Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252904 times)

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15700 on: November 18, 2016, 01:29:49 AM »

I was impressed with the cleanliness and promptness of the buses and the way we could get almost anywhere we wanted to go with only one transfer and a bit of walking. I do like Arizona and could see myself living there, however I think I might like Flagstaff best because of the trees.

Good for you. I am also in general pleases with cleanliness of trains here in Norway. But once a year when i visit the Netherlands and take a train from the airport, I have been shocked several times of how dirty the trains are. And that doesn't give me a good feeling for using them. Yes, public transport can be convenient, if you can sit comfortably and if it is clean.

Torran

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15701 on: November 18, 2016, 02:59:26 AM »
This chat at work is driving me crazy:

Colleague A (who I really like in general) has started working a part-time job on top of her full-time job, because she needs to earn more money.
Because:
She's inherited £10,000 and therefore wants to use it as a deposit on a flat. So far so good. However she recently bought a car on finance, and presumably has other finance issues, so the bank won't give her a mortgage unless she's earning over £25,000. Hence the part-time side hustle to bump up her overall wage.
Management found out and sent round an email telling us all that we have to ask permission before we get a part-time side hustle incase it affects our work/there's a conflict of interest.

So on the one hand, I think management have no business dictating whether we can get an extra job - and also loads of people have done this in the past and they're only now cottoning on to the fact.

BUT

On the other hand, it is complainy-pants central now in the office. A lot of complaining about how it is impossible for anyone to get a mortage on the wages we get paid. Younger people are having a full-on war with older people about how unfair it is on the younger generation who can't afford to buy homes, etc, and the older (i.e management) generation are stopping them from realising their dreams.
Except, I earn less than £25,000 a year, and I saved less than £10,000 of a deposit, and I bought a flat, THIS YEAR. And my bank gave me mortgage, presumably because I didn't have a massive car loan and tons of other debt already.
Yet nobody is suggesting that it's more about Colleague A's financial decisions. Nope, it's all the fault of our employer.
UUGH.
She also buys a lot of clothes and goes out to fancy bars, etc.

I really like this woman - she's a great person. But all of this is just melting my brain.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15702 on: November 18, 2016, 03:50:15 AM »
I think employers could have a company policy that you cannot have any kind of side-job, in case it influences your primary job. I used to have company rules that said I had to ask for permission for a second job or board job. They wanted to prevent me from doing something competitive.
But I understand that how lower salaries they pay, the less reasonable this becomes.

About this colleague A, I understand that the bank is reluctant to give her a mortgage if she already has a loan on her car. Taking out a loan on a car is a sign of prioritizing your money in a way that the bank does not like. It's much better to be able to show them some of your latest months spending and showing that you got in such much and spent a lot less.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15703 on: November 18, 2016, 07:35:56 AM »
I think I might go home and play SMB3 on my laptop.

Or SuperTux...

https://supertuxproject.org

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15704 on: November 18, 2016, 07:48:53 AM »
I think I might go home and play SMB3 on my laptop.

Or SuperTux...

https://supertuxproject.org

That looks sweet.  I have a lot of nostalgia for SMB3 though.  I go back every couple years and play it and it brings me back to when I was a kid.

Kitsune

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15705 on: November 18, 2016, 07:54:22 AM »
I think employers could have a company policy that you cannot have any kind of side-job, in case it influences your primary job. I used to have company rules that said I had to ask for permission for a second job or board job. They wanted to prevent me from doing something competitive.
But I understand that how lower salaries they pay, the less reasonable this becomes.

On one hand, I understand your point, kinda. But on the other hand:
1) You're dealing with humans, not machines: their lives WILL influence the job. What else are you gonna do? Forbid people from dating (drama influences their ability to do their job), getting married (wedding planning and distraction influences their ability to do their job), having kids (parental leave, exhaustion, etc: ALL likely to influence their primary job) divorcing (oh god the drama), having parents need elder care or passing away (how much time off work do you need to take care of your mother's Alzheimer's??) etc. Like, things people do outside the office influences their job. Period. It's 100% out of the employer's control, despite what some employers would like to think (and I say this as a manager, ok - if the people I manage have a sick kid and are going through a divorce, I have to adjust workload because they can't handle it all because their attention is split, and that's NORMAL for a period of time. It's life.)

2) I think that pre-emptive "we forbid this because it MAY influence your job" is straight-up rules-lawyering your way out of having to manage, and is shitty management. Like, if I, say, sell eggs from my chickens on the weekends, and go to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings to sell some stuff I made, hypothetically: based on what you wrote, my employer should be able to forbid that use of my free non-company time 'just in case' it influences the time/effort I spend at work - which, personally, I think is bullshit. I trade a portion of time for a portion of money, I do not trade ownership of my life for money. That's not the deal.

REGARDLESS of the contract I sign, though, if my chickens and baking (or whatever it is) infuences my ability to commit to and do my primary job, it's 100% reasonable and legal for my boss to have a conversation along the lines of "we have noticed that since you started doing this thing outside of work, you have been late 5 times, called in sick twice, and been absent-minded, which has caused the following mistakes to be made. We need you to commit to fixing this situation. Can you suggest some concrete steps you can take to ensure that these issues will not re-occur?" AKA: the problem is NOT the side-job, the problem is the impact on the ACTUAL job, and it's the manager's actual job to address that.

Oh, and 3) Look. I'm actually getting chickens in the spring: what I'll save on compost and groceries and meat, + the money I can bring in selling eggs and meat, after expenses, should equal to 2-300$/month, depeding on the season. Etsy brings in 50-100$/month, depending on what I feel like putting up there. The occasional freelance gig brings in a few hundred, when I have time around family and work and life. That's 300+$/month of my expenses that don't depend on my employer to be met, right? Saying 'no side gigs EVER' is functionally also saying 'we require you /possibly your family to be dependant on a single source of income, and this will put you in the worst bargaining position EVER, because we also know you can't afford to leave because you have no other source of income. Cheers!'. That's double-plus bullshit. I can understand why a (shitty) employer would find that appealing, but it's a super transparent power play and is nonsense.

In reality: most employers have a clause like this, and then turn a blind eye to anything that isn't direct competition. I just still think it's bullshit.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15706 on: November 18, 2016, 07:59:07 AM »
Good for you. I am also in general pleases with cleanliness of trains here in Norway. But once a year when i visit the Netherlands and take a train from the airport, I have been shocked several times of how dirty the trains are. And that doesn't give me a good feeling for using them. Yes, public transport can be convenient, if you can sit comfortably and if it is clean.

Huh, back when I used to travel for work to the Netherlands I took the train out to the city I worked in, and I always thought how clean and nice it was.  Maybe it was the particular line I was on, or maybe because my reference point is SEPTA Regional Rail or NJ Transit.  I used to use those heavily while in school, since I didn't get a licence until 24.  I think they've updated since then, but let's just say they weren't exactly clean or modern (or comfortable!) at the time.  BUT- they get a lot of people where they need to go relatively on time, and didn't cost very much, esp when compared to the cost of parking in the city.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15707 on: November 18, 2016, 08:07:02 AM »
I think I might go home and play SMB3 on my laptop.

Or SuperTux...

https://supertuxproject.org

That looks sweet.  I have a lot of nostalgia for SMB3 though.  I go back every couple years and play it and it brings me back to when I was a kid.

Games and certain rerun TV shows. Great way to spend a bit of downtime with brain disengaged. Takes me back too.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15708 on: November 18, 2016, 10:45:58 AM »
I would absolutely be OK with signing a contract that said I would not take a second job or any additional freelance work that impeded my ability to fulfil the tasks in my job description in a reasonable and timely manner, and that I wouldn't do any additional work in the same field. But as I see it, an appropriate second job is one that your boss should never know about anyway because you can still do your first job perfectly well. As Kitsune said, work is about trading hours/effort for money, not about a company or boss telling you how to run your whole life.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15709 on: November 18, 2016, 11:20:33 AM »
I would absolutely be OK with signing a contract that said I would not take a second job or any additional freelance work that impeded my ability to fulfil the tasks in my job description in a reasonable and timely manner, and that I wouldn't do any additional work in the same field. But as I see it, an appropriate second job is one that your boss should never know about anyway because you can still do your first job perfectly well. As Kitsune said, work is about trading hours/effort for money, not about a company or boss telling you how to run your whole life.

That makes sense. Most of the guys in my warehouse have side gigs, one of them is friends with a general contractors and will get offers all the time to help with construction type jobs, while the other sometimes joins him when they need him but also mows lawns and buys and sells things. I never say anything. They will occasionally ask the warehouse manager if they can not come in on certain days because they have a construction job. If things are going to be light he doesn't mind, or if he isn't sure how things are progressing he'll ask me. The way I see it, they make more per hour doing construction so I don't begrudge them earning extra cash and on days when I know things will be slow, it means less that they are owed on their paycheck so I feel like I come out ahead.

When things are very busy though, I do tighten to screws on giving permission for them to take a day off. There hasn't been a problem when I've said that they can't do their side gig on a working day and the guys understand my reasoning why when I tell them. In other words, I believe we have a good thing going and I hope nothing rocks the boat.

I should add that these are guys that moved me into my house and one of them used idle time in the warehouse (with owner permission of course) to make me a coffee table out of pallets. There usually is a few hours of dead time each day in which the guys in the warehouse do busy work, so Mike actually said he loved the opportunity to do something creative. I offered to pay him and he declined, just asked for me bring him lunch next week which I did.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15710 on: November 18, 2016, 01:28:26 PM »

I was impressed with the cleanliness and promptness of the buses and the way we could get almost anywhere we wanted to go with only one transfer and a bit of walking. I do like Arizona and could see myself living there, however I think I might like Flagstaff best because of the trees.

Good for you. I am also in general pleases with cleanliness of trains here in Norway. But once a year when i visit the Netherlands and take a train from the airport, I have been shocked several times of how dirty the trains are. And that doesn't give me a good feeling for using them. Yes, public transport can be convenient, if you can sit comfortably and if it is clean.
Huh? Really? The trains I used in the netherlands (not many) were very nice and clean.

kayvent

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15711 on: November 18, 2016, 04:36:30 PM »
The other day at work:

I: "You have a slow cooker, food processor, and blender, right?"
CW1: "Yes"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW1: "The blender and slow cooker, yes."
A few moments later CW2 arrives. I ask "CW2, I know you have a blender from a birthday gift but do you have another blender, food processor, and slow cooker."
CW2: "Yes and I also have two slow cookers. The blender and food processor were wedding gifts."

A day later, I ask CW3 "Do you own a food processor, blender, and/or slow cooker?"
CW3: "sounds like a loaded question, but here goes..... yes I have a blender and slow cooker... why? [sic]"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW3: "The slow cooker was. where is this leading to? [sic]"
I: "Thanks for the answers CW3. That is all."
« Last Edit: November 18, 2016, 04:43:13 PM by kayvent »

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15712 on: November 18, 2016, 04:39:06 PM »
The other day at work:

I: "You have a slow cooker, food processor, and blender, right?"
CW1: "Yes"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW1: "The blender and slow cooker, yes."
A few moments later CW2 arrives. I ask "CW2, I know you have a blender from a birth?ay gift but do you have another blender, food processor, and slow cooker."
CW2: "Yes and I also have two slow cookers. The blender and food processor were wedding gifts."

A day later, I ask CW3 "Do you own a food processor, blender, and/or slow cooker?"
CW3: "sounds like a loaded question, but here goes..... yes I have a blender and slow cooker... why?"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW3: "The slow cooker was. where is this leading to? [sic]"
I: "Thanks for the answers CW3. That is all."

Ok, I didn't follow this at all.  What's the unmustachian part?

kayvent

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15713 on: November 18, 2016, 04:45:13 PM »
The other day at work:

I: "You have a slow cooker, food processor, and blender, right?"
CW1: "Yes"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW1: "The blender and slow cooker, yes."
A few moments later CW2 arrives. I ask "CW2, I know you have a blender from a birth?ay gift but do you have another blender, food processor, and slow cooker."
CW2: "Yes and I also have two slow cookers. The blender and food processor were wedding gifts."

A day later, I ask CW3 "Do you own a food processor, blender, and/or slow cooker?"
CW3: "sounds like a loaded question, but here goes..... yes I have a blender and slow cooker... why?"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW3: "The slow cooker was. where is this leading to? [sic]"
I: "Thanks for the answers CW3. That is all."

Ok, I didn't follow this at all.  What's the unmustachian part?

Everyone appears to get expensive household appliances for wedding gifts. No included but expected is that most of these devices are unused.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15714 on: November 18, 2016, 04:49:51 PM »
The other day at work:

I: "You have a slow cooker, food processor, and blender, right?"
CW1: "Yes"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW1: "The blender and slow cooker, yes."
A few moments later CW2 arrives. I ask "CW2, I know you have a blender from a birth?ay gift but do you have another blender, food processor, and slow cooker."
CW2: "Yes and I also have two slow cookers. The blender and food processor were wedding gifts."

A day later, I ask CW3 "Do you own a food processor, blender, and/or slow cooker?"
CW3: "sounds like a loaded question, but here goes..... yes I have a blender and slow cooker... why?"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW3: "The slow cooker was. where is this leading to? [sic]"
I: "Thanks for the answers CW3. That is all."

Ok, I didn't follow this at all.  What's the unmustachian part?

Probably all the creepy questions and cataloging of coworker possessions.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15715 on: November 18, 2016, 05:27:54 PM »
Yeah dude, that's kind of a weird thing to be asking and judging.

Silverado

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15716 on: November 18, 2016, 05:30:28 PM »
Nothing about the foam in California yet? Fits right in here.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15717 on: November 18, 2016, 05:41:08 PM »
Nothing about the foam in California yet? Fits right in here.

Here's a test of a similar system.  Seems cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpOwkchy9Bw

kayvent

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15718 on: November 18, 2016, 06:52:31 PM »
Yeah dude, that's kind of a weird thing to be asking and judging.

I guess I am just strange. As much as I'd love people I'd never think that getting a 1500+$ slow cooker for people was a common wedding gift.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15719 on: November 18, 2016, 06:57:52 PM »
You might have missed that part. Who said anything about $1500 for a slow cooker?

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15720 on: November 18, 2016, 07:04:00 PM »
Who said anything about $1500 for a slow cooker?

Woah woah woah... seems like a loaded question

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15721 on: November 18, 2016, 08:04:10 PM »
Who said anything about $1500 for a slow cooker?

Woah woah woah... seems like a loaded question
[/quote

whoa whoa whoa...a $1500 slow cooker exists? 

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15722 on: November 18, 2016, 09:28:09 PM »
Who said anything about $1500 for a slow cooker?

Woah woah woah... seems like a loaded question
[/quote

whoa whoa whoa...a $1500 slow cooker exists?

whoa whoa whoah... I think there was an extra zero

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15723 on: November 18, 2016, 10:22:08 PM »
Who said anything about $1500 for a slow cooker?

Woah woah woah... seems like a loaded question

whoa whoa whoa...a $1500 slow cooker exists?

whoa whoa whoah... I think there was an extra zero

Or a missing decimal.  $15.00

Also wtf happened to my end quote bracket?  I swear this forum software sometimes just leaves it off when I hit quote and I never notice it until I come back and reread the fucked up post.

Tjat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15724 on: November 19, 2016, 06:34:42 AM »
I also have all three of those appliances, 2 purchased before we were married because we cooked like human beings before that time. Together the probably cost $150

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15725 on: November 19, 2016, 10:49:31 AM »
Yeah, I'll play this sidebar:
- 3 Crock pots, 2 inherited, 1 a long-ago Christmas gift from my parents.
- 1 large food processor, garage saled
- 1 small food processor, 30+ year old gift that I used until I scored a bigger one. I still use it.
- Garage saled new blades for each of them a few years ago.
- 1 blender, gifted by an ex-boyfriend in the 90's (It's clear why he's an ex-, right?)
- 2 waffle irons: 1 a housewarming gift in the 80's, 1 a garage saled Belgian Wafffler
- My Calphalon cookware consists of pieces I got through a friend via his huge Friends & Family Discount. (He had a fun post-FIRE side gig as a demonstrator for them.) The rest I inherited from him when he died. Cool bequest. Still miss him. Gave me his canning stuff, too. RIP, Earl D.

And, drumroll please, for the most decadent of all:

- 2 brand-new Instant Pots, purchased last year on Amazon Prime Day! I think of them as a wedding gift to ourselves, because we eloped in 2012. I use them every week, to the dismay of the old Crock-Pots. They think they've been abandoned in the lost toy cupboard, but I'll shine them up and use them over the holidays.

I cook for four adults every day and all of our kitchen equipment gets used regularly.

Just for fun: I'm FIRE and our NW exceeds $2M, on lower than average salaries in a very HCOLA.

So, what is your point, exactly, kayvent? Or were you just venting?

Metric Mouse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15726 on: November 19, 2016, 11:10:26 AM »
Nothing about the foam in California yet? Fits right in here.

Ha! Yes.  I'd love to hear the conversation when workers showed up for that shift.

kayvent

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15727 on: November 19, 2016, 02:56:32 PM »
So, what is your point, exactly, kayvent?

I was just surprised. I went to three random colleagues and they all had gotten slow cookers as wedding gifts. It seemed kinda bizarre that they all had such similar wedding gifts. It is [like if you walk into a store and you see everyone wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgUIbPfhSuo). You'd suspect something was up if you didn't know better. Apparently I didn't. :)

A few nights ago when I told RL friends this story they looked at me dumbfounded. The wife of the couple looked at me and asked if I knew what a bridal registry was. She explained it to me and explained that it is quite common to have lavish items on it. Like 1500$ slow cookers or a plate set for 20$/plate.

<sarcasm>Now I know why some people choose to get married multiple times.</sarcasm>

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15728 on: November 19, 2016, 03:06:37 PM »
She explained it to me and explained that it is quite common to have lavish items on it. Like 1500$ slow cookers or a plate set for 20$/plate.

I still don't understand this $1,500 slow cooker claim.  You can get a basic slow cooker for like $20, and several others are in the $40 to $140 range.  Even searching for the most expensive slow cooker, I can't find any over $600.  Is the $1,500 slow cooker a commercial grade machine that a restaurant might buy?

Kansas Terri

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15729 on: November 19, 2016, 03:32:43 PM »
I've got one that I think takes the cake..
I work with a woman who is 31 yrs old and is an engineer like me, so she makes very similar to my $50k.  She commutes 50 miles to a town-house an hour and a half from work.  She complains at least once a week about her financial situation and for YEARS now I've really been feeling bad for her.. Her husband has made $34,000/yr for the last 5 years, they can't afford to move, she desperately wants kids but there's no way for her and her husband to afford kids.  She 'needs' a new car but can't afford one, and they want to move into a single family home.  They had (2) car payments, big mortgage on the town home, etc.
After genuinely feeling sorry for her situation (that she put herself in with her crazy commute, among other things), I found out she inherited $80,000 with the death of her grandmother.  This could be LIFE CHANGING for her since they could pay off some debt (credit card AND both vehicles AND have plenty to invest still).......
Then 2 months later I found out what the actually did with the money.. They used it to put a driveway and 'entrance gate' on a very high-end fishing cabin for her husband.  This cabin wasn't even built yet - they used that $80,000 to continue a process that her father in law has been working on for almost 10 years building this cabin.   I said "oh did you decide not to start a family?" which was probably aggressive but she complained for over 5 years about debt and then she was given the golden ticket and squandered it.  Her response was "Well Nick (her husband) and his dad REALLY like fishing...".  Hmm..
Needless to say, this was 5 years ago and the cabin has not progressed after that $80,000 and she's back to complaining about debt and dreams that could have been.

Poor lady. It sounds like she wants kids and he does not.

Moonwaves

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15730 on: November 20, 2016, 03:43:19 AM »
She explained it to me and explained that it is quite common to have lavish items on it. Like 1500$ slow cookers or a plate set for 20$/plate.

I still don't understand this $1,500 slow cooker claim.  You can get a basic slow cooker for like $20, and several others are in the $40 to $140 range.  Even searching for the most expensive slow cooker, I can't find any over $600.  Is the $1,500 slow cooker a commercial grade machine that a restaurant might buy?
Is there confusion between what a slow cooker/crockpot is and what a Thermomix is perhaps? Thermomix is the only thing I can think of with that kind of price tag.

Half-Borg

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15731 on: November 20, 2016, 01:58:04 PM »
1. Go to amazon.com
2. search "rice cooker"
3. sort by "Price: High to Low"
4. Be amazed that not only is there one for $1808.66, but it's also $131.70 in shipping

It is for industrial use though.
How many people can you feed with 60 cups of rice?

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15732 on: November 20, 2016, 03:34:54 PM »
How many people can you feed with 60 cups of rice?

Like.. 30?  Maybe 45?

(Assuming it's a side dish.)
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Pinch of salt

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15733 on: November 20, 2016, 05:44:26 PM »
This chat at work is driving me crazy:

Colleague A (who I really like in general) has started working a part-time job on top of her full-time job, because she needs to earn more money.
Because:
She's inherited £10,000 and therefore wants to use it as a deposit on a flat. So far so good. However she recently bought a car on finance, and presumably has other finance issues, so the bank won't give her a mortgage unless she's earning over £25,000. Hence the part-time side hustle to bump up her overall wage.
Management found out and sent round an email telling us all that we have to ask permission before we get a part-time side hustle incase it affects our work/there's a conflict of interest.

So on the one hand, I think management have no business dictating whether we can get an extra job - and also loads of people have done this in the past and they're only now cottoning on to the fact.

BUT

On the other hand, it is complainy-pants central now in the office. A lot of complaining about how it is impossible for anyone to get a mortage on the wages we get paid. Younger people are having a full-on war with older people about how unfair it is on the younger generation who can't afford to buy homes, etc, and the older (i.e management) generation are stopping them from realising their dreams.
Except, I earn less than £25,000 a year, and I saved less than £10,000 of a deposit, and I bought a flat, THIS YEAR. And my bank gave me mortgage, presumably because I didn't have a massive car loan and tons of other debt already.
Yet nobody is suggesting that it's more about Colleague A's financial decisions. Nope, it's all the fault of our employer.
UUGH.
She also buys a lot of clothes and goes out to fancy bars, etc.

I really like this woman - she's a great person. But all of this is just melting my brain.

 Well done on saving the deposit and buying a flat!

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15734 on: November 20, 2016, 07:54:26 PM »
So, what is your point, exactly, kayvent?

I was just surprised. I went to three random colleagues and they all had gotten slow cookers as wedding gifts. It seemed kinda bizarre that they all had such similar wedding gifts. It is [like if you walk into a store and you see everyone wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgUIbPfhSuo). You'd suspect something was up if you didn't know better. Apparently I didn't. :)

A few nights ago when I told RL friends this story they looked at me dumbfounded. The wife of the couple looked at me and asked if I knew what a bridal registry was. She explained it to me and explained that it is quite common to have lavish items on it. Like 1500$ slow cookers or a plate set for 20$/plate.

<sarcasm>Now I know why some people choose to get married multiple times.</sarcasm>

I guess I can see the confusion, but yes typically people will register all the "regular kitchen stuff' for wedding gifts, and most people would want those items.  So I guess the antimustachian part is asking for all of those things? 

I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

LeRainDrop

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15735 on: November 20, 2016, 08:14:09 PM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15736 on: November 20, 2016, 08:38:48 PM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

I know it will slice/chop things for you.  So useful if you need to slice like 100 potatoes, but AFAIK nothing you can't do with a knife.

RWD

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15737 on: November 20, 2016, 08:40:56 PM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

I know it will slice/chop things for you.  So useful if you need to slice like 100 potatoes, but AFAIK nothing you can't do with a knife.

We make peanut butter with our food processor. Pretty much the only thing we've been using it for lately...

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15738 on: November 20, 2016, 08:53:54 PM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

I know it will slice/chop things for you.  So useful if you need to slice like 100 potatoes, but AFAIK nothing you can't do with a knife.

We make peanut butter with our food processor. Pretty much the only thing we've been using it for lately...

Is there a reason a blender wouldn't work?  I never truly understood the difference, except the food processor has different blades right?

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15739 on: November 21, 2016, 12:18:45 AM »
Is there a reason a blender wouldn't work?  I never truly understood the difference, except the food processor has different blades right?

I think a blender only has blades underneath in the bowl, to blend and chop stuff. A food processor has the same knife, but also has a knife in the lock that can slice vegetables. And it can have a lot of extra stuff.

I own the cheapest food processor that I could find as a student 24 years ago.. A food processor can do the same things as a smoothy blender. But what I missed for many years was a blender that you can put in a pan to mix soup. So we bought one of those for some years ago.


horsepoor

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15740 on: November 21, 2016, 01:43:31 AM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

I know it will slice/chop things for you.  So useful if you need to slice like 100 potatoes, but AFAIK nothing you can't do with a knife.

Like a previous poster says, it can cut things down into a paste, so if you want to make hummus, sauces, etc. you might use a food processor.  I have an unmustachian stable of kitchen appliances, and the food processor mostly gets used for big jobs though.  I never would have gotten through canning 65 jars of salsa this summer without it.  A couple pulses and all the peppers and onions are thoroughly chopped, then a different blade and the tomatoes are chunked up in seconds.  Possible to do with a knife, but the processor is a huge time saver, and the slicing blade is much more consistent than my knifework.

The difference from a blender for the basic blade function is mainly volume vs. blade size, and physics.  Most blenders have curved blades and are designed to move the food out and up, but it takes longer, and the food at the bottom of the pitcher will become a paste, while, with dry stuff, the food on top might never reach the blades.  The food processor is designed more for chopping a thin, wide layer of food with more control on the consistency.  There is also a feed chute that allows you to drop the food in as the blade is spinning.

I have found that the food processor fails at certain tasks, such as grinding flax seeds, so I do that with my spendypants blender.

No $1500 slow cooker over here though. ;)

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15741 on: November 21, 2016, 01:45:23 AM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

I know it will slice/chop things for you.  So useful if you need to slice like 100 potatoes, but AFAIK nothing you can't do with a knife.

We make peanut butter with our food processor. Pretty much the only thing we've been using it for lately...

Is there a reason a blender wouldn't work?  I never truly understood the difference, except the food processor has different blades right?
Just for fun, I tried to think of which appliances I've used and for what in the last week or so.

Blender = Smoothies
Big Food Processor = Pesto. Twice. A friend gave me two big buckets full of basil. Woot!
Small Food Processor = Chopped Pecans for  Brownies
Kitchen Aid Mixer = Scratch Brownies (Forgot to list this, bought it new at Costco, on sale.)
Waffle Irons = Well, um, waffles. I always use both of them.
Instant Pot = Pressure Cooked White Beans + Slow Cooked Beans Into Yummy High-Potassium Soup. Twice.

Kayvent, I've thought about this. I think people give Crock-Pots because they're fairly inexpensive, they last a long time, they're practical and they look like a substantial gift. People tend to register for them because they're great for beginning cookery. Kind of a Mustachian thing to give and to receive.

There have been long stretches of time when mine sat in the cupboard and other times I've had all three going at once. Saturday night, we hosted a party where everyone brings an appetizer. One of the guys brought his in a Crock-Pot, which made me smile and think of this thread.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15742 on: November 21, 2016, 01:55:12 AM »
I don't think owning a food processor and some other kitchen machines is so very unmustachian.
As we are the people who do home cooking almost every day, we need some machines to help us doing this efficiently. I guess a kitchen machine still costs a lot less than a regular visit to a restaurant. But of course we don't need an endless list of machines and not the most exclusive ones either.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15743 on: November 21, 2016, 05:42:48 AM »
How many people can you feed with 60 cups of rice?

Like.. 30?  Maybe 45?

(Assuming it's a side dish.)
Huh?
Either you have very very small cups or a very very big appetite.

A cup is meant to be the amount of rice a person eats (if the dish is mainly rice with some vegetables as normal in asiatic countries).
It is about 100g, I think a bit less in original. 93g? Whatever.
Of course you have to adjust for your personal level.
For example I often dont eat something in the morning so for my first meal midday I need a bit more - I usually take 1,2 cups of rice. My mother eats in the morning and less then me anyway, so she takes 0,8 cups at most for herself. If we eat together that makes a fairly easy measurement, just take 2 cups of rice and 4 of water and go :D
If you use rice bags (Dont do that!!! The poor rice!) it has (here in Germany) 62,5g rice in it (or double that for the big ones). Meant for one person. Back when we used the bags (long long ago in a school far far away lol) mother got a small one, I a big one.

Kitsune

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15744 on: November 21, 2016, 05:53:38 AM »
I don't think owning a food processor and some other kitchen machines is so very unmustachian.
As we are the people who do home cooking almost every day, we need some machines to help us doing this efficiently. I guess a kitchen machine still costs a lot less than a regular visit to a restaurant. But of course we don't need an endless list of machines and not the most exclusive ones either.

This.

I use my food processor 4-5 times per week. Recent uses: shred cabbage for coleslaw (1 minute and done), shred potatoes and chop onions for latkes (2 minutes shredding to make latkes for 8 people), large quantity of hummus, roughly chopping veggies for soup (then made in the crockpot), and I used it to cut the dough for 3 pies last night.

Let's be fair: all of these (minus the hummus) could have been done by hand. But when you're scrambling to get food on the table within 20 Minutes of getting home from work WITHOUT take-out or ready-made foods, sometimes a bit of mechanical help is needed.

I have a full-on fancy-pants food processor - Kitchen Aid, full price is about 250$ online right now. But I got it as a gift 12 years ago and have used it 4 times/week minimum in that entire time... i think he cost per use is fine, considering what it lets us avoid (... take-out).

Similarly, the crockpot was bought on sale 7-8 years ago (I think around 30-40$CAD?) I make a LOT of homemade broth, soups (how do you feed a crowd Saturday lunch coming in from sports when you've been out of the house since 8am yourself? A large batch of minestrone started at 8am, that's how), we cook a lot of dried beans in it (no need to be next to the stove, can go do work outside and come back a few hours later and nothing will have scorched or spilled over half the kitchen), etc. It's pretty much done (half the settings won't work and the rubber gasket is cracked and discontinued so we can't replace it), but given the use, we're either getting another one or getting an Instant Pot (searing IN THE SAME POT? Yes please.)

The one appliance I regret buying is. cuisinant blender. It won't blend for shit. Like, it won't blend THAWED mango into a smoothie, never mind having a motor strong enough to handle peanut butter/almond butter/etc. I HATE appliances that don't work right. We've saved up: when the Vitamix goes on sale at the Costco kiosk, we're getting one.

But yknow what we NEVER spend money on? Like, ever? Take-out and convenience meals. Restaurants are a 2-3 times/year thing for us, and then only when we're seeing friends in the city for 2 days and the restaurant is a socializing event. Total cost of the appliances I listed: about 400$CAD. How many people bust that in take-out and restaurants in 2 months?

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15745 on: November 21, 2016, 09:05:11 AM »
Yeah I would argue that any appliance that gets regular use is mustachian. I bought an Instant Pot when it was on sale and for the next few weeks regretted it because I couldn't get myself to use it, and I thought it would be another waffle maker. The waffle maker was a $10 purchase that I've only used once so it isn't so bad, but I hate that it just collects dust because I never want to make waffles.

But then I used my Instant Pot and have loved it since. Through it I make my rice, steel cut oats, dal, black beans, and many more things and for my friend's giving I am likely going to make whole chicken (don't really like turkey) and afterwards I plan to use the remainder carcass and bones to make stock.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15746 on: November 21, 2016, 09:17:30 AM »
I don't personally have a slow cooker or food processor because I use a pressure cooker and don't make anything requiring a food processor.  Is there anything that actually requires a food processor?

Honestly, I don't even know what a food processor does!  But I do cook regularly, so it's not like I'm a total dummy in the kitchen.

We burned out one of the cheap little ones pureeing vegetables for baby food.

Chris22

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15747 on: November 21, 2016, 09:21:01 AM »
We have 4 crock pots, LOL.  One is a very small one meant for dips and such.  Think it was $30.  The next one is a medium sized one, it is divided into two sections, also for dips.  Probably also ~$30.  Think both of these were gifts.

Then we have a normal sized one, got for our wedding or first Christmas or something.  It was probably ~$60.  Then a couple years ago, my mom got my wife another one that is wifi enabled, so you can turn it on and off remotely.  Sounds extravagant, but is great for cooking things that only go for 6 hours (set an alarm on the phone for, say, noon, and then switch on the crock pot when the alarm goes off, meal is ready when you get home).  There are plenty of Sundays when we have two crocks going simultaneously cooking food for the week.


We also have two food processors, a big one that is taken out a few times a year to make bulk food or certain special dishes (homemade potato soup comes to mind) and a small counter top one that gets used several times a week, great for chopping up onions and peppers and the like. 

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15748 on: November 21, 2016, 10:01:41 AM »
We have 4 crock pots, LOL.  One is a very small one meant for dips and such.  Think it was $30.  The next one is a medium sized one, it is divided into two sections, also for dips.  Probably also ~$30.  Think both of these were gifts.

Then we have a normal sized one, got for our wedding or first Christmas or something.  It was probably ~$60.  Then a couple years ago, my mom got my wife another one that is wifi enabled, so you can turn it on and off remotely.  Sounds extravagant, but is great for cooking things that only go for 6 hours (set an alarm on the phone for, say, noon, and then switch on the crock pot when the alarm goes off, meal is ready when you get home).  There are plenty of Sundays when we have two crocks going simultaneously cooking food for the week.


We also have two food processors, a big one that is taken out a few times a year to make bulk food or certain special dishes (homemade potato soup comes to mind) and a small counter top one that gets used several times a week, great for chopping up onions and peppers and the like.

Glad I'm not the only one. I kinda want a wifi-powered stove so that we can get "rid" of the crock pots since they take up so much space. They're a big part of the reason we're buying or building a kitchen island. But we do use them so frequently that we can't live without them.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #15749 on: November 21, 2016, 11:51:28 AM »
The other day at work:

I: "You have a slow cooker, food processor, and blender, right?"
CW1: "Yes"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW1: "The blender and slow cooker, yes."
A few moments later CW2 arrives. I ask "CW2, I know you have a blender from a birth?ay gift but do you have another blender, food processor, and slow cooker."
CW2: "Yes and I also have two slow cookers. The blender and food processor were wedding gifts."

A day later, I ask CW3 "Do you own a food processor, blender, and/or slow cooker?"
CW3: "sounds like a loaded question, but here goes..... yes I have a blender and slow cooker... why?"
I: "Were they wedding gifts?"
CW3: "The slow cooker was. where is this leading to? [sic]"
I: "Thanks for the answers CW3. That is all."

Ok, I didn't follow this at all.  What's the unmustachian part?

Everyone appears to get expensive household appliances for wedding gifts. No included but expected is that most of these devices are unused.
Stand mixer, (wedding gift) slow cooker (purchased to replace wedding gift that broke), bread machine (purchase to replace wedding gift that broke), coffee pot (purchased to replace wedding gift, but I didn't drink coffee), blender (birthday gift), food processor, rice cooker, pressure cooker (x3).

I use them all.  Just in the last week: coffee pot, bread machine, slow cooker, rice cooker, 2 pressure cookers, blender, food processor.