Overheard at Work

[dsmexpat]

My colleagues are paid only in commission on sales and are exposed to potential chargebacks if there are early cancellations. Naturally their pay varies from week to week with outlying weeks where they make a fortune and others where they're left owing. My response to that scenario would be to work out roughly what I make on average and then bank the good weeks to cover for the bad. The strategy chiefly employed here seems to be to splurge and treat yourself (and others who are having bad weeks) to lunches, presents and general consumables when you make a good cheque ("If I could make these every time they my annual takehome would be.... hold on... wow I don't even have that many fingers, a very high number. Better increase my spending to compensate.") and to rely on colleagues and request that I manipulate forwards chargebacks into future pay periods on the bad weeks.

Not hating, my colleagues are all lovely, but after the first few times you would think they'd learn to anticipate this happening. I help them out by manipulating payroll dates as much as I can, with their consent of course, but unless I started withholding and rationing their pay there is only so much I can do.

Oh, and my favourite quote after an appointment with a potential client decided to cancel.

"Better that he cancels on you now than having him fund and taking the chance that he cancels after you've already spent the commission"

That's right, it's better to not get paid than to get paid with a chance that you'll have to pay it back because obviously you'll have spent that money by then.

[Torran]

Our office is held hostage to the eternal round of birthday/leaving presents. It feels like every second week we all have to chip in to pay for an extravagant present for someone.

The latest one was a birthday - I contributed a fiver, assuming most people contributed at least the same, they would have raised over £100 for the present.

The ladies in charge of the kitty went ahead and spent it all on a designer bracelet.

I mean, I'm sure the colleague loves her birthday bracelet.

But that was a very efficient way to collect and then waste £100. ARRGH. If only I was brave enough to call bullshit on this whole thing!!

[vivophoenix]

Our office is held hostage to the eternal round of birthday/leaving presents. It feels like every second week we all have to chip in to pay for an extravagant present for someone.

The latest one was a birthday - I contributed a fiver, assuming most people contributed at least the same, they would have raised over £100 for the present.

The ladies in charge of the kitty went ahead and spent it all on a designer bracelet.

I mean, I'm sure the colleague loves her birthday bracelet.

But that was a very efficient way to collect and then waste £100. ARRGH. If only I was brave enough to call bullshit on this whole thing!!

i find it strange when people give money away, then gripe about how it was spent.

so do you only support certain gifts, or is it the amount?

so you have two options stop giving money and buy something yourself. or just stop giving money.

[zataks]

Got one that finally isn't poking fun at people (I always feel bad for the way so many of my CWs spend!)

CW: You and your wife must be saving tons every month!  You can't buy an Xbox without feeling bad!
Me: I didn't feel THAT bad about buying my PS4.
CW: Seriously, I hope you just buy something totally awesome and don't say anything and show up one day with it.
Me: I'm just going to never come to work again!
CW: !! Well, just call me and let me know.

Really wanted to say I'm buying my freedom everyday worked but didn't want to have to explain that one.

[dividendman]

Our office is held hostage to the eternal round of birthday/leaving presents. It feels like every second week we all have to chip in to pay for an extravagant present for someone.

The latest one was a birthday - I contributed a fiver, assuming most people contributed at least the same, they would have raised over £100 for the present.

The ladies in charge of the kitty went ahead and spent it all on a designer bracelet.

I mean, I'm sure the colleague loves her birthday bracelet.

But that was a very efficient way to collect and then waste £100. ARRGH. If only I was brave enough to call bullshit on this whole thing!!

i find it strange when people give money away, then gripe about how it was spent.

so do you only support certain gifts, or is it the amount?

so you have two options stop giving money and buy something yourself. or just stop giving money.

Office gifts are the most annoying thing ever. People know enough not to ask me now. I actually don't even go to the stupid little "celebrations" where there is cake and crap so I'm not seen to be mooching or anything, even if it's company sponsored.

The worst part is that it's not like anyone here are paid very low and giving them a gift could really help them out. We all make > 100k a year. If anyone wants anything they already go and buy it! These people just add useless crap on top.

My go-to line when someone asks is "Oh, can they not afford item X?" then hilarity/awkwardness ensues.

[Torran]

Our office is held hostage to the eternal round of birthday/leaving presents. It feels like every second week we all have to chip in to pay for an extravagant present for someone.

The latest one was a birthday - I contributed a fiver, assuming most people contributed at least the same, they would have raised over £100 for the present.

The ladies in charge of the kitty went ahead and spent it all on a designer bracelet.

I mean, I'm sure the colleague loves her birthday bracelet.

But that was a very efficient way to collect and then waste £100. ARRGH. If only I was brave enough to call bullshit on this whole thing!!

i find it strange when people give money away, then gripe about how it was spent.

so do you only support certain gifts, or is it the amount?

so you have two options stop giving money and buy something yourself. or just stop giving money.

Yeah, well that's why I said at the end that it's my fault really for not being brave enough to call bullshit on this whole thing. I.e I know it's a load of rubbish but damn, rather than standing up to them I still give them money.

[infogoon]

"I count on our bonus to pay off the credit card bills I rack up the rest of the year."

Uh, bonuses aren't guaranteed. That's probably not a great plan.

[catmustache]

Almost had a nervous breakdown when I heard "I just need to work for 10 more years so that we can count on the maximum amount of social security." I can't imagine working this job for 20 years without wanting to crack my skull open on a cubicle.

[catmustache]

To clarify, this was immediately after a conversation about how much the job itself was terrible.

[dycker1978]

Not my work, but a story that my So shared about her workplace last night.

There is a gentleman, that is in charge of the business finances, and has a finance degree.  I know, I know enough said right...

Finance guy - Well, there is no point in saving for retirement, it is just a waste of money.
SO - Oh?  How do you propose to quite working, and enjoy your life some day?
Finance guy - Well, that is what the government is for.  They will take care of me when I get older and need to be taken care of.
SO, to me - this is the guy that is supposed to be making sure the business I work at is finically viable... maybe I need to speed up FIRE.

In Canada max CPP is $1065/month
                        Old age security max - $565

That is $1630 a month.

This guy rents a condo, average rent for a two bedroom condo in Regina is(according to goolge) - $1564 - I could not find rates on a three bedroom, which is what he has.

Total savings = 0...   Good luck.

[zephyr911]

Not my work, but a story that my So shared about her workplace last night.

There is a gentleman, that is in charge of the business finances, and has a finance degree.  I know, I know enough said right...

Finance guy - Well, there is no point in saving for retirement, it is just a waste of money.
SO - Oh?  How do you propose to quite working, and enjoy your life some day?
Finance guy - Well, that is what the government is for.  They will take care of me when I get older and need to be taken care of.
SO, to me - this is the guy that is supposed to be making sure the business I work at is finically viable... maybe I need to speed up FIRE.

In Canada max CPP is $1065/month
                        Old age security max - $565

That is $1630 a month.

This guy rents a condo, average rent for a two bedroom condo in Regina is(according to goolge) - $1564 - I could not find rates on a three bedroom, which is what he has.

Total savings = 0...   Good luck.

Can anyone here tell me what the fuck they actually teach in finance classes? Aside from like, fucking math, which I would assume people already know?
All these anecdotes in the AMWOSAC about financially retarded financial advisors are giving me a really distorted view of things. I'd hate to think the only skill imparted by the degree is fleecing people of their hard-earned cash by sounding smart with obscure fiscal jargon, so you can do even dumber shit with that money after stealing it.

[Sibley]

Not my work, but a story that my So shared about her workplace last night.

There is a gentleman, that is in charge of the business finances, and has a finance degree.  I know, I know enough said right...

Finance guy - Well, there is no point in saving for retirement, it is just a waste of money.
SO - Oh?  How do you propose to quite working, and enjoy your life some day?
Finance guy - Well, that is what the government is for.  They will take care of me when I get older and need to be taken care of.
SO, to me - this is the guy that is supposed to be making sure the business I work at is finically viable... maybe I need to speed up FIRE.

In Canada max CPP is $1065/month
                        Old age security max - $565

That is $1630 a month.

This guy rents a condo, average rent for a two bedroom condo in Regina is(according to goolge) - $1564 - I could not find rates on a three bedroom, which is what he has.

Total savings = 0...   Good luck.

Can anyone here tell me what the fuck they actually teach in finance classes? Aside from like, fucking math, which I would assume people already know?
All these anecdotes in the AMWOSAC about financially retarded financial advisors are giving me a really distorted view of things. I'd hate to think the only skill imparted by the degree is fleecing people of their hard-earned cash by sounding smart with obscure fiscal jargon, so you can do even dumber shit with that money after stealing it.

I was an accounting major and took a couple of finance classes. They didn't cover things like personal finance.

[RyanAtTanagra]

Can anyone here tell me what the fuck they actually teach in finance classes?

Have an accounting degree, not finance, but we did have to take some finance classes.  All we learned was how to read financial statements of a company and what the different ratios mean like Current Ratio and Dividend Yield.  Unfortunately not much of it translated directly into personal finance, or at least the correlations were never discussed, as that wasn't the point of the classes.

[Middlesbrough]

Not my work, but a story that my So shared about her workplace last night.

There is a gentleman, that is in charge of the business finances, and has a finance degree.  I know, I know enough said right...

Finance guy - Well, there is no point in saving for retirement, it is just a waste of money.
SO - Oh?  How do you propose to quite working, and enjoy your life some day?
Finance guy - Well, that is what the government is for.  They will take care of me when I get older and need to be taken care of.
SO, to me - this is the guy that is supposed to be making sure the business I work at is finically viable... maybe I need to speed up FIRE.

In Canada max CPP is $1065/month
                        Old age security max - $565

That is $1630 a month.

This guy rents a condo, average rent for a two bedroom condo in Regina is(according to goolge) - $1564 - I could not find rates on a three bedroom, which is what he has.

Total savings = 0...   Good luck.

Can anyone here tell me what the fuck they actually teach in finance classes? Aside from like, fucking math, which I would assume people already know?
All these anecdotes in the AMWOSAC about financially retarded financial advisors are giving me a really distorted view of things. I'd hate to think the only skill imparted by the degree is fleecing people of their hard-earned cash by sounding smart with obscure fiscal jargon, so you can do even dumber shit with that money after stealing it.

I was an accounting major and took a couple of finance classes. They didn't cover things like personal finance.

Anecdotal evidence seems to be showing this...

[Luck12]

All these anecdotes in the AMWOSAC about financially retarded financial advisors are giving me a really distorted view of things. I'd hate to think the only skill imparted by the degree is fleecing people of their hard-earned cash by sounding smart with obscure fiscal jargon, so you can do even dumber shit with that money after stealing it.

Not distorted, but the truth.  I majored in mathematical finance and I would say a good 80% of people in my program are outright assholes and wouldn't think twice about fleecing money from clients.    I of course was in the 20% :) 

[zephyr911]

Can anyone here tell me what the fuck they actually teach in finance classes?

Have an accounting degree, not finance, but we did have to take some finance classes.  All we learned was how to read financial statements of a company and what the different ratios mean like Current Ratio and Dividend Yield.  Unfortunately not much of it translated directly into personal finance, or at least the correlations were never discussed, as that wasn't the point of the classes.

It seems like the correlation should be pretty self-evident, though. If you're trained to analyze the effectiveness of a business in terms of its cash flow and current holdings, it can't be that much of a leap to look at your own accounts and optimize the results. It's like when I studied physics and realized its applications in sports, driving cars, building houses, you name it - it just came naturally.

I get that business finance != personal finance, but it's weird to me that people with no financial training of any kind would do better than trained advisors. Look at me - I'm not even a good Mustachian - my list of ongoing dumb shit is too long to post - but I will probably achieve FIRE a decade from my personal ground zero, and that's counting three years of half-assed floundering where I nearly bottomed out again. And I know nothing beyond what I've read on the internet and figured out from trial and error.

Eh, I dunno. I guess it may be less about knowledge and more about orientation/motivation. If they assume they can earn six figures for as long as they want, it may just seem that none of this stuff we do is important enough to be worth a thought, let alone actual effort.

[Candace]

A long time ago I worked at a startup company with a pretty decent percentage of smart people. Oddly, the company paid us on the final day of a two week pay period, instead of two weeks later, which was the standard at the time. That was weird because they had to get the paychecks ready before they actually knew if we had worked the whole two weeks.

At some point, the company wanted to switch from paying people on the final day of the same pay period to paying two weeks later. Management realized this would cause a two-week gap in peoples' cash flow, so they decided to extend everyone an interest-free loan in the amount of one paycheck, that they would receive when they would normally have received their paycheck on the day we'd be missing one. The loan wouldn't have to be paid back until the employee left the company. Sort of a replacement paycheck that you could keep until you left. Before the change, if someone left, they immediately stopped getting paid at the end of the current period. After the change, they'd still get one more paycheck after the current period ended.

So the company was basically making the change smooth and transparent to the employees while giving them a slightly nicely advantaged chunk of money to use at no cost for as long as they stayed employed there.

Whoa. You should have seen peoples' reactions. Several people just could not understand what was going on, and although this company treated us all very well (there were only seventeen of us and we all knew each other), they had a knee-jerk reaction of distrust. I remember sitting in a conference room with everyone, exasperated with how silly some people were being and trying to keep my mouth shut. Even after examples were laid out in front of them showing that "before" and "after" were equivalent, they insisted that the owner was trying to short them somehow. I was in my mid-20's. That was a big lesson for me in how arithmetic-challenged many people are.

[ILoveMyBlondeStache]

A conversation between me and a co-worker today:

CW:  Cute TOMS!! I haven't seen those yet!
sidenote: (Toms are a brand of shoes that are out of my preferred price range, but I like the style and bought this particular pair for $9.90 total on clearance)
Me:  Oh, thanks! They're not Toms though, I got them at *local department store*
CW: What brand are they?
Me: I don't remember, but they were only $10 on clearance.
CW: (pointing down to her shoes, which are actual Toms) Oh wow! These were like $100! Well, probably $89, but with shipping.
Me:  ...blink blink......awkward silence...

 These shoes are literally a piece of foam, some cute fabric, and some elastic stitched together. The $10 price I paid makes sense to me, but how can they actually charge $100 for them!? I was actually speechless. I had nothing to offer her...at all. 

[I'm a red panda]

Well Toms does do the one for one thing, so you are paying for two pairs of shoes.

I don't know what brand you got, but most cheap brands are made in factories that don't necessarily pay living wages, and I know Toms is very particular about who manufacturers their shoes because of their mission, so that likely adds costs too.

The standard style is also only $60 (the boots are $89) and shipping (from them) is free over $25.
Not a price I pay for shoes, but really not outrageous for two pairs ethically sourced.

[MgoSam]

Well Toms does do the one for one thing, so you are paying for two pairs of shoes.

I don't know what brand you got, but most cheap brands are made in factories that don't necessarily pay living wages, and I know Toms is very particular about who manufacturers their shoes because of their mission, so that likely adds costs too.

The standard style is also only $60 (the boots are $89) and shipping (from them) is free over $25.
Not a price I pay for shoes, but really not outrageous for two pairs ethically sourced.

I don't know as much about Toms, but I am starting to see the light in paying for good quality shoes. Growing up I always got whatever was on clearance at Kohl's that fit and felt comfortable, but of course it didn't take long for them to not be as comfortable. I'm now tempted to start shopping at higher end places cause I spend a lot of time on my feet and as a runner, I do want to take care of my feet.

[Geostache]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

[solon]

CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.

Sounds like it has something stuck in the hose!

[trailrated]

Well Toms does do the one for one thing, so you are paying for two pairs of shoes.

I don't know what brand you got, but most cheap brands are made in factories that don't necessarily pay living wages, and I know Toms is very particular about who manufacturers their shoes because of their mission, so that likely adds costs too.

The standard style is also only $60 (the boots are $89) and shipping (from them) is free over $25.
Not a price I pay for shoes, but really not outrageous for two pairs ethically sourced.

I just got a pair of $275 Redwing boots, luckily the company I work for gave me a voucher for $250 so I paid $25. The last pair I got lasted me over two years till I finally wore a hole in the side. I keep them at home for yardwork now (I work 6 days a week) They are steel toed and waterproof, they oil them for you for free and you get replacement laces for life. In my industry it is all about function not fashion and they are so comfortable. Worth the $25 easy. If I had to pay the whole thing out of pocket I most likely would as well.

[lostamonkey]

A coworker just admitted to spending $600 on utilities per month. And he said it in an indifferent tone, as if it's something everyone does.

[galliver]

Well Toms does do the one for one thing, so you are paying for two pairs of shoes.

I don't know what brand you got, but most cheap brands are made in factories that don't necessarily pay living wages, and I know Toms is very particular about who manufacturers their shoes because of their mission, so that likely adds costs too.

The standard style is also only $60 (the boots are $89) and shipping (from them) is free over $25.
Not a price I pay for shoes, but really not outrageous for two pairs ethically sourced.

TOMS  buy-one-give-one model has incurred a fair amount of criticism, but it looks like they are working on some aspects of that criticism...still, not sure it's enough.
http://www.whydev.org/some-bad-news-about-toms-shoes/
http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-10-08/toms-shoes-rethinks-its-buy-one-give-one-model-helping-needy

[johnny847]

A coworker just admitted to spending $600 on utilities per month. And he said it in an indifferent tone, as if it's something everyone does.

WTF. His utilites are more than my rent + utilites - I just signed a sublease contract for a place that's $500 for rent + utilties. Now granted, it's a 2 bedroom unit so I have a roommate, but still that's ridiculous.

[johnny847]

A long time ago I worked at a startup company with a pretty decent percentage of smart people. Oddly, the company paid us on the final day of a two week pay period, instead of two weeks later, which was the standard at the time. That was weird because they had to get the paychecks ready before they actually knew if we had worked the whole two weeks.

At some point, the company wanted to switch from paying people on the final day of the same pay period to paying two weeks later. Management realized this would cause a two-week gap in peoples' cash flow, so they decided to extend everyone an interest-free loan in the amount of one paycheck, that they would receive when they would normally have received their paycheck on the day we'd be missing one. The loan wouldn't have to be paid back until the employee left the company. Sort of a replacement paycheck that you could keep until you left. Before the change, if someone left, they immediately stopped getting paid at the end of the current period. After the change, they'd still get one more paycheck after the current period ended.

So the company was basically making the change smooth and transparent to the employees while giving them a slightly nicely advantaged chunk of money to use at no cost for as long as they stayed employed there.

Whoa. You should have seen peoples' reactions. Several people just could not understand what was going on, and although this company treated us all very well (there were only seventeen of us and we all knew each other), they had a knee-jerk reaction of distrust. I remember sitting in a conference room with everyone, exasperated with how silly some people were being and trying to keep my mouth shut. Even after examples were laid out in front of them showing that "before" and "after" were equivalent, they insisted that the owner was trying to short them somehow. I was in my mid-20's. That was a big lesson for me in how arithmetic-challenged many people are.

I probably would not have been able to hold my tongue at that point.

It really bothers me that it's okay in this country to say proudly "I've always been bad at math." Why is this acceptable?? Ugh.

[Adventure Chick]

A girl I know shows off her new hair extensions and mentions that they are "only $350" (this girl makes maybe $24k AUD/year at most). They came out really nice but it's a "shame they'll only last for like a month" before they have to be replaced.

She mentions that she lives in a $1200/month apartment to SHARE -- so she and her boyfriend are only renting a room total and bills are not included in this.

Anyways, Monday she tells me she is really stressed because she only has $135 total to her name ("but at least I don't have student loans like you do!")

Today she and her boyfriend are having lunch with me and they both talk about the idea of going bowling tonight and having a few drinks afterward. They both pull out their phones and check their bank accounts, finding that they have about $90 total combined. YES. $90. The girl says, "sweet we have enough to go bowling -- it's like $50." And the guy says, "then I'll even have some money left over to fill up the gas tank!"

I mentioned that this sounds freaking stressful.

The girl says, "well at least I don't have student loans..."

Aye, that's true. But I sense a financial fiasco in the future.

[LennStar]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

I have a Cheapo China one that cost 30€ (normal price) for about 15 years now.
Of course its only used once per week for about 30m² if you deduct all places where something stands.

[Cookie78]

A girl I know shows off her new hair extensions and mentions that they are "only $350" (this girl makes maybe $24k AUD/year at most). They came out really nice but it's a "shame they'll only last for like a month" before they have to be replaced.

She mentions that she lives in a $1200/month apartment to SHARE -- so she and her boyfriend are only renting a room total and bills are not included in this.

Anyways, Monday she tells me she is really stressed because she only has $135 total to her name ("but at least I don't have student loans like you do!")

Today she and her boyfriend are having lunch with me and they both talk about the idea of going bowling tonight and having a few drinks afterward. They both pull out their phones and check their bank accounts, finding that they have about $90 total combined. YES. $90. The girl says, "sweet we have enough to go bowling -- it's like $50." And the guy says, "then I'll even have some money left over to fill up the gas tank!"

I mentioned that this sounds freaking stressful.

The girl says, "well at least I don't have student loans..."

Aye, that's true. But I sense a financial fiasco in the future.

Crazy
I feel like this must be like watching a movie where you know the train bridge is out up ahead, but the passengers on the train have no idea.

[greenmimama]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

I agree it was dumb not to get it fixed, even just to sell it again, but $63 for a new Vacuum is most likely close to what she would have paid for the repair costs, even if it was super simple, they charge for the appt. My last repair was $119, but the handle had to be replaced, I did get it refunded, because I argued (nicely) that the company should still be covering the handle.

[ender]

I agree it was dumb not to get it fixed, even just to sell it again, but $63 for a new Vacuum is most likely close to what she would have paid for the repair costs, even if it was super simple, they charge for the appt. My last repair was $119, but the handle had to be replaced, I did get it refunded, because I argued (nicely) that the company should still be covering the handle.

A surprisingly large number of companies are open to reimbursement/replacement if you call and act cordial or reasonable.

[Geostache]

I agree it was dumb not to get it fixed, even just to sell it again, but $63 for a new Vacuum is most likely close to what she would have paid for the repair costs, even if it was super simple, they charge for the appt. My last repair was $119, but the handle had to be replaced, I did get it refunded, because I argued (nicely) that the company should still be covering the handle.

A surprisingly large number of companies are open to reimbursement/replacement if you call and act cordial or reasonable.

Right? I suppose I balked more at the idea that she was going to throw out her perfectly-fixable, not-that-old vacuum. I actually thought about asking her for her old one, so my lazy arse wouldn't have to drag my heavy machine up and down the three floors in my house! If it was going to the landfill anyway, what's the harm? DH and I are handy and could likely fix the machine for a $10 or $20 part.

[Edit: added part about fixing it ourselves]

[horsepoor]

I agree it was dumb not to get it fixed, even just to sell it again, but $63 for a new Vacuum is most likely close to what she would have paid for the repair costs, even if it was super simple, they charge for the appt. My last repair was $119, but the handle had to be replaced, I did get it refunded, because I argued (nicely) that the company should still be covering the handle.

A surprisingly large number of companies are open to reimbursement/replacement if you call and act cordial or reasonable.

I wouldn't be surprised if it just needs to have the beater bar and belts taken apart and cleaned or something simple like that.

Right? I suppose I balked more at the idea that she was going to throw out her perfectly-fixable, not-that-old vacuum. I actually thought about asking her for her old one, so my lazy arse wouldn't have to drag my heavy machine up and down the three floors in my house! If it was going to the landfill anyway, what's the harm? DH and I are handy and could likely fix the machine for a $10 or $20 part.

[Edit: added part about fixing it ourselves]

[Moonwaves]

... and you get replacement laces for life.

Excellent service. I once had a pair of hiking boots that lasted for about three years but they had a hook-type thing rather than an eye at the very top and the trouble was that it had quite a sharp edge and wore down laces really, really quickly. After the second year I realised I had already spent more on laces than I had for the boots in the first place. I was very glad when the soles starting going and rather than get them resoled, I found a new pair. Which don't have the same problem.

[Melody]

A girl I know shows off her new hair extensions and mentions that they are "only $350" (this girl makes maybe $24k AUD/year at most). They came out really nice but it's a "shame they'll only last for like a month" before they have to be replaced.

She mentions that she lives in a $1200/month apartment to SHARE -- so she and her boyfriend are only renting a room total and bills are not included in this.

Anyways, Monday she tells me she is really stressed because she only has $135 total to her name ("but at least I don't have student loans like you do!")

Today she and her boyfriend are having lunch with me and they both talk about the idea of going bowling tonight and having a few drinks afterward. They both pull out their phones and check their bank accounts, finding that they have about $90 total combined. YES. $90. The girl says, "sweet we have enough to go bowling -- it's like $50." And the guy says, "then I'll even have some money left over to fill up the gas tank!"

I mentioned that this sounds freaking stressful.

The girl says, "well at least I don't have student loans..."

Aye, that's true. But I sense a financial fiasco in the future.

I'm guessing she also doesn't have a degree?
Best $23K I ever spent!!! Paid for itself many times over. Pre degree salary ($30K inc super), current $120K. I might be at $50-60k now without the degree. Payback period on my investment was less than 2 years (moving from $30K to 50K just by getting the degree) and it keeps giving back every year, and I'm only 4 years out. A sensibly sized student loan for a degree with solid employment prospects is generally not a bad idea. A $100k drama degree very well might be unless you become the next drew barrymore.

[eyePod]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

Take it for free, repair it (or get it repaired), and re-sell it on craigslist!

[Gen Y Finance Journey]

A $100k drama degree very well might be unless you become the next drew barrymore.

Well to become the next Drew Barrymore, first you'd have to born into a family that already has a legacy in Hollywood and get cast in your first major motion picture before you're 10 years old. No degree needed. ;)

[Melody]

Ha ha ha cheers. Can you tell I don't follow pop culture much!!!

[Primm]

Ha ha! Sorry for scaring everyone! I didn't realise it was on a different day across the pond.

I do have another funny thing to share from work, though, to make up for it.

We all know what FU means here, but at work it means 'follow up'. So we have FU letters, FU meetings, FU dates... all the time! And it makes me giggle every single time. I can't be the only one who haas this!

It has the same meaning at my work. We have two clinics as well, one for long term follow up, and one for short term... yep, STFU.

And the local university changed it's name a few years back to Federation University. The kids love walking around in sweatshirts with FU on them. :)

[LennStar]

A $100k drama degree very well might be unless you become the next drew barrymore.

Well to become the next Drew Barrymore, first you'd have to born into a family that already has a legacy in Hollywood and get cast in your first major motion picture before you're 10 years old. No degree needed. ;)

That also works for CEO positions or political ambitions. It just helps if people on the same "hight" of job already did know you wjhen you were small and cute :D

[zephyr911]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

Point of order:
There's consumerist sucka, and then there's functional shit that takes a beating and still delivers. I got tired of struggling with cheap hand-me-down vaccums and spent ~$300 on a refurb Dyson, which still sucks like a pro after 4 years. The dog hair it's processed could clothe an army. Thus, I consider this no more wasteful than my commercial-grade mop bucket, or my DeWalt tools, all of which are like new (functionally) after at least that long. If any of them broke, I'd fix them - because they're quality tools built to last, which makes them worth fixing. Not so much with the things I used to have.
In your CW's case, the merits of fixing vs. replacing would depend on the original equipment. If they actually got something better that will require less maintenance in the long run, and for only $63, then bravo. Now all they need to do is figure out a way to cash out any remaining value in that old one....

[eyePod]

It seems like most of my CW are semi-Mustachians (is that a thing), in that they all drive older model cars and bring their lunches to work. However, the few anti-Mustachians more than make up for it:

CW: What kind of vacuum cleaner do you have?
Me: I have a Dyson (bought before I discovered MMM and was a consumerist sucka). Why? Are you looking for a new vacuum?
CW: Yes. Mine isn't that old, but it's making a really weird and loud noise when I use it.
Me: Why don't you look for a vacuum machine repair shop? There's bound to be one in your area.
CW: I hadn't thought of that, that's a good idea!

Fast forward a few weeks. I had remembered to ask a follow up about the vacuum:

Me: Did you ever find a vacuum repair shop?
CW: No, I had my eye on this one vacuum cleaner. I found it at (discount box store) on a discount, and I had a coupon. I wound up getting the $300 vaccum for $63.00! I don't know what I'm going to do with my old one, though.

Granted, that is a good discount. But chances are the repair on her two-ish year old vacuum would likely have been less than she paid for the new vacuum.

Point of order:
There's consumerist sucka, and then there's functional shit that takes a beating and still delivers. I got tired of struggling with cheap hand-me-down vaccums and spent ~$300 on a refurb Dyson, which still sucks like a pro after 4 years. The dog hair it's processed could clothe an army. Thus, I consider this no more wasteful than my commercial-grade mop bucket, or my DeWalt tools, all of which are like new (functionally) after at least that long. If any of them broke, I'd fix them - because they're quality tools built to last, which makes them worth fixing. Not so much with the things I used to have.
In your CW's case, the merits of fixing vs. replacing would depend on the original equipment. If they actually got something better that will require less maintenance in the long run, and for only $63, then bravo. Now all they need to do is figure out a way to cash out any remaining value in that old one....

Can't agree more. We have a refurbished dyson (bought from Woot) and I think I'm going to get a Mielhe next time...

[hernandz]

My 10-year old Dyson still going strong.  I just ordered a new hose, and I have an extra filter.  Really love that it's so easy to order parts for it, and I can take so much of it apart without tools.

[dragoncar]

My 10-year old Dyson still going strong.  I just ordered a new hose, and I have an extra filter.  Really love that it's so easy to order parts for it, and I can take so much of it apart without tools.

I also have a 10+ year Dyson.  But I'm lazy so that's not saying too much.  The problem with anecdotes like this is we have no idea if current models will last so long!

[galliver]

I totally apologize for continuing the vacuum-related foam:

We got an Electrolux stick/hand vac combo for our laminate floored 1BR. It. Is. The. Best. Because you can grab it from the charger anytime and clean up any dusty corner or rug, any small mess, any scary spider you find hiding in your tupperware. Probably wouldn't work for a big, carpeted place all on its own, but it definitely encourages regular upkeep!

[forummm]

"A million dollars really isn't that much money anymore."

[RyanAtTanagra]

"A million dollars really isn't that much money anymore."

Every once in a while a handful of us will do a lotto pool.  We were playing a smaller one, around 40mil.  The payout after taxes would have been about 3mil each.

CW: Yea that's not that much, it's not like it'd be enough to stop working
Me: That would be $120k/yr forever
CW: Exactly, so you'd have to keep working
Me: O_o

[johnny847]

"A million dollars really isn't that much money anymore."

Every once in a while a handful of us will do a lotto pool.  We were playing a smaller one, around 40mil.  The payout after taxes would have been about 3mil each.

CW: Yea that's not that much, it's not like it'd be enough to stop working
Me: That would be $120k/yr forever
CW: Exactly, so you'd have to keep working
Me: O_o

I can't even. Barring paying for multiple kids' tuitions at expensive private universities in full (and even that should be only for four years per kid), how the fuck can somebody spend that much in a year?
I doubt I could spend that much even if I tried.

[KingGeorgeHarrison]

Friend the other day attempted to argue that $12m was not enough to retire on. How can people be so financially illiterate? We spend at least 40 hours and more likely 50+ hours per week devoted to earning this money and to be so willy-nilly with it is baffling.