Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252970 times)

Kyle Schuant

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20900 on: October 03, 2018, 07:05:38 AM »
You bring up an important point, Alfred: the prevalence of cyclists affects their safety in dealing with drivers. If there is one cyclist on the road, he is an annoying obstacle and we should beep at, shout at, and drive near him to put him in his place, if there are 100, they're just part of traffic and we exercise due care.


Thus, anything that reduces the number of cyclists increases the risks to each individual cyclist, and anything that increases the number of cyclists decreases the risks to each individual cyclist.


So then we must ask of each policy, will it be likely to increase or decrease the number of cyclists? And with that in mind, listening to proposed laws lets us gauge the true intent of the one proposing them; for example, in Australia occasionally someone will suggest that bicycles should be registered like cars. What is the true intent here?


Keep driving, suckers! Keep burning that fuel, bringing excise tax to the government and warming the world! Burn baby burn!

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20901 on: October 03, 2018, 07:17:42 AM »
Kyle; it's not just the number of cyclists. If there's just a dedicated biking lane that does not interfere with the car lane, it already reduces the chance of an accident A LOT because bikes and cars aren't sharing the same space anymore. I find it always a bit odd how cars are so worshipped that the people doing the 'good' thing (biking = better for health, environment, cheaper and so on - think MMM bike rant here) have to adjust by risking their lives on busy roads without bike lanes and wearing helments and reflective wear to protect themselves.

I've seen people on these forums say they drive their kids to school cause the 1 mile walk is on a busy road. What kind of weird world is that? What idiot ever decided that a 1 mile road from a family neighbourhood to a school doesn't need sidewalks and bike lanes?!

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20902 on: October 03, 2018, 07:25:14 AM »
Kyle; it's not just the number of cyclists. If there's just a dedicated biking lane that does not interfere with the car lane, it already reduces the chance of an accident A LOT because bikes and cars aren't sharing the same space anymore. I find it always a bit odd how cars are so worshipped that the people doing the 'good' thing (biking = better for health, environment, cheaper and so on - think MMM bike rant here) have to adjust by risking their lives on busy roads without bike lanes and wearing helments and reflective wear to protect themselves.

I've seen people on these forums say they drive their kids to school cause the 1 mile walk is on a busy road. What kind of weird world is that? What idiot ever decided that a 1 mile road from a family neighbourhood to a school doesn't need sidewalks and bike lanes?!

Welcome to modern American suburban planning. I live in an older suburb with quiet neighborhood streets in a grid pattern and sidewalks everywhere, so I regularly see kids of all ages walking or biking to school. But the newer suburbs tend to comprise oddly designed subdivisions with only one entrance/exit from a busy road and no sidewalks or bike lanes anywhere. I do not understand and can not explain the appeal.

merula

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20903 on: October 03, 2018, 08:13:11 AM »
Welcome to modern American suburban planning. I live in an older suburb with quiet neighborhood streets in a grid pattern and sidewalks everywhere, so I regularly see kids of all ages walking or biking to school. But the newer suburbs tend to comprise oddly designed subdivisions with only one entrance/exit from a busy road and no sidewalks or bike lanes anywhere. I do not understand and can not explain the appeal.

EXACTLY! I grew up in a variety of neighborhoods built in the 80s and 90s: windy roads, cul-de-sacs, 2-3 miles from anything but residential. Most didn't have sidewalks because you didn't "need" them; there was nowhere to go.

But my cousins lived in a 60s/70s neighborhood: on a grid, corner shops, grocery stores, sidewalks. As a kid, that was heaven. We could go down to the convenience store or the grocery store starting around age 7. There were always kids outside on the sidewalks, so it was easy to meet up and play with whoever was out. Trick-or-treating there was so much better than my neighborhoods.

My cousins' neighborhood played a significant role in wanting to live in a walkable area, and my house was built in 1919. It's all a grid, sidewalks everywhere, and an alley. My kids are pretty young (4 and 6) but they spent most of the summer running around our block, having all sorts of fun with their friends without ever crossing a street. When they get a little older, they'll be able to go to the nearby bakery, convenience stores, grocery stores and drug store with a soda fountain.

I think the original appeal of the 80s/90s suburb was safety. Young parents were faced with the "crime wave" and wanted to get their kids "off the streets". And the parents weren't as impacted by the isolation as much as the kids were. So now you have a lot of kids who grew up in that situation looking to give their kids something different, so those older neighborhoods are more in-demand.

dcheesi

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20904 on: October 03, 2018, 08:58:16 AM »
Welcome to modern American suburban planning. I live in an older suburb with quiet neighborhood streets in a grid pattern and sidewalks everywhere, so I regularly see kids of all ages walking or biking to school. But the newer suburbs tend to comprise oddly designed subdivisions with only one entrance/exit from a busy road and no sidewalks or bike lanes anywhere. I do not understand and can not explain the appeal.

EXACTLY! I grew up in a variety of neighborhoods built in the 80s and 90s: windy roads, cul-de-sacs, 2-3 miles from anything but residential. Most didn't have sidewalks because you didn't "need" them; there was nowhere to go.

But my cousins lived in a 60s/70s neighborhood: on a grid, corner shops, grocery stores, sidewalks. As a kid, that was heaven. We could go down to the convenience store or the grocery store starting around age 7. There were always kids outside on the sidewalks, so it was easy to meet up and play with whoever was out. Trick-or-treating there was so much better than my neighborhoods.

My cousins' neighborhood played a significant role in wanting to live in a walkable area, and my house was built in 1919. It's all a grid, sidewalks everywhere, and an alley. My kids are pretty young (4 and 6) but they spent most of the summer running around our block, having all sorts of fun with their friends without ever crossing a street. When they get a little older, they'll be able to go to the nearby bakery, convenience stores, grocery stores and drug store with a soda fountain.

I think the original appeal of the 80s/90s suburb was safety. Young parents were faced with the "crime wave" and wanted to get their kids "off the streets". And the parents weren't as impacted by the isolation as much as the kids were. So now you have a lot of kids who grew up in that situation looking to give their kids something different, so those older neighborhoods are more in-demand.
There was also a belief that cul-de-sacs and the lack of through-roads would make these neighborhoods quieter and safer. No through-traffic = less traffic overall, and the cul-de-sac itself would provide a nice safe spot to play street-hockey or whatever.

Turns out that the safety aspect, at least, was highly overrated. Kids in the cul-de-sacs develop a false sense of security leading to inattentive and unsafe behaviors. And the people who live on the feeder roads experience more traffic and more noise, leading to a high number of accidents there. Overall, "modern" subdivisions are no safer, and far less convenient, than the older housing grids.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20905 on: October 03, 2018, 12:14:47 PM »
Welcome to modern American suburban planning. I live in an older suburb with quiet neighborhood streets in a grid pattern and sidewalks everywhere, so I regularly see kids of all ages walking or biking to school. But the newer suburbs tend to comprise oddly designed subdivisions with only one entrance/exit from a busy road and no sidewalks or bike lanes anywhere. I do not understand and can not explain the appeal.

EXACTLY! I grew up in a variety of neighborhoods built in the 80s and 90s: windy roads, cul-de-sacs, 2-3 miles from anything but residential. Most didn't have sidewalks because you didn't "need" them; there was nowhere to go.

But my cousins lived in a 60s/70s neighborhood: on a grid, corner shops, grocery stores, sidewalks. As a kid, that was heaven. We could go down to the convenience store or the grocery store starting around age 7. There were always kids outside on the sidewalks, so it was easy to meet up and play with whoever was out. Trick-or-treating there was so much better than my neighborhoods.


I live in an older neighbourhood in the inner city and I think this is a great place to raise kids (although we don't have any) but road safety would be an issue to me. I'm also in the Netherlands, the most bike friendly country in the world, but the innercity with its narrow streets is not designed for 21st century traffic. The streets are just too narrow for the buses and the trucks that need to go through them now. I feel unsafe quite often. I would probably have my kids wear helmets.

Dragonswan

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20906 on: October 03, 2018, 01:04:18 PM »
empirical evidence does not support the notion that bicycle helmets make you so much safer that not wearing one is a stupid decision.
Obviously there is some benefit. But while individuals consider individual risk, societies must consider the public good. And if you actually mandate helmets, then cycling drops in frequency.

Given that cars produce pollution, cost a lot of money, and that well over half the population is obese or overweight, doing things which encourage people to move their bodies rather than press a pedal seems like an overall benefit. By mandating helmets, we reduce the number of head injuries, but increase the number of people with type II diabetes, hip replacements, heart disease and so on. Being active carries risks, but so does being inactive.

If we consider just head injury, then there is actually a strong argument for mandating helmets in cars. But interestingly, nobody is calling for that. It would be inconvenient, and we can only inconvenience pedestrians and cyclists, not drivers.

Future generations will be curious about our worship of cars.
In America it's all about insurance actuaries: risk vs. benefit vs cost.  Well and a dash of political correctness.  For all "the children, but the children must be protected" mantra, where are the seat belts in school buses for the passengers?  They don't exist because the insurance folks used statistics and actuary tables to determine there was insufficient risk of having to pay a claim, unlike individual vehicles where the claims were more frequent and costly when the seat belt was not worn.  So they lobbied Congress in the name of safety to get them required, when it was really about the money.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20907 on: October 04, 2018, 12:47:53 PM »
And don't forget that neighborhoods built without streetlights and sidewalks are alot cheaper than the "deluxe package" with those items.

Around here I was told the average property developer is/was responsible for all these things initially and then the city or county would take over the maintenance if it was constructed to code. I guess the average developer here wants to build on the cheap if buyers aren't demanding sidewalks.

Nobody walks, nobody bikes - we are all supposed to load up the family hauler and go to the mall and then out to eat. -eye roller-

OliveFI

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20908 on: October 04, 2018, 02:55:13 PM »
My co-worker told me he spends $4k a month on food. For him and his wife. He also said they spend every $ they make  - I know for a fact they make at least $350k combined. He wants to buy a house and is looking in a very expensive town. At lunch a bunch of us had a casual conversation about money and he pretty much said his spending can't change and that "life gets expensive." Like, no you can't avoid your student loan payments. But you don't NEED to spend $4k a month for 2 people.

He told me he ordered Indian last night and it was "frugal" at $30 total. I had the same Indian dish last night for around $2.5 a serving - the recipe made 4 servings total. He still doesn't think his spending can change. 

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20909 on: October 04, 2018, 03:15:27 PM »
My co-worker told me he spends $4k a month on food. For him and his wife. He also said they spend every $ they make  - I know for a fact they make at least $350k combined. He wants to buy a house and is looking in a very expensive town. At lunch a bunch of us had a casual conversation about money and he pretty much said his spending can't change and that "life gets expensive." Like, no you can't avoid your student loan payments. But you don't NEED to spend $4k a month for 2 people.

He told me he ordered Indian last night and it was "frugal" at $30 total. I had the same Indian dish last night for around $2.5 a serving - the recipe made 4 servings total. He still doesn't think his spending can change.
Holy shit.  Some people really live on a different planet.  My household spends <$4k a month TOTAL, on everything... maybe even including GF's business expenses...

Megma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20910 on: October 05, 2018, 12:07:06 PM »
My co-worker told me he spends $4k a month on food. For him and his wife. He also said they spend every $ they make  - I know for a fact they make at least $350k combined. He wants to buy a house and is looking in a very expensive town. At lunch a bunch of us had a casual conversation about money and he pretty much said his spending can't change and that "life gets expensive." Like, no you can't avoid your student loan payments. But you don't NEED to spend $4k a month for 2 people.

He told me he ordered Indian last night and it was "frugal" at $30 total. I had the same Indian dish last night for around $2.5 a serving - the recipe made 4 servings total. He still doesn't think his spending can change.
Holy shit.  Some people really live on a different planet.  My household spends <$4k a month TOTAL, on everything... maybe even including GF's business expenses...

Uh same. Less most months and that includes two mortgages.

That more than 5x what my husband and I spend on food (groceries+restaurant spending) and I consider us to have high food spending. I don't even know how we'd spend 4k/month for the two of us.

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20911 on: October 05, 2018, 01:26:42 PM »
It works out to $66/day per person.  So roughly nine Chipotle burritos per day.  I might be able to make it through day one of that, but day two would be tricky.

DS

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20912 on: October 05, 2018, 01:40:33 PM »
It works out to $66/day per person.  So roughly nine Chipotle burritos per day.  I might be able to make it through day one of that, but day two would be tricky.

Yeah it would be tricky. Hard to eat fewer than nine and survive ;)

martyconlonontherun

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20913 on: October 05, 2018, 01:46:04 PM »
My co-worker told me he spends $4k a month on food. For him and his wife. He also said they spend every $ they make  - I know for a fact they make at least $350k combined. He wants to buy a house and is looking in a very expensive town. At lunch a bunch of us had a casual conversation about money and he pretty much said his spending can't change and that "life gets expensive." Like, no you can't avoid your student loan payments. But you don't NEED to spend $4k a month for 2 people.

He told me he ordered Indian last night and it was "frugal" at $30 total. I had the same Indian dish last night for around $2.5 a serving - the recipe made 4 servings total. He still doesn't think his spending can change.
Alright you spend 50k on food. Say they have a huge house with a 4K mortgage. Where’s the rest going?

ixtap

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20914 on: October 05, 2018, 01:55:48 PM »
My co-worker told me he spends $4k a month on food. For him and his wife. He also said they spend every $ they make  - I know for a fact they make at least $350k combined. He wants to buy a house and is looking in a very expensive town. At lunch a bunch of us had a casual conversation about money and he pretty much said his spending can't change and that "life gets expensive." Like, no you can't avoid your student loan payments. But you don't NEED to spend $4k a month for 2 people.

He told me he ordered Indian last night and it was "frugal" at $30 total. I had the same Indian dish last night for around $2.5 a serving - the recipe made 4 servings total. He still doesn't think his spending can change.
Alright you spend 50k on food. Say they have a huge house with a 4K mortgage. Where’s the rest going?

It's China; they had better be employing locals. Many expats have a driver instead of jumping through the hoops to get a license, its just rude not to hire a maid... That's...well, peanuts, especially in comparison to their food spend.

hudsoncat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20915 on: October 08, 2018, 09:49:56 AM »
My work provides some Financial Literacy type of programs, last Friday we had one about retirement. I always go because you never know when you might pick up a nugget of good information. Afterwards, a couple co-workers I'm friendly with were discussing. Both were lamenting how impossible saving is... How they try so hard to budget, but something always happens to blow the budget... How they'll never retire... How they have no idea how I save so much (They don't actually know how much we save, but know we save a lot)... you know the song and dance. Fast forward to this morning.

CW1: What did you do this weekend?

Me: Oh we had a pretty relaxing weekend. Some yard work, house work, finished a couple of small maintenance projects knowing that fall and winter are coming.

CW2: That doesn't sound relaxing at all! You should use ABC lawn service....

**Conversation devolves to lawn and cleaning services for a while***

Me (slightly tentatively): You know, those tasks only took a couple hours each morning, then we had the rest of the day free to relax. And we saved so much money doing them ourselves. It's a great way to jump start some of those savings we were talking about on Friday.

CW1 (laughs): But that would cut into my brunch time!

CW2: yeah! Brunch is the best. Did they have the bottomless mimosas yesterday? We were out of town. Hey, have you gotten coffee yet? Let's run down to [local coffee place with Starbucks prices]...

I just shrugged and walked away. 

DS

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20916 on: October 08, 2018, 11:28:00 AM »
My work provides some Financial Literacy type of programs, last Friday we had one about retirement. I always go because you never know when you might pick up a nugget of good information. Afterwards, a couple co-workers I'm friendly with were discussing. Both were lamenting how impossible saving is... How they try so hard to budget, but something always happens to blow the budget... How they'll never retire... How they have no idea how I save so much (They don't actually know how much we save, but know we save a lot)... you know the song and dance. Fast forward to this morning.

CW1: What did you do this weekend?

Me: Oh we had a pretty relaxing weekend. Some yard work, house work, finished a couple of small maintenance projects knowing that fall and winter are coming.

CW2: That doesn't sound relaxing at all! You should use ABC lawn service....

**Conversation devolves to lawn and cleaning services for a while***

Me (slightly tentatively): You know, those tasks only took a couple hours each morning, then we had the rest of the day free to relax. And we saved so much money doing them ourselves. It's a great way to jump start some of those savings we were talking about on Friday.

CW1 (laughs): But that would cut into my brunch time!

CW2: yeah! Brunch is the best. Did they have the bottomless mimosas yesterday? We were out of town. Hey, have you gotten coffee yet? Let's run down to [local coffee place with Starbucks prices]...

I just shrugged and walked away.

Nothing better than spending money to free up some time to spend money.

Freedomin5

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20917 on: October 12, 2018, 06:20:17 PM »
One of my colleagues (Ex-Colleague) recently left for a different position at another company. Good for him. My manager was chatting with me today and asked me if I was unhappy at my job. Nope, I'm not (I am slightly underpaid, but I trade flexibility in the ability to choose my projects and dictate my own hours for pay). She then said that Ex-Colleague had told her that his reason for leaving was because he "didn't make enough money to cover living expenses". We make money by charging billable hours. The more billable hours you charge, the more money you make. This guy spent the majority of his time gossiping with coworkers, not calling clients or attending networking events. Even so, since I know his rate, I was able to roughly calculate his billable hours. At a minimum, he makes USD$5000 net income per month. And he is single. If he worked harder to build his skills and reputation as a SME, he could easily make three times that.

My family lives very comfortably on $3K per month, and that includes $1K per month for private school. What kind of luxury marble-entombed apartment does he live in and gold-encrusted caviar does he eat to exceed his entire income? IIRC, he lives in an expensive "hip" part of town, likely in a serviced apartment with a doorman, and I think he eats out all the time at the newest, hippest restaurants in town, of which there are many. He also dresses really well -- to my non-expert eyes, all his clothes appear tailored.

Oh well. I'm hopefully out of here in a few years, while he continues slaving away in order to keep wearing, eating, and living in THE BEST.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20918 on: October 12, 2018, 07:50:56 PM »
And don't forget that neighborhoods built without streetlights and sidewalks are alot cheaper than the "deluxe package" with those items.

Around here I was told the average property developer is/was responsible for all these things initially and then the city or county would take over the maintenance if it was constructed to code. I guess the average developer here wants to build on the cheap if buyers aren't demanding sidewalks.

Nobody walks, nobody bikes - we are all supposed to load up the family hauler and go to the mall and then out to eat. -eye roller-

Ugh.  There''s some busybody in town advocating that the city put sidewalks in my neighborhood and then assess homeowners.  Her house, of course, wouldn't be affected because she already has a sidewalk.

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20919 on: October 12, 2018, 10:21:14 PM »
And don't forget that neighborhoods built without streetlights and sidewalks are alot cheaper than the "deluxe package" with those items.

Around here I was told the average property developer is/was responsible for all these things initially and then the city or county would take over the maintenance if it was constructed to code. I guess the average developer here wants to build on the cheap if buyers aren't demanding sidewalks.

Nobody walks, nobody bikes - we are all supposed to load up the family hauler and go to the mall and then out to eat. -eye roller-

Ugh.  There''s some busybody in town advocating that the city put sidewalks in my neighborhood and then assess homeowners.  Her house, of course, wouldn't be affected because she already has a sidewalk.
Sidewalks should be paid for by the city, for residences, when not part of the a development permit.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20920 on: October 13, 2018, 02:14:50 AM »
And don't forget that neighborhoods built without streetlights and sidewalks are alot cheaper than the "deluxe package" with those items.

Around here I was told the average property developer is/was responsible for all these things initially and then the city or county would take over the maintenance if it was constructed to code. I guess the average developer here wants to build on the cheap if buyers aren't demanding sidewalks.

Nobody walks, nobody bikes - we are all supposed to load up the family hauler and go to the mall and then out to eat. -eye roller-

Ugh.  There''s some busybody in town advocating that the city put sidewalks in my neighborhood and then assess homeowners.  Her house, of course, wouldn't be affected because she already has a sidewalk.
Sidewalks should be paid for by the city, for residences, when not part of the a development permit.
You know, everytime I read about or see the sidewalk-empty streets in the US I go *head exploding*

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20921 on: October 13, 2018, 08:28:10 AM »
And don't forget that neighborhoods built without streetlights and sidewalks are alot cheaper than the "deluxe package" with those items.

Around here I was told the average property developer is/was responsible for all these things initially and then the city or county would take over the maintenance if it was constructed to code. I guess the average developer here wants to build on the cheap if buyers aren't demanding sidewalks.

Nobody walks, nobody bikes - we are all supposed to load up the family hauler and go to the mall and then out to eat. -eye roller-

Ugh.  There''s some busybody in town advocating that the city put sidewalks in my neighborhood and then assess homeowners.  Her house, of course, wouldn't be affected because she already has a sidewalk.
Sidewalks should be paid for by the city, for residences, when not part of the a development permit.
You know, everytime I read about or see the sidewalk-empty streets in the US I go *head exploding*
Understandable. I’ve never lived in a place without sidewalks, and like I said earlier in this thread, I still don’t understand why not having them was considered a good thing.

Fortunately, the trend seems to be reversing a bit. My friend recently bought a home in a new subdivision with sidewalks everywhere.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20922 on: October 15, 2018, 07:37:26 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

DS

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20923 on: October 15, 2018, 08:52:09 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20924 on: October 15, 2018, 08:57:45 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?
Walk into a glasses store with some extra requirements and no research ahead of time and say "I'd like to buy some glasses, please."  They'll do the rest.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20925 on: October 15, 2018, 09:15:22 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?

Headache with nnew glasses is normal. It is important to not switch back.
If you wear the new ones constantly then most of the troubles should go away after 3 days at most. Edge vision might need 3 weeks to get totally used to though.

ixtap

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20926 on: October 15, 2018, 09:17:48 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?
Walk into a glasses store with some extra requirements and no research ahead of time and say "I'd like to buy some glasses, please."  They'll do the rest.

You also have to ignore the cost of frames and just look for the prettiest/sexiest/coolest ones. We overpay for frames in order to enjoy the convenience of getting glasses at our drs' office, but we look at the price tags and choose from the 3 pairs that are not exhorbitant.

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20927 on: October 15, 2018, 10:34:43 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?
Walk into a glasses store with some extra requirements and no research ahead of time and say "I'd like to buy some glasses, please."  They'll do the rest.

You also have to ignore the cost of frames and just look for the prettiest/sexiest/coolest ones. We overpay for frames in order to enjoy the convenience of getting glasses at our drs' office, but we look at the price tags and choose from the 3 pairs that are not exhorbitant.

Much also depends on the type of glasses you want/need. If you have a very common prescription you can get them pretty cheap, but if you have -10 ,  cylinder or + in one eye and - in the other eye, the lenses itself can be quite expensive. Then there are additional treatments that can make them even more expensive: coatings, extra-thin, etc.

When I had less money I used to buy cheaper ones, but the cheap frames always seem to break within a year, you have to pay for service and the lenses are always expensive with my prescription. Even if the frame is €20 the lenses are still going to be €75 at least or something for the most basic lens
 
My last pair was about €450 and of that, €300 was for the frame. I'm allergic to several materials so the choice is limited. In the end I chose the expensive frame I liked most and not the cheaper alternative that looked less good on me. The glass was €150, for that price they are also anti-reflective, impact resistent, UV-blocking and extra thin (otherwise I'd have jam jar glasses). I've had this pair for 4 years now and they were worth the money. I've never spent so much before, but I really didn't love the other frame.

I know my parent spends €1000 per pair, they have one of those fancy expensive rimless frames, a very unusual prescription and no-line multifocal lenses.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20928 on: October 15, 2018, 11:41:54 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?
Walk into a glasses store with some extra requirements and no research ahead of time and say "I'd like to buy some glasses, please."  They'll do the rest.

You also have to ignore the cost of frames and just look for the prettiest/sexiest/coolest ones. We overpay for frames in order to enjoy the convenience of getting glasses at our drs' office, but we look at the price tags and choose from the 3 pairs that are not exhorbitant.

Much also depends on the type of glasses you want/need. If you have a very common prescription you can get them pretty cheap, but if you have -10 ,  cylinder or + in one eye and - in the other eye, the lenses itself can be quite expensive. Then there are additional treatments that can make them even more expensive: coatings, extra-thin, etc.

When I had less money I used to buy cheaper ones, but the cheap frames always seem to break within a year, you have to pay for service and the lenses are always expensive with my prescription. Even if the frame is €20 the lenses are still going to be €75 at least or something for the most basic lens
 
My last pair was about €450 and of that, €300 was for the frame. I'm allergic to several materials so the choice is limited. In the end I chose the expensive frame I liked most and not the cheaper alternative that looked less good on me. The glass was €150, for that price they are also anti-reflective, impact resistant, UV-blocking and extra thin (otherwise I'd have jam jar glasses). I've had this pair for 4 years now and they were worth the money. I've never spent so much before, but I really didn't love the other frame.

I know my parent spends €1000 per pair, they have one of those fancy expensive rimless frames, a very unusual prescription and no-line multifocal lenses.

My special features are combined invisible long distance with reading distance. And anti-glare and anti-scratch. Both my colleague and I have passed 45 and need reading correction as well as long distance.
The worse thing in my case was that those fancy combined distance glasses had logos printed on them well in my vision. I complained to the shop that I saw those logos the whole time. Shop said they couldn't deliver combined distance glasses without logos printed on the glass. So I switched to only long distance glasses. I forgot to ask for money back, but the difference for those glasses was not so big. Now I have used those glasses for quite some time and I am often bothered by them having light spots in my vision when the sun is shining. I recently realized that maybe this is the glare that those glasses were supposed to have. Maybe my replacement glasses are without that and I paid all too much for a couple of simple glasses.
What I do know is that next time I need new glasses, I will ask explicitly for marks on glasses. And I will go to another store and buy a cheap last year fashion frame.

Edit: Another thing I should perhaps mention is that Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world. Most things here are a lot more expensive than in the US. And for reasons of simplicity I divided the prices I mentioned by 10 instead of by 8,5 to make it dollars.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2018, 07:18:10 AM by Linda_Norway »

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20929 on: October 16, 2018, 06:34:58 AM »
There's a big difference between shopping for glasses you wear in the evenings to read when the light isn't so good or for driving in bad weather and glasses that are on your face every waking second. My prescription is still worsening slightly every eye test, so I assume my glasses are only going to be good for two years no matter what. I start looking at the cheapest frames and work my way up the price brackets til I find something I like well enough for it to be a permanent part of my face. Sometimes that's £40, sometimes that's £240. And I have made the mistake of not spending enough on lenses before.

elliha

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20930 on: October 16, 2018, 08:30:22 AM »
My husband's glasses could easily cost 1100 USD if he went to an upscale store. He wants thinner lenses due to looking better and the glasses not being so heavy. Thankfully he can get them at cheaper stores for around 200-400 USD. I could buy glasses for less than 100 USD if I like since I have a small correction and I can use standard lenses but I tend to buy ones for around 200 as I get so much more for that price when it comes to quality. Many of the cheaper plastic frames will bend easily and the plastic may change colors. I can usually use the same glasses for 3-4 years so I rather pay a little extra and they last for that long then paying less and they only last a year or so. My husband works in a physical job so his glasses usually only last 1-2 years due to wear so he tends to go for the cheaper frames for that reason. When the frames are starting to look crappy he has usually a lot of scratches on the lenses anyway. He does pay for the treatment that makes them a bit more durable but that is not enough. I also cannot wear contacts so we have to suck it up and pay for glasses regularly. I hope that if he gets a more permanent position he might be able to get some kind of work glasses from his employer. He has gotten his own protective glasses now at least that covers the glasses properly but there are so many things he does that may still scratch the glasses and that you cannot use protective glasses while doing.

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20931 on: October 16, 2018, 10:08:31 AM »
My husband's glasses could easily cost 1100 USD if he went to an upscale store. He wants thinner lenses due to looking better and the glasses not being so heavy. Thankfully he can get them at cheaper stores for around 200-400 USD. I could buy glasses for less than 100 USD if I like since I have a small correction and I can use standard lenses but I tend to buy ones for around 200 as I get so much more for that price when it comes to quality. Many of the cheaper plastic frames will bend easily and the plastic may change colors. I can usually use the same glasses for 3-4 years so I rather pay a little extra and they last for that long then paying less and they only last a year or so. My husband works in a physical job so his glasses usually only last 1-2 years due to wear so he tends to go for the cheaper frames for that reason. When the frames are starting to look crappy he has usually a lot of scratches on the lenses anyway. He does pay for the treatment that makes them a bit more durable but that is not enough. I also cannot wear contacts so we have to suck it up and pay for glasses regularly. I hope that if he gets a more permanent position he might be able to get some kind of work glasses from his employer. He has gotten his own protective glasses now at least that covers the glasses properly but there are so many things he does that may still scratch the glasses and that you cannot use protective glasses while doing.
Why not purchase glasses (including protective ones) from 39dollarglasses.com or Zennioptical?  I have used both services.   You don't get premium quality glasses, but getting impact resistant prescription ones for work are VERY nice to have, and cheap enough to replace every year. And safer because you can see out of them better than using the cover.   DH has a prescription around -7 and liked them

faithless

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20932 on: October 16, 2018, 11:57:48 AM »
I tried buying glasses online recently after my prescription changed - a website had a good sale (£19 frames) so I got thinned lenses and fancy frames that looked similar to my current ones (to my eye and with similar measurements).

I told myself it was a £36 gamble that it if went well would save me over £100. But they are far too wide and look silly on me, so I'm not wearing them. I should have not bothered with the sale and got them to post me the non sale sample ones and tried them on at home.

I wear them constantly, and the last pair has lasted me somewhere between 2-3 years, so I think I'll just bite the bullet and pay the £180 for properly fitted, adjusted and comfortable glasses I feel nice in, plus "free" prescription sunglasses.

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20933 on: October 16, 2018, 12:50:15 PM »
I tried buying glasses online recently after my prescription changed - a website had a good sale (£19 frames) so I got thinned lenses and fancy frames that looked similar to my current ones (to my eye and with similar measurements).

I told myself it was a £36 gamble that it if went well would save me over £100. But they are far too wide and look silly on me, so I'm not wearing them. I should have not bothered with the sale and got them to post me the non sale sample ones and tried them on at home.

I wear them constantly, and the last pair has lasted me somewhere between 2-3 years, so I think I'll just bite the bullet and pay the £180 for properly fitted, adjusted and comfortable glasses I feel nice in, plus "free" prescription sunglasses.
Ah, but eliha's husband needs protective eyeware at work and has the problem of the expensive glasses getting scratched.  Buying unflattering ones in those cases is really not a problem.   I have never had truly unflattering ones, either and have bought maybe 8 pairs so far?   We started when 39dollarglasses.com first started years ago.

SunnyDays

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20934 on: October 16, 2018, 01:44:23 PM »
There's a big difference between shopping for glasses you wear in the evenings to read when the light isn't so good or for driving in bad weather and glasses that are on your face every waking second. My prescription is still worsening slightly every eye test, so I assume my glasses are only going to be good for two years no matter what. I start looking at the cheapest frames and work my way up the price brackets til I find something I like well enough for it to be a permanent part of my face. Sometimes that's £40, sometimes that's £240. And I have made the mistake of not spending enough on lenses before.

You know you don't have to get new frames just because you need a new prescription, right?

Rosy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20935 on: October 16, 2018, 02:13:38 PM »
Before I finally had an eye operation (technology was finally at a level to help me:) I always had to get lenses with all the bells and whistles to help me see better, even a 5% improvement for someone who is 16 in one eye and 14 in the other is worth it.
Think bottom of a coke bottle glasses even though I paid extra for "real glass" which can be ground finer/thinner which means you can see better instead of plastic lenses.
No matter if I got them in the US or in Germany the lenses alone were always outrageous - the best I ever got was a deal for two for $1100.

Even the frames are not created equal there were some not suitable to hold such thick glasses, they would have popped out etc.

I spent a fair amount on new glasses after the operation without looking at the price of the frames, because for once in my life I wanted something that was a flattering style, fit well and wonders of all wonders I also got cool prescription sunglasses:) 

Now that my prescription has settled and will not change - I can finally take advantage of a free lens and frame program by a local manufacturer. A huge expense - now totally gone.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20936 on: October 16, 2018, 03:03:56 PM »
There's a big difference between shopping for glasses you wear in the evenings to read when the light isn't so good or for driving in bad weather and glasses that are on your face every waking second. My prescription is still worsening slightly every eye test, so I assume my glasses are only going to be good for two years no matter what. I start looking at the cheapest frames and work my way up the price brackets til I find something I like well enough for it to be a permanent part of my face. Sometimes that's £40, sometimes that's £240. And I have made the mistake of not spending enough on lenses before.

You know you don't have to get new frames just because you need a new prescription, right?
No, but you do need to make sure you have 2 working pairs of glasses.  If you need a new prescription and give them the old frames (I've done that), you'll need a back up pair of glasses in the meantime.

I finally decided to try Costco instead of my spendy lovely eye doctor's office.  My last visit to the eye doc, with insurance, my progressives came out to $600.  So I passed.  Got reading glasses instead.

The following year, new insurance worked at Costco (prior year did not).  Nice glasses (nope, not fancy, plastic frames) with insurance for $75, plus $10 for the exam.  As I expect to need new progressives every 2 years now (approx), Costco is the way to go.

geekette

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20937 on: October 16, 2018, 03:43:44 PM »
Unfortunately, no one but my optometrist’s office can fill my prescription. Once you need both a high prescription and the usual age related near sightedness, you’re sunk. Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s, Zenni, you name it, I called ‘me. They don’t stock.

Mine were still around $500 all in (high index, scratch protect). They’ll last me 4-5 years, so I suck it up and pay. 

pbkmaine

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20938 on: October 17, 2018, 04:29:24 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?

If you are very nearsighted and want high-index lenses so that the edges aren’t super thick, and if you want progressive bifocals on top of that, you can easily spend $1,000.

Feivel2000

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20939 on: October 17, 2018, 05:29:40 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?

If you are very nearsighted and want high-index lenses so that the edges aren’t super thick, and if you want progressive bifocals on top of that, you can easily spend $1,000.

Seriously? Are these US prices? Maxed out glasses start here around 300€. Of course, it's not designed by Porsche, but still...

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20940 on: October 17, 2018, 06:19:51 AM »
Got to talk with a colleague on glasses, which are privately bought in this country. Just some short remarks while we were walking the staircase.

She: I have a headache.
Me: Maybe you need new glasses?
She: I just have new glasses. They cost me a fortune and better be good.
Me: Yes, glasses are way too expensive. Mine cost an outrageous $400! (purchased before becoming Mustachian)
She: Mine cost $1100!

So I thought my glasses were expensive. Obviously it could have been a lot worse...

Wow! How is this possible? What is the feature that makes it expensive?

If you are very nearsighted and want high-index lenses so that the edges aren’t super thick, and if you want progressive bifocals on top of that, you can easily spend $1,000.

Seriously? Are these US prices? Maxed out glasses start here around 300€. Of course, it's not designed by Porsche, but still...

I paid 420€ half a year ago for my current set. That is with the insureance part already deducted.
-7 on both sides, cylinders, not-reflecting and plastic, not glass.

Of course you can have one for zero, just insurance part. But that is ultra-heavy glass with reflections and lots of color disturbance.
No, thanks. It is already bad enough (4,2mm thick on the outside, and they are nearly the smallest that exist. Normal glass would have been 6,X mm and double the weight.)

Feivel2000

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20941 on: October 17, 2018, 06:26:31 AM »
Even 420€ is not "easily $1000".

daveed

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20942 on: October 17, 2018, 06:39:53 AM »
You can get glasses from Zenni for around $20-40. I "splurged" and got the more stylish Warby Parker since I liked being able to go to the store and try them on in person. They still only cost around $100 and I've had them for two years. I get lots of compliments on the glasses.

https://www.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses/men?availability=hto

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20943 on: October 17, 2018, 10:42:07 AM »
You can get glasses from Zenni for around $20-40. I "splurged" and got the more stylish Warby Parker since I liked being able to go to the store and try them on in person. They still only cost around $100 and I've had them for two years. I get lots of compliments on the glasses.

https://www.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses/men?availability=hto

My mother's prescription before surgery was not covered by Zenni, or even by some eye doctors. Her vision is messed up enough that switching eye doctors is a problem, since their competence is not guaranteed. Even now, I don't think that many of the online places could get it right.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20944 on: October 17, 2018, 12:01:28 PM »
My husband's glasses could easily cost 1100 USD if he went to an upscale store. He wants thinner lenses due to looking better and the glasses not being so heavy. Thankfully he can get them at cheaper stores for around 200-400 USD. I could buy glasses for less than 100 USD if I like since I have a small correction and I can use standard lenses but I tend to buy ones for around 200 as I get so much more for that price when it comes to quality. Many of the cheaper plastic frames will bend easily and the plastic may change colors. I can usually use the same glasses for 3-4 years so I rather pay a little extra and they last for that long then paying less and they only last a year or so. My husband works in a physical job so his glasses usually only last 1-2 years due to wear so he tends to go for the cheaper frames for that reason. When the frames are starting to look crappy he has usually a lot of scratches on the lenses anyway. He does pay for the treatment that makes them a bit more durable but that is not enough. I also cannot wear contacts so we have to suck it up and pay for glasses regularly. I hope that if he gets a more permanent position he might be able to get some kind of work glasses from his employer. He has gotten his own protective glasses now at least that covers the glasses properly but there are so many things he does that may still scratch the glasses and that you cannot use protective glasses while doing.
Why not purchase glasses (including protective ones) from 39dollarglasses.com or Zennioptical?  I have used both services.   You don't get premium quality glasses, but getting impact resistant prescription ones for work are VERY nice to have, and cheap enough to replace every year. And safer because you can see out of them better than using the cover.   DH has a prescription around -7 and liked them
Wife tried both you mentioned. $39 is terrible, tons of lens scratches, frame issues. Zenni is just fashionably-looking frames, more form than function. Didn't work for wife's face, not sitting right, etc.
Wife gets good frames locally every 2 years covered by insurance. Or a small copay.

Ever_Anon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20945 on: October 17, 2018, 12:06:18 PM »
Overheard secondhand from my wife's work, as texted to me.

Wife: "Have you added up how much it costs you to buy lunch every day?"
Coworker: "Yes, and it's less than I spend at the grocery store."
Wife: "My sandwich cost less than 50 cents. Your lunch cost $15."
Coworker: "Yeah, but I buy organic stuff."

We've estimated this woman spends roughly the same amount of money on work lunches alone as we spend on all our food combined. That includes restaurant meals, alcohol, and various toiletries/cleaning supplies, (since we tend to pick those up when grocery shopping).

This same woman is apparently not saving much, (if at all), because "there's never anything left over to save." I just can't fathom that level of financial stupidity.

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20946 on: October 17, 2018, 12:53:11 PM »
I'm so glad that the people I now work directly with aren't too bad.  I know that at least two out of the four have some CC debt, but nothing outrageous.  A third is a single guy who makes good money so he's not in debt, but he's not saving more than 5 or 10 percent for retirement.  We have team lunches and stuff, but we've pretty much built up our own little guerrilla kitchen so most of our team lunches consist of going to the grocery store to buy stuff to cook in the office.   


Now, there was a guy here about five years ago.  Whew.  He was a financial trainwreck.  Take someone with a prescription drug problem and add a wife who also has a problem not only with the pills, but also compulsive spending.  Add a dash of fraud, a three-pack-a-day, and a two-energy-drink-a-day habit.  What you end up with is someone who has $10k+ in medical bills (dr. shopping), numerous maxed out CCs, and lots of creditors calling.  He would go so far as to figure out how many miles it was from their house to wherever it was they were going and calculate exactly how much gas they needed to put in the car to get there and that's how much they'd put in.  It was insane.

Warlord1986

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20947 on: October 17, 2018, 02:27:58 PM »
My supervisor said she and her husband have nothing saved for their 10 year old's college fund. But they had that trip to Disney earlier this year, and runs to Starbucks are a priority.

elliha

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20948 on: October 17, 2018, 03:08:32 PM »
My husband's glasses could easily cost 1100 USD if he went to an upscale store. He wants thinner lenses due to looking better and the glasses not being so heavy. Thankfully he can get them at cheaper stores for around 200-400 USD. I could buy glasses for less than 100 USD if I like since I have a small correction and I can use standard lenses but I tend to buy ones for around 200 as I get so much more for that price when it comes to quality. Many of the cheaper plastic frames will bend easily and the plastic may change colors. I can usually use the same glasses for 3-4 years so I rather pay a little extra and they last for that long then paying less and they only last a year or so. My husband works in a physical job so his glasses usually only last 1-2 years due to wear so he tends to go for the cheaper frames for that reason. When the frames are starting to look crappy he has usually a lot of scratches on the lenses anyway. He does pay for the treatment that makes them a bit more durable but that is not enough. I also cannot wear contacts so we have to suck it up and pay for glasses regularly. I hope that if he gets a more permanent position he might be able to get some kind of work glasses from his employer. He has gotten his own protective glasses now at least that covers the glasses properly but there are so many things he does that may still scratch the glasses and that you cannot use protective glasses while doing.
Why not purchase glasses (including protective ones) from 39dollarglasses.com or Zennioptical?  I have used both services.   You don't get premium quality glasses, but getting impact resistant prescription ones for work are VERY nice to have, and cheap enough to replace every year. And safer because you can see out of them better than using the cover.   DH has a prescription around -7 and liked them
Wife tried both you mentioned. $39 is terrible, tons of lens scratches, frame issues. Zenni is just fashionably-looking frames, more form than function. Didn't work for wife's face, not sitting right, etc.
Wife gets good frames locally every 2 years covered by insurance. Or a small copay.

This is what happens even with the glasses he buys now so I don't know if we would even dare to try an even cheaper option.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #20949 on: October 17, 2018, 05:25:53 PM »
Unfortunately, no one but my optometrist’s office can fill my prescription. Once you need both a high prescription and the usual age related near sightedness, you’re sunk. Costco, BJ’s, Sam’s, Zenni, you name it, I called ‘me. They don’t stock.

Mine were still around $500 all in (high index, scratch protect). They’ll last me 4-5 years, so I suck it up and pay.
Goodness, how high is your prescription?  I'm at 5.something (don't remember, 5.5? 5.75?), and I thought that was bad! (plus age related nearsightedness).