Overheard at Work

[DS]

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

[paddedhat]

Depends very much on location.

My house is pretty much the same as it was when it was built in 1947.  1146 sf.

Cost per square foot when it was built? $54
Cost per square foot in approx 1984 when prior owner bought it? $108
Cost per square foot now? $687

Other areas that I'm familiar with, where there's not a lot of sprawl /new housing, have been similar (albeit not that bad).

Are those inflation adjusted already?  If not, I put them in the CPI calculator and

1947's $54 =
1984 $262 =
2017 $620.

Maybe the big dip in the 80s is due to the high mortgage rates.

Can't speak for an individual place, but $54/ft would be off the charts in 1947. I grew up in a small town in PA. where the post war building boom double the size of the town. Most new homes were built in the last few years of the 1940s. They were all exactly alike, modest capes on a full basement, and the "old timers" claimed that they sold for $7K, or so, when new. That would put the cost at six or seven bucks a sq. ft.

[mustachepungoeshere]

Husband claimed his monthly expenses through work.

Person responsible for expenses: Didn't we already pay this?
Husband to me: ?
Me to husband: >.<

He sent them a spreadsheet of his last six months' of expense claims - when they were lodged, how much, when they were paid, etc.

We keep better records than they do.

[MgoSam]

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

Yup, the accountant in me squirmed when I saw that they were only given the options of fixed vs variable. 

[ACyclist]

Someone recently said "Why save?  I could die tomorrow."

People seem so defeated.  They just say F it and keep spending like there is no tomorrow.  I try to lend advice, and it falls on deaf ears.

[WerKater]

Not quite at work, but ...

My daughter is in middle school.  Every year in math class they have lessons on personal finance. Last year, they had to create a hypothetical budget and sort hypothetical bills into fixed costs versus variable costs.

My daughter and her teacher got into quite the argument on where electricity and water/sewer fit.  The teacher insisted that these were fixed costs.  My daughter was equally adamant that families control their usage and can therefore reduce their costs by as much as they need to.

The teacher laughed at that idea.

My daughter came home highly irritated because a) she didn't make a perfect grade, and b) "my teacher is an idiot"

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Not quite at work, but ...

My daughter is in middle school.  Every year in math class they have lessons on personal finance. Last year, they had to create a hypothetical budget and sort hypothetical bills into fixed costs versus variable costs.

My daughter and her teacher got into quite the argument on where electricity and water/sewer fit.  The teacher insisted that these were fixed costs.  My daughter was equally adamant that families control their usage and can therefore reduce their costs by as much as they need to.

The teacher laughed at that idea.

My daughter came home highly irritated because a) she didn't make a perfect grade, and b) "my teacher is an idiot"

You've just described my entire school career, from the age of 6 when I tried to explain to my teacher that there could be boy-ladies and girl-ladies. I distinctly remember the frustration at being laughed at when I knew I was right. My sympathies to your daughter. Thinking outside the norm brings with it a lifetime of bullshit.

[kayvent]

Not quite at work, but ...

My daughter is in middle school.  Every year in math class they have lessons on personal finance. Last year, they had to create a hypothetical budget and sort hypothetical bills into fixed costs versus variable costs.

My daughter and her teacher got into quite the argument on where electricity and water/sewer fit.  The teacher insisted that these were fixed costs.  My daughter was equally adamant that families control their usage and can therefore reduce their costs by as much as they need to.

The teacher laughed at that idea.

My daughter came home highly irritated because a) she didn't make a perfect grade, and b) "my teacher is an idiot"

You've just described my entire school career, from the age of 6 when I tried to explain to my teacher that there could be boy-ladies and girl-ladies. I distinctly remember the frustration at being laughed at when I knew I was right. My sympathies to your daughter. Thinking outside the norm brings with it a lifetime of bullshit.

Debating how best to to classify a hydro bill when both sides have case is different than being wrong in your case.

[DS]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

The parent, child, and teacher all have an opportunity to learn that no one is an "idiot" in this scenario. The options were just too limited. Both people have correct ideas.

Great learning opportunity for all sides to see how things devolve into barbaric name-calling instead of seeking solutions.

[RidetheRain]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

The parent, child, and teacher all have an opportunity to learn that no one is an "idiot" in this scenario. The options were just too limited. Both people have correct ideas.

Great learning opportunity for all sides to see how things devolve into barbaric name-calling instead of seeking solutions.

I disagree. Electricity can absolutely be reduced down to zero. Take, for example, a family with solar panels that use less energy than is produced. In my state, an electric company will purchase a limited amount of this excess energy instead of charging the family. At worst they break even. That would be an electric bill of zero and 100% variable.

I think that for a middle school teacher to be teaching students that utilities are fixed and there is nothing to be done about it is a disservice to students that may not get good financial advise at home.

[RyanAtTanagra]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

The parent, child, and teacher all have an opportunity to learn that no one is an "idiot" in this scenario. The options were just too limited. Both people have correct ideas.

Great learning opportunity for all sides to see how things devolve into barbaric name-calling instead of seeking solutions.

I disagree. Electricity can absolutely be reduced down to zero. Take, for example, a family with solar panels that use less energy than is produced. In my state, an electric company will purchase a limited amount of this excess energy instead of charging the family. At worst they break even. That would be an electric bill of zero and 100% variable.

I think that for a middle school teacher to be teaching students that utilities are fixed and there is nothing to be done about it is a disservice to students that may not get good financial advise at home.

I agree, from a mindset of how one should think about utilities, the teacher is 100% wrong.  I went from $120/mo to $25 month electricity bills by getting rid of a roommate that was horrible with power usage.  Maybe I couldn't get down to zero back then (though I do now, with solar), but electricity usage is HIGHLY variable.

[jordanread]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

The parent, child, and teacher all have an opportunity to learn that no one is an "idiot" in this scenario. The options were just too limited. Both people have correct ideas.

Great learning opportunity for all sides to see how things devolve into barbaric name-calling instead of seeking solutions.

I'm now envisioning barbaric folks calling each other idiots.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

We did have a discussion about the fact that some parts of the cost are fixed (e.g., water also includes sewer, which is a flat fee for each household) and some can be variable, and it would have been better to have another choice (mixed).

Daughter was on the right track, and she was praised for using her head and engaging the teacher in a discussion.  We also had a nice discussion on how to determine when to stand on your principles and when to conform.  (Anna, I hope you never conformed!)

Calling a teacher an idiot in person would have been an automatic grounding for a VERY long time.   Calling someone an idiot while debating with them - bad. Referring to the person who irritates you as an idiot while at home with your family, eh, that happens.

In the car this morning, same child turned to her younger sister and announced, "if we save a lot of money and don't buy junk we don't need, we can retire at 40!!!" 

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Someone recently said "Why save?  I could die tomorrow."

People seem so defeated.  They just say F it and keep spending like there is no tomorrow.  I try to lend advice, and it falls on deaf ears.

My preferred response to "Why save? I could die tomorrow." is "But the overwhelming odds are that you won't, in which case you're going to need to provide for yourself and have something set aside for emergencies, instead of becoming a burden to others the first time something unexpected comes up."

[DS]

We did have a discussion about the fact that some parts of the cost are fixed (e.g., water also includes sewer, which is a flat fee for each household) and some can be variable, and it would have been better to have another choice (mixed).

Daughter was on the right track, and she was praised for using her head and engaging the teacher in a discussion.  We also had a nice discussion on how to determine when to stand on your principles and when to conform.  (Anna, I hope you never conformed!)

Calling a teacher an idiot in person would have been an automatic grounding for a VERY long time.   Calling someone an idiot while debating with them - bad. Referring to the person who irritates you as an idiot while at home with your family, eh, that happens.

In the car this morning, same child turned to her younger sister and announced, "if we save a lot of money and don't buy junk we don't need, we can retire at 40!!!"

That's awesome. :)

[dragoncar]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

Options too limited:

Definition: A mixed cost is an expense that has attributes of both fixed and variable costs. In other words, it’s a cost that changes with the volume of production like a variable cost and can’t be completely eliminated like a fixed cost.

https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/mixed-cost

The parent, child, and teacher all have an opportunity to learn that no one is an "idiot" in this scenario. The options were just too limited. Both people have correct ideas.

Great learning opportunity for all sides to see how things devolve into barbaric name-calling instead of seeking solutions.

I disagree. Electricity can absolutely be reduced down to zero. Take, for example, a family with solar panels that use less energy than is produced. In my state, an electric company will purchase a limited amount of this excess energy instead of charging the family. At worst they break even. That would be an electric bill of zero and 100% variable.

I think that for a middle school teacher to be teaching students that utilities are fixed and there is nothing to be done about it is a disservice to students that may not get good financial advise at home.

A family with solar panels now has a definite fixed, and sunk, cost.  You can count the solar panels up front or depreciate them over time but either way you can’t reduce their cost

[Feivel2000]

We did have a discussion about the fact that some parts of the cost are fixed (e.g., water also includes sewer, which is a flat fee for each household) and some can be variable, and it would have been better to have another choice (mixed).

Daughter was on the right track, and she was praised for using her head and engaging the teacher in a discussion.  We also had a nice discussion on how to determine when to stand on your principles and when to conform.  (Anna, I hope you never conformed!)

Calling a teacher an idiot in person would have been an automatic grounding for a VERY long time.   Calling someone an idiot while debating with them - bad. Referring to the person who irritates you as an idiot while at home with your family, eh, that happens.

In the car this morning, same child turned to her younger sister and announced, "if we save a lot of money and don't buy junk we don't need, we can retire at 40!!!"

At 40? Someone needs a lesson about setting ambitious goals and shoot for the moon!

[Chraurelius]

The teacher is an idiot for being disrespectful to her student, not being wrong.

[EngineeringFI]

We did have a discussion about the fact that some parts of the cost are fixed (e.g., water also includes sewer, which is a flat fee for each household) and some can be variable, and it would have been better to have another choice (mixed).

Daughter was on the right track, and she was praised for using her head and engaging the teacher in a discussion.  We also had a nice discussion on how to determine when to stand on your principles and when to conform.  (Anna, I hope you never conformed!)

Calling a teacher an idiot in person would have been an automatic grounding for a VERY long time.   Calling someone an idiot while debating with them - bad. Referring to the person who irritates you as an idiot while at home with your family, eh, that happens.

In the car this morning, same child turned to her younger sister and announced, "if we save a lot of money and don't buy junk we don't need, we can retire at 40!!!"

It might be difficult to explain to your child, but I think the real story here is the actual conversation happening below the surface between her and her teacher. I think her teacher felt like her authority in the classroom was threatened when your daughter disagreed with her. And so she took the opposite side of the argument and laughed at your daughter's reasoning, not because she actually disagreed with it, but because she had to be "right" in front of the class.

[Goldielocks]

We did have a discussion about the fact that some parts of the cost are fixed (e.g., water also includes sewer, which is a flat fee for each household) and some can be variable, and it would have been better to have another choice (mixed).

Daughter was on the right track, and she was praised for using her head and engaging the teacher in a discussion.  We also had a nice discussion on how to determine when to stand on your principles and when to conform.  (Anna, I hope you never conformed!)

Calling a teacher an idiot in person would have been an automatic grounding for a VERY long time.   Calling someone an idiot while debating with them - bad. Referring to the person who irritates you as an idiot while at home with your family, eh, that happens.

In the car this morning, same child turned to her younger sister and announced, "if we save a lot of money and don't buy junk we don't need, we can retire at 40!!!"

It might be difficult to explain to your child, but I think the real story here is the actual conversation happening below the surface between her and her teacher. I think her teacher felt like her authority in the classroom was threatened when your daughter disagreed with her. And so she took the opposite side of the argument and laughed at your daughter's reasoning, not because she actually disagreed with it, but because she had to be "right" in front of the class.

Some teachers are not that smart... really.  Especially in elementary school and it involves basic understanding about math and life.
We just had Parent teacher interviews here, and my SIL was told by one (Grade 8 Socials) "why are you here? you are wasting my time, the parent teacher interviews are for kids that have trouble in class".   Um, no, the Fall interviews are when we parents get to find out if our kid's teachers are dicks or not, so we understand if we need to intervene when our teenagers complain.

[Maenad]

Your daughter will benefit from learning that teachers, as anyone else, can be clueless.

It can also be a good opportunity to start learning about how to deal with someone who's clueless and also in a position of power over you. Dealing with that tactfully is an awesome skill.

Wish I'd learned it. :-D

[mies]

My co-worker told me he bought an XBox One X, a 4K TV, and a dog over the weekend. He was chuckling about how he had already spent his tax return. He just replaced his iPhone 7 last week too with a Pixel 2XL with the nebulous "I just don't like Apple stuff anymore" excuse. It's hip to be a he-man Apple hater where I work. I'm guessing he felt some pressure to conform. I just wanted to put my fist through his face and scream at him, "You won't care about any of this shit in a month!". I didn't say anything, but I wish I could nudge him in the right direction. He doesn't make as much as I do, so I'm sure he's put most, if not all, of this stuff on his credit card.

[marielle]

Not really financially related, but at work I told a contractor that I was from Ukraine and he asked if it was a communist country.

[A Definite Beta Guy]

One of my co-workers is apparently a Mustachian. Or at least is familiar with the philosophy. He saw me cruising the forum.

Not terribly surprising. When Vanguard was in the office, he was the only other person who seemed to think "replace 85% of your income in retirement" was a bit silly.

[hudsoncat]

I was joking about how very Monday of a Monday yesterday was with a co-worker this morning. Just one of those days where nothing terrible happens but a bunch of little things just don't go your way.

Me: and to top it off, when I got in my car after work, I realized I had a headlight out.
CW: Off to the mechanic for you, huh?
Me: No. It was just the bulb. I replaced it on my way home.
CW: By yourself?!
Me: Yes. It's super easy in my car. Your car too actually I bet! (We have the same car, though her car is a couple years newer.)
CW: Oh, I wouldn't even try to change it myself. I'd just take it to the mechanic.

I just can't imagine going to a mechanic for something as simple as a light bulb replacement. I get it if your car has a hard to reach headlight something of that nature, but I'd at least try it myself.

[Just Joe]

On a similar theme I once visited Puerto Rico and someone asked if they spoke English there and whether the American dollar was widely accepted.

[Just Joe]

I was joking about how very Monday of a Monday yesterday was with a co-worker this morning. Just one of those days where nothing terrible happens but a bunch of little things just don't go your way.

Me: and to top it off, when I got in my car after work, I realized I had a headlight out.
CW: Off to the mechanic for you, huh?
Me: No. It was just the bulb. I replaced it on my way home.
CW: By yourself?!
Me: Yes. It's super easy in my car. Your car too actually I bet! (We have the same car, though her car is a couple years newer.)
CW: Oh, I wouldn't even try to change it myself. I'd just take it to the mechanic.

I just can't imagine going to a mechanic for something as simple as a light bulb replacement. I get it if your car has a hard to reach headlight something of that nature, but I'd at least try it myself.

A bunch of the auto parts stores will replace the bulb for you for free. I wonder what a mechanic would charge.

[RyanAtTanagra]

I was joking about how very Monday of a Monday yesterday was with a co-worker this morning. Just one of those days where nothing terrible happens but a bunch of little things just don't go your way.

Me: and to top it off, when I got in my car after work, I realized I had a headlight out.
CW: Off to the mechanic for you, huh?
Me: No. It was just the bulb. I replaced it on my way home.
CW: By yourself?!
Me: Yes. It's super easy in my car. Your car too actually I bet! (We have the same car, though her car is a couple years newer.)
CW: Oh, I wouldn't even try to change it myself. I'd just take it to the mechanic.

I just can't imagine going to a mechanic for something as simple as a light bulb replacement. I get it if your car has a hard to reach headlight something of that nature, but I'd at least try it myself.

A bunch of the auto parts stores will replace the bulb for you for free. I wonder what a mechanic would charge.

I worked in a garage, we'd do it for the cost of the bulb if it was a normal/easy replacement.  That's one of those things where it takes 2 minutes and the potential grateful, repeat customer is worth more than the few bucks you could change in labor.  Not all garages think that way though, unfortunately.

[ohsnap]

...He just replaced his iPhone 7 last week too with a Pixel 2XL with the nebulous "I just don't like Apple stuff anymore" excuse. It's hip to be a he-man Apple hater where I work. I'm guessing he felt some pressure to conform...

I have the opposite pressure...not at work, but my circle of friends all have iPhones (although they don't all rush out and buy the newest ones).  I'm frequently given grief over my non-Apple phone choice, solely because it doesn't have the same group-text features. One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

[RyanAtTanagra]

One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

Oh, snap

[zolotiyeruki]

One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

Oh, snap

My boss complained that the camera app on my smartphone took a long time to start.  I replied with something like "I'm not getting paid enough to own a better phone."

[marielle]

One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

Oh, snap

My boss complained that the camera app on my smartphone took a long time to start.  I replied with something like "I'm not getting paid enough to own a better phone."

I've tried saying stuff like this, but my boss just says I do well for my age and knows I have plenty of money because I pinch pennies, live with a roommate, and don't have a car payment...

[mydogismyheart]

My boss said his goal was for all of us to be using macbook computers.  I told him that that was great but I don't mind the free Dell I was given.  If he wants me to use a macbook he can buy me one and I'll be more than happy to use it.  That pretty much ended that conversation. 

Note: I do really like macbooks, my last one lasted me 10 years before I finally stopped using it.  It still works fine but is slow and since I was given this Dell from my company and it is faster I use it instead.  I would like to eventually invest in a new macbook when I have the money.

One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

Oh, snap

My boss complained that the camera app on my smartphone took a long time to start.  I replied with something like "I'm not getting paid enough to own a better phone."

I've tried saying stuff like this, but my boss just says I do well for my age and knows I have plenty of money because I pinch pennies, live with a roommate, and don't have a car payment...

[mydogismyheart]

I was having a conversation recently with a co worker about new cars.  I mentioned I was looking at buying a new (to me) vehicle because mine had been in a pretty bad accident and was totaled. I had that car for 9.5 years and really liked it.  I originally paid $3500 for it and with the exception of a new transmission at one point, I had no other issues, just regular maintenance.  His reply was that he only leases cars because with the amount of mileage we put on them (we drive a lot for work but get paid mileage for it) it just makes the most sense and is cheapest.
 

[ducky19]

I was having a conversation recently with a co worker about new cars.  I mentioned I was looking at buying a new (to me) vehicle because mine had been in a pretty bad accident and was totaled. I had that car for 9.5 years and really liked it.  I originally paid $3500 for it and with the exception of a new transmission at one point, I had no other issues, just regular maintenance.  His reply was that he only leases cars because with the amount of mileage we put on them (we drive a lot for work but get paid mileage for it) it just makes the most sense and is cheapest.

That is the absolute WORST scenario for leasing a car! I have yet to see a lease that didn't bend you over for driving too many miles, and most of them are low mile leases.

[ketchup]

I was having a conversation recently with a co worker about new cars.  I mentioned I was looking at buying a new (to me) vehicle because mine had been in a pretty bad accident and was totaled. I had that car for 9.5 years and really liked it.  I originally paid $3500 for it and with the exception of a new transmission at one point, I had no other issues, just regular maintenance.  His reply was that he only leases cars because with the amount of mileage we put on them (we drive a lot for work but get paid mileage for it) it just makes the most sense and is cheapest.

That is the absolute WORST scenario for leasing a car! I have yet to see a lease that didn't bend you over for driving too many miles, and most of them are low mile leases.

Seriously.  I've run the numbers on lease deals and the ONLY way they come even close to penciling out would be by driving more miles than the lease agreement would allow.

[mies]

...He just replaced his iPhone 7 last week too with a Pixel 2XL with the nebulous "I just don't like Apple stuff anymore" excuse. It's hip to be a he-man Apple hater where I work. I'm guessing he felt some pressure to conform...

I have the opposite pressure...not at work, but my circle of friends all have iPhones (although they don't all rush out and buy the newest ones).  I'm frequently given grief over my non-Apple phone choice, solely because it doesn't have the same group-text features. One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

I've noticed among tech people, it's cool to hate Apple. I hear people at work say Apple sucks when they have to test something on a Mac because they can't find something or it doesn't behave exactly like Windows. It's more lack of familiarity than inferiority of Apple's products.

I'm fairly agnostic when it comes to technology. I use Windows all day at work, Linux at home, and use an iPhone. For the most part, the iPhone just works and you usually aren't a second class citizen when it comes to applications.

Either way, he had a perfectly usable 1 year old phone and traded up for a new one that might be marginally better.

[JLee]

...He just replaced his iPhone 7 last week too with a Pixel 2XL with the nebulous "I just don't like Apple stuff anymore" excuse. It's hip to be a he-man Apple hater where I work. I'm guessing he felt some pressure to conform...

I have the opposite pressure...not at work, but my circle of friends all have iPhones (although they don't all rush out and buy the newest ones).  I'm frequently given grief over my non-Apple phone choice, solely because it doesn't have the same group-text features. One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

I've noticed among tech people, it's cool to hate Apple. I hear people at work say Apple sucks when they have to test something on a Mac because they can't find something or it doesn't behave exactly like Windows. It's more lack of familiarity than inferiority of Apple's products.

I'm fairly agnostic when it comes to technology. I use Windows all day at work, Linux at home, and use an iPhone. For the most part, the iPhone just works and you usually aren't a second class citizen when it comes to applications.

Either way, he had a perfectly usable 1 year old phone and traded up for a new one that might be marginally better.

That depends what you want out of your phone - I was talking with a friend over the weekend (he recently switched to Android) and he said cross-app integration is far better on Android (i.e. Shazam integration with Spotify, etc).

[Feivel2000]

I was joking about how very Monday of a Monday yesterday was with a co-worker this morning. Just one of those days where nothing terrible happens but a bunch of little things just don't go your way.

Me: and to top it off, when I got in my car after work, I realized I had a headlight out.
CW: Off to the mechanic for you, huh?
Me: No. It was just the bulb. I replaced it on my way home.
CW: By yourself?!
Me: Yes. It's super easy in my car. Your car too actually I bet! (We have the same car, though her car is a couple years newer.)
CW: Oh, I wouldn't even try to change it myself. I'd just take it to the mechanic.

I just can't imagine going to a mechanic for something as simple as a light bulb replacement. I get it if your car has a hard to reach headlight something of that nature, but I'd at least try it myself.

Try to change the bulb on a Citroën C3/C4. I think you need an additional hinge in your arm.

But my mechanic changed them for free if you buy the bulb from him...

[Linda_Norway]

I thought about posting it in the investor thread, but I think I have asked a similar question before. So now just posting as a comment in this thread.

I have one colleague who is always at work looking into stock websites. I asked him whether he changed his funds regularly.
He told me that he has his stocks only in his pension fund. When he has index funds and the index has risen more than 10%, he switches to a bond-profile with 0 risk. When the index has a big dip, he switches back to the high risk profile with index funds. That way, according to himself, you never lose money. He said he made 25% profit the last two years. This person has a history of getting into high debt because of losing money on the stock market. I think this is his new way of wanting to be into the market, but into a saver way.

It does sound like safe strategy to me, but for me this would be challenging I think. I Norway we pay about 30% tax on profits we make when we sell funds. Currently my funds are on a account where I can postpone my tax paying to the moment I take out the money, which is hopefully after FIRE when I have very little income. In this account, you cannot have bond funds, but we can switch between stock fonds as much as we like. But buying bonds would mean having to pay the taxes on top of my current high salary.

I think that if you sell index funds when the fund has more than 10% profit, you will lose out on the big profits. Like one of my index funds has currently 15% profit. But I do sometimes get a little nervous on having so much stash index funds, as I cannot believe the market will go up forever.

But we are back to the eternal question "is investing in the the stock market smart or not" and in the long run it is supposed to be smart. That is why I have my stash there. If we ever get 8% rent on money in the bank, I will put it in the bank. But I think those days might be over.

[Imma]

One friend didn't let up the nagging until I told her, "I'll get an iPhone if you'll pay for it."

Oh, snap

My boss complained that the camera app on my smartphone took a long time to start.  I replied with something like "I'm not getting paid enough to own a better phone."

I've tried saying stuff like this, but my boss just says I do well for my age and knows I have plenty of money because I pinch pennies, live with a roommate, and don't have a car payment...

Yup, my boss has noticed too that I'm frugal. I don't talk about money at work, but he still noticed quite soon. I think there are a number of factors that gave it away, but I'm still surprised that my boss noticed that quickly. I'm a part time office worker (I can't work fulltime due to health reasons) and my s/o is a musician with a side job, so we're not 'obviously wealthy'. He must have done the math and calculated that there must be money left over at the end of the month. 

[BuffaloStache]

^ you all must work in observant places. I keep quiet about money at the office, and no one seems to notice that I'm frugal. Either that or all of my coworkers are.

I think one of the biggest factors is that we don't get a paid lunch break. This causes ~95% of my coworkers to either bring leftovers and eat at their desks to 'work' during lunch, or people to quickly buy something from the cafe and bring it up to their desks. Truly eating out for lunch (going to a restaurant not the in-building cafe) is a rarity.

[RidetheRain]

^ you all must work in observant places. I keep quiet about money at the office, and no one seems to notice that I'm frugal. Either that or all of my coworkers are.

I think one of the biggest factors is that we don't get a paid lunch break. This causes ~95% of my coworkers to either bring leftovers and eat at their desks to 'work' during lunch, or people to quickly buy something from the cafe and bring it up to their desks. Truly eating out for lunch (going to a restaurant not the in-building cafe) is a rarity.

I agree. My coworkers don't ever notice that kind of thing. Pretty much everyone brings a lunch. The only way to tell is when talking about weekend plans. One of my coworkers likes to go to "rooftop parties" which I'm guessing are pretty expensive. But I like to hike which is more or less free. Really it's less of a frugal thing and more of a personal preference. After all, my life isn't any worse without spending money so how could they notice?

[marielle]

^ you all must work in observant places. I keep quiet about money at the office, and no one seems to notice that I'm frugal. Either that or all of my coworkers are.

I think one of the biggest factors is that we don't get a paid lunch break. This causes ~95% of my coworkers to either bring leftovers and eat at their desks to 'work' during lunch, or people to quickly buy something from the cafe and bring it up to their desks. Truly eating out for lunch (going to a restaurant not the in-building cafe) is a rarity.

My office is really small, and my boss dictates how much I make so it's not hard to figure out. Everyone is basically a department of one. I also poke fun of myself sometimes for being a cheapskate and they know I drive a 15 year old car. I also have mentioned early retirement as a "joke" but I don't think they know the extent of how much I save. We're getting a 401k at the company soon (fairly new company) so I'm sure the HR lady will have a WTF look when I want to max it to 18k. I think I could have kept it stealth if I really wanted to, at least until the 401k came out.

My boss says I have to work here until I start collecting social security...

[trollwithamustache]

^ you all must work in observant places. I keep quiet about money at the office, and no one seems to notice that I'm frugal. Either that or all of my coworkers are.

I think one of the biggest factors is that we don't get a paid lunch break. This causes ~95% of my coworkers to either bring leftovers and eat at their desks to 'work' during lunch, or people to quickly buy something from the cafe and bring it up to their desks. Truly eating out for lunch (going to a restaurant not the in-building cafe) is a rarity.

My office is really small, and my boss dictates how much I make so it's not hard to figure out. Everyone is basically a department of one. I also poke fun of myself sometimes for being a cheapskate and they know I drive a 15 year old car. I also have mentioned early retirement as a "joke" but I don't think they know the extent of how much I save. We're getting a 401k at the company soon (fairly new company) so I'm sure the HR lady will have a WTF look when I want to max it to 18k. I think I could have kept it stealth if I really wanted to, at least until the 401k came out.

My boss says I have to work here until I start collecting social security...

I bet you will still be in stealth mode after maxing out the 401k. HR -lackey probably has never seen it and while can process the paperwork cannot internally process what you just did. its much easier to just not think about such confusing things and head out early to happy hour.

[Imustacheyouaquestion]

HR called my wife to check if her maxed 457 election was an error because "wow, that's a ton of money!." Yup, that's a whole lot of tax-advantaged space we're filling :)

[ysette9]

Back on the subject of changing the bulbs in a car’s headlights, my husband did that in his then 1997 Honda Civic. It took him half a day and he had to go buy some tools he didn’t have to pry half the bumper assembly off.

[NoVa]

I complained to HR last week that the 401k website where I specified my contribution per pay period didn't accept anything but whole dollars, no decimal places. This was going to make me miss a certain tiny fraction of my contribution.

[JLee]

I complained to HR last week that the 401k website where I specified my contribution per pay period didn't accept anything but whole dollars, no decimal places. This was going to make me miss a certain tiny fraction of my contribution.

HR/payroll should cap your deductions at the IRS limit, so you should be able to bias your last contribution slightly heavy and they'll just cut it short.

[JordanOfGilead]

Back on the subject of changing the bulbs in a car’s headlights, my husband did that in his then 1997 Honda Civic. It took him half a day and he had to go buy some tools he didn’t have to pry half the bumper assembly off.

That doesn't seem right ...
I've had a '91 crx, a 94 civic LX, a 96 civic DX, and a 98 civic LX and had to change the headlight bulbs on all of them at least once. There's a part in the back that just twist/locks into place. A quarter turn of that piece and you can pull the bulb right out of the back of the headlight assembly. a 5 minute job, tops. The only one I had problems with was the 94 and that was because a previous owner had (poorly) installed xenon headlights.