sufferers among us. Me included. Dryer sheets are NOT part of my routine, neither is fabric softener.

[dragoncar]

We inherited some bounty sheets from a friend who loved.  We don't use dryer sheets so left it in the garage.  My wife eventually says "something smells really bad in the garage"  I'm like "it's probably those dryer sheets they smell very powerful."  She says no but fast forward... Yeah it was the sheets.  They smell like a toxic waste dump.  I have sensitive skin so avoid products like that.  If you like it, go for it the price is insignificant. 

[LeRainDrop]

We inherited some bounty sheets from a friend who loved.  We don't use dryer sheets so left it in the garage.  My wife eventually says "something smells really bad in the garage"  I'm like "it's probably those dryer sheets they smell very powerful."  She says no but fast forward... Yeah it was the sheets.  They smell like a toxic waste dump.  I have sensitive skin so avoid products like that.  If you like it, go for it the price is insignificant.

I know they sell those sheets in scents like "fresh linen" and "outdoor fresh," but I've never come across the "toxic waste dump" variety.

[MrRealEstate]

So, after adding some more foam tot his thread (like it needed any more .. The orange and black box are overflowing already with foam .. :-) I do have an overheard/witnessed at work story to share with you.

..................................

It was a real live example how a well off family can become ‘poor’ in just two generations. The grandparents were upper-class, the father becomes a gynecologist and should have remained upper-class but his shopping addiction is holding him in middle class (for now, since he is still working and making good money, once he retires I am afraid it is going to be a different story) and she is making a middle class wage but has upper class taste but doesn’t realize that without the support of her mother who is also middle class she would have ended up poor …

This kind of occurred with my family. No one was rather rich, but my great grandfather owned over a 1000 acres in rancho seco, CA. My grandmother sold it off for a million and began a gambling addiction. Thankfully there's social security, because at least 90% of that money's been burnt up.

[BlueHouse]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

Hi )

I don't think people should sign off with obscure internet symbols.

/rant

All internet symbols are obscure until they're used enough to be recognizable.  "LOL," for example, was something that was quite obscure 20 years ago, as was ":)"

/s is common enough that I recognized it, and by him/her using it, it makes it more common and widespread.  You should feel lucky to have learned it now, grandpa, so you can be hip and with it when you see it next.

Your rant is against language/communication evolving, which... good luck with that.  ;)

(To be clear: Not understanding it: A-OK.  Ranting against it?  A bit silly, IMO.  But my ranting about your ranting is just as silly, I suppose, as people ranting against communication changing is as common as communication changing. So I recognize my own silliness as well. :)  )

I thought @rant was being s /s.   ROFL.

/confused

[SeaEhm]

The "/s" was not his initials, but him indicating that he was closing a sarcasm tag.  :)

now that my joke seems to have run its course by causing a lot of responses ...

I knew he was being sarcastic :)   That's why I responded with a more formal written response taking in a joke about the cost of ownership on the land in which my bikes stood (a joke taken from people talking about how dryers take up valuable space)

[Making Cookies]

we do towels once a month maybe every 3 weeks and do sheets i dont even know once every two months if that. i'm not doing alot of running in my sleep so i dont really sweat in bed.

In the summer here we do alot of laundry. Two changes of clothes per day b/c of the heat and sweating. One set for work, come home, change and active evening hours... Towels might need washing once or twice a week. The nose knows.

[Half-Borg]

With 102cm belly cirumference, your health is at stake.
80 cm is considered perfect for males.
Let's say your belly is a perfect circuit, so c=2*pi*r and A=pi*r^2
So that's 0.083m^2 vs. 0.051 m^2
One m^2 costs me 8.6€
So you save (pi*((102cm/ (2*pi))^2)-pi*((80cm/ (2*pi))^2) )* (8,6€/m^2) = 0.27 cent/month

That's standing up. Sitting down is another matter...

You can convert to your silly american units yourself :P

[dragoncar]

Raise your hand if you weren't being sarcastic

And for gods sake if you close your sarcasm tag, you gotta open it first.  Otherwise it's like mismatched parentheses that will drive me crazy forever)

[markbike528CBX]

...And for gods sake if you close your sarcasm tag, you gotta open it first.  Otherwise it's like mismatched parentheses that will drive me crazy forever)

And will also drive pedantic Internet researchers crazy forever, just like incomplete sentances and misspellings.

[frugledoc]

Was talking to nurse about healthy eating and a low carb diet because she was having avacado, eggs and bacon for lunch .

Turns out she cooks healthy every night for the whole family (she is also an ex personal trainer) but her husband only likes takewaway indian food and has it about 4 times a week.

He spends around £300 pounds a month on unhealthy takeways just for himself even though there is homecooked food available every night.

[boyerbt]

My car (2000 Chevy Cavy with 204k miles) finally died last week with a blown engine so I was discussing with a coworker what I was planning to do:

Me: I'm going to try and find a cheap car to get me through the next year while I save up to buy my longer term car, about $1,000 I think.
CW: Well if you can't afford a new car you can always get a lease.
Me: ...

[mtn]

My car (2000 Chevy Cavy with 204k miles) finally died last week with a blown engine so I was discussing with a coworker what I was planning to do:

Me: I'm going to try and find a cheap car to get me through the next year while I save up to buy my longer term car, about $1,000 I think.
CW: Well if you can't afford a new car you can always get a lease.
Me: ...

What is your longer term car though? If it isn't something "aspirational", why not just buy it now? Rates are pretty low and pretty readily available, it might not be the worst idea.

[boarder42]

My car (2000 Chevy Cavy with 204k miles) finally died last week with a blown engine so I was discussing with a coworker what I was planning to do:

Me: I'm going to try and find a cheap car to get me through the next year while I save up to buy my longer term car, about $1,000 I think.
CW: Well if you can't afford a new car you can always get a lease.
Me: ...

What is your longer term car though? If it isn't something "aspirational", why not just buy it now? Rates are pretty low and pretty readily available, it might not be the worst idea.

Because saving for a year at 3.5% is better than paying for a year at 1.5% (plus fees).

this greatly depends on the cost of owning the cheaper car for just one year.  where are you getting your guaranteed 3.5% for a year didnt know that existed out there right now?  personally i finance even with the cash in the bank b/c over the long term i will get market returns that would beat it so i have no issue with financing.

[mtn]

My car (2000 Chevy Cavy with 204k miles) finally died last week with a blown engine so I was discussing with a coworker what I was planning to do:

Me: I'm going to try and find a cheap car to get me through the next year while I save up to buy my longer term car, about $1,000 I think.
CW: Well if you can't afford a new car you can always get a lease.
Me: ...

What is your longer term car though? If it isn't something "aspirational", why not just buy it now? Rates are pretty low and pretty readily available, it might not be the worst idea.

Because saving for a year at 3.5% is better than paying for a year at 1.5% (plus fees).

this greatly depends on the cost of owning the cheaper car for just one year.

This. The cheaper cars that I've ever bought all needed *something* within a year. Whether it was tires or an AC, or in one case every fluid changed, I've never spent less than $500 in the first 6 months on a cheaper car--not including oil changes or gas. None of them would scare me, but with the timing he mentioned it just doesn't make that much sense to me. I was looking at doing the same, and when I crunched all the numbers it didn't make sense to get a stop-gap car. So we got a long term car instead (for $7,000)

[boyerbt]

My car (2000 Chevy Cavy with 204k miles) finally died last week with a blown engine so I was discussing with a coworker what I was planning to do:

Me: I'm going to try and find a cheap car to get me through the next year while I save up to buy my longer term car, about $1,000 I think.
CW: Well if you can't afford a new car you can always get a lease.
Me: ...

What is your longer term car though? If it isn't something "aspirational", why not just buy it now? Rates are pretty low and pretty readily available, it might not be the worst idea.

Because saving for a year at 3.5% is better than paying for a year at 1.5% (plus fees).

this greatly depends on the cost of owning the cheaper car for just one year.

This. The cheaper cars that I've ever bought all needed *something* within a year. Whether it was tires or an AC, or in one case every fluid changed, I've never spent less than $500 in the first 6 months on a cheaper car--not including oil changes or gas. None of them would scare me, but with the timing he mentioned it just doesn't make that much sense to me. I was looking at doing the same, and when I crunched all the numbers it didn't make sense to get a stop-gap car. So we got a long term car instead (for $7,000)

@mtn - longer term car will probably be something in the $5,000-10,000 range with lower mileage that should live a long time. 

@boarder42 - this is always a concern when looking at buying a really cheap car. My hope is that with the limited miles that I will put on it per year at less than 3,000 miles per year, that I will be able to avoid many repairs that could happen. Also, if the car continues to run well with limited to no issues than I will keep on driving it. Currently my only "wants" for my stop-gap car is to: be reliable (as a $1k car can be),  have a/c as well as heat, and the tires be in relatively good shape. Beyond that - anything is fine with me.

[Making Cookies]

Go looking for unloved cars. I mean cars that were from a styling POV unpopular. Certain Buicks and Chevy four door cars for example. Same bones as some of the more popular models but not worth much.

Maybe look for the more basic trim groups. A car that didn't come with the Buck Rogers engine and entertainment package but still came with a solid engine/transmission and air conditioning.

My car didn't get the rear window defroster or the aluminum wheels but it has pwr windows, air, and power steering. Comfortable enough for a commuter vehicle. We "upgraded" the stereo to a modern off the shelf AM/FM/CD stereo when the original stereo's display went south. Car runs and drives great. Yep - it needed some maintenance at the start to make me happy.

[RetiredAt63]

My car didn't get the rear window defroster

Around here that would be a summer car.  In winter the rear window defroster is a necessity.

[paddedhat]

Go looking for unloved cars. I mean cars that were from a styling POV unpopular. Certain Buicks and Chevy four door cars for example. Same bones as some of the more popular models but not worth much.

Maybe look for the more basic trim groups. A car that didn't come with the Buck Rogers engine and entertainment package but still came with a solid engine/transmission and air conditioning.

My car didn't get the rear window defroster or the aluminum wheels but it has pwr windows, air, and power steering. Comfortable enough for a commuter vehicle. We "upgraded" the stereo to a modern off the shelf AM/FM/CD stereo when the original stereo's display went south. Car runs and drives great. Yep - it needed some maintenance at the start to make me happy.

Both of my kids were gifted big Buicks from their grandparents, during their high school and university years.  The cars rode and handled like living rooms with wheels, and I imagine that they were horrendously uncool. They were also dirt cheap to operate, and reliable as an anvil.  We ended up disposing of one, after it gave everything it had, and the other sold to a school janitor, who though he was all, that, and a box of chocolates, as he drove off, LOL.

[MgoSam]

He spends around £300 pounds a month on unhealthy takeways just for himself even though there is homecooked food available every night.

Wow, he spends more on takeaways than I spend annually...

[Goldielocks]

Talking with a work friend yesterday.   His son has been living at home for a couple of year (working part time / full time) since graduation, and finally has applied and will go to school in January.

He mentioned that his truck (Ford 350) was totalled in a fire (one of the batteries ignited and it melted / burned up in the driveway), and his son was exceptionally disappointed to not drive it any more.  (Son paid for gas, but no other costs that I am aware of).   In fact, friend is not replacing truck because they do not NEED a truck anymore.

So, the son decides to buy his own truck, because driving one of the other family cars is "not his style".   My friend coached him on the high cost of such a vehicle, and the fact that he, as a young adult in school and working at a restaurant, does not NEED a truck. 

Great?  yah?

End of story -- Friend has cosigned a loan with son for a NEW (I think, from a dealer) FORD 350 truck.    Friend helped him cost it out, and it will cost $1200/month for payments, parking, insurance and DIESEL to drive 38km each way to school.....!!!!!

Maybe I shoujld be content that my friend can math, and did not buy it as a family car that the son only uses....

[marty998]

Oh dear god $1,200 a month is enormous. You can buy a house* for that amount of monthly payment.

*Except in Sydney :)

[LennStar]

Oh dear god $1,200 a month is enormous. You can buy a house* for that amount of monthly payment.

*Except in Sydney :)

1200 is more then social security in any and every country of the world. You know, that thing people like the car payer probably say is a waste of money ;)
I mean, as a CEO of "Farm Cars Inc." you maybe have to drive such a car, but everyone else...

[ender]

At least he didn't cosign the loan, so he's not 100% responsible for paying it.

...

[LennStar]

Ha, no, thats a double.

[Miss Piggy]

You guys are cracking me up!

[zolotiyeruki]

You guys are cracking me up!

Just wait till we crack out the Triple, Quadruple, and Mega Facepalm pictures...

[JLee]

It's amusing to me how many folks here are so proud of their judging other folks based on their external appearances.

It reminds me of the "why can't I find any frugal person to date?" thread elsewhere. Maybe everyone has written off all the Mustachians as consumeristic because they have lots of computers/bikes :P

This entire subforum's premise is judging people, so what do you really expect? :P

[nanu]

$1200/month is over half of MMM's budget!
It's no wonder the general population is convinced that (early) retirement is damn near impossible...

[Beaker]

You guys are cracking me up!

Just wait till we crack out the Triple, Quadruple, and Mega Facepalm pictures...

Or the third-party facepalm, which is pretty much the point of the whole thread (at least when it's not about how sweaty the sheets on your kitchen table are because of the black box).

[bigbenreiss]

Regarding a 100 year flood zone and a 30 year mortgage, the odds of the house flooding while being owned by the bank is 30%. I know it's obvious when it's spelled out, but most people don't put two and two together. They only are unhappy when the lender requires them to purchase flood insurance.

It doesn't quite work out like that.  If you own a house for 100 years you don't have 100% chance of it flooding.  Just like if you roll a die once, you have a 1/6 chance of rolling a 6, but two rolls doesn't equal 2/6 odds, or else 6 rolls would be 6/6 (100%) chance of rolling a 6.

You're right, but if the flood has a 1/100 chance of happening in any given year and you have the place under mortgage for 30 years the likelyhood of not having a flood would be ~.739 =  .99³⁰ so there would still be a .261 probability of having a 100 year flood in a group of 30 years. So the bank would still have over a 25% chance of needing that insurance to kick in.

[esq]

At least he didn't cosign the loan, so he's not 100% responsible for paying it.

...

Lulz for realz.

WTF is wrong with people?

[GuitarStv]

[quote author=dragoncar link=topic=2540.msgWas talking to nurse about healthy eating and a low carb diet because she was having avacado, eggs and bacon for lunch .

Turns out she cooks healthy every night for the whole family (she is also an ex personal trainer) but her husband only likes takewaway indian food and has it about 4 times a week.

He spends around £300 pounds a month on unhealthy takeways just for himself even though there is homecooked food available every night.
1239659#msg1239659 date=1474662378]

Yeah you people do too much laundry.  Is this a learned trait?  Did you grow up in a household where it was common to do a load every day?

Hang your towel properly so t dries
Have sex on the kitchen table or shower

my kitchen table wont fit in my washer though

Was talking to nurse about healthy eating and a low carb diet because she was having avacado, eggs and bacon for lunch .

Turns out she cooks healthy every night for the whole family (she is also an ex personal trainer) but her husband only likes takewaway indian food and has it about 4 times a week.

He spends around £300 pounds a month on unhealthy takeways just for himself even though there is homecooked food available every night.


I bet these people clean their kitchen table every day too.  Disgusting waste of resources

Filthy wasteful people.  They probably clean the table after they bang on it too.  Ban them from the forum for their complete disregard for the planet!!!
[/quote]

A true Mustachian mitigates the costs of cleaning up after sex by videotaping the action and charging per view.

Also, what's up with all these fancy fuckers who own tables!  What's the matter Richie Rich, too good to eat out of the pot on the floor?