Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252923 times)

Megma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8350 on: May 24, 2015, 04:18:52 PM »
I wouldn't put Teflon anywhere near the high heat of a grill (even if I used Teflon at all, which I don't).
Teflon is probably on all the pans you use. 
No, more likely PTFE Polytetrafluorethylen. Teflon is just a brand of this stuff ;)
And they dont like it if you call a pan "has teflon" if it has just PTFE from someone else. That can get expensive if you are a trader.

It's:

"Made of PTFE (PFOA free) 100% Non-stick and Reusable"

I'm not against teflon, but for something like my grill this thing skeeves me out.  However, when my last teflon pan went bad I got some of those new ceramic nonstick pans as a slickdeal.  They seem to be holding up really well.

I've been using the ceramic pans ~2 years and at first they were great (no coating to scratch!) but now the suckers DO NOT come clean. I think mine are actually older than two years because bf bought them at a thrift store probably. If you have better luck, let me know the brand you're using because I loved them for a solid year before having this issue.

Could also be our dishwasher as we moved since then...

bloomability

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8351 on: May 24, 2015, 04:19:11 PM »
"4 out of 60 employees here contribute to their 401(k)."

Part of my job is to review payroll procedures to ensure my clients are automating the process as much as possible. I see a lot more garnishment deductions set up than retirement deductions. It makes me so sad because a lot of people in the industry are working past 70 because they "have to" keep working.

One guy even lamented about how his buddies have all retired and asked him when he's joining them. He seemed so defeated.

Latwell

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8352 on: May 24, 2015, 08:53:36 PM »
well that won't work too well anymore. Who actually gets physical paychecks anymore? Isn't it all direct deposit at this point?

There are still some companies that don't do direct deposit, and I know a few people who refuse to sign up for direct deposit because they prefer getting a check. I've never known a company that forced direct deposit, it's always optional to my knowledge.

New Jersey governmental entities are allowed to implement a direct deposit only policy for the employees. This has been extremely useful for reconciliation purposes and cutting out "lost checks". I audit these entities and a few of our clients have already implemented it. The only time someone receives a check is when they are unusual and infrequent circumstances.

Sometimes there is an individual who doesn't want their spouse to see their paychecks. In those cases, it is suggested the person obtain a personal non-joint bank account so they can hide whatever finances they like from the spouse.

One flaw of direct deposit is when people don't bother looking at the pay stub anymore. If the person receives the same exact net pay every pay, this isn't a big deal. But most people don't get the same pay every pay and they won't notice errors in their pay if they stop looking at the pay stub. However, those people not looking at their pay stubs when recieving direct deposit are probably the same people who didn't pay attention to their paper checks/stubs. (It amazes me when finding errors in people's pay. When pay checks are short, the people are quick to say something, but when they get too much they never make a sound.)

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8353 on: May 25, 2015, 08:24:31 PM »
Today we were notified - by a printed memo left on desks - that there will be changes to payroll, including the day we are paid, and that there will be a couple of odd transactions as we switch to the new cycle.

The memo was badly worded and left several questions unanswered, so I asked my boss if we could meet with the person who wrote the memo and who is in charge of the changeover.

He started assuring me "Oh, they're not taking any of your money, don't worry about it", so I started putting the questions to him.

1. Will this affect superannuation? (He doesn't know.)
2. A different department will be handling our payroll - does that mean leave applications and expenses will also go through that department? (He doesn't know.)
3. Is the new department aware of an existing agreement with staff about CPI increases to our salary? (He doesn't know.)

I find it awkward when I am the only person asking questions about payroll, because colleagues then assume I am broke. No, I just want to know of any payroll changes so I can plan accordingly!

At first I thought I couldn't really contribute to this thread because my colleagues aren't overly spendy. But then I took another look. I work with a guy in his 70s who falls asleep at his desk every afternoon, who is paid for a 38-hour week but drifts into the office between 11.30am and 1.30pm to start work. I work with an incredibly talented woman who started with us after being made redundant from her previous company, who doesn't really want to be here and whose talents would make her a mint as a freelancer and allow her to be at home with her children, but she wasn't prepared for that. I'm the youngest one here (28) and while I'm just starting on this road, I feel like the only one with an exit strategy.

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8354 on: May 26, 2015, 07:46:06 AM »
I wouldn't put Teflon anywhere near the high heat of a grill (even if I used Teflon at all, which I don't).
Teflon is probably on all the pans you use. 
No, more likely PTFE Polytetrafluorethylen. Teflon is just a brand of this stuff ;)
And they dont like it if you call a pan "has teflon" if it has just PTFE from someone else. That can get expensive if you are a trader.

So what's the difference between brand name Teflon and generic PTFE? As far as i'm aware it's made of the same molecules and is indistinguishable.  I think "teflon" and "PTFE" are synonymous for all practical purposes.

Threshkin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8355 on: May 26, 2015, 09:15:22 AM »
I wouldn't put Teflon anywhere near the high heat of a grill (even if I used Teflon at all, which I don't).
Teflon is probably on all the pans you use. 
No, more likely PTFE Polytetrafluorethylen. Teflon is just a brand of this stuff ;)
And they dont like it if you call a pan "has teflon" if it has just PTFE from someone else. That can get expensive if you are a trader.

So what's the difference between brand name Teflon and generic PTFE? As far as i'm aware it's made of the same molecules and is indistinguishable.  I think "teflon" and "PTFE" are synonymous for all practical purposes.

Is it a trademark issue.  It the term is used generically the trademark holder can loose their right to the term, unless they can demonstrate that they have been trying to protect it.

Examples of lost or nearly lost trademarks in the US include Aspirin (lost), Kleenex (nearly lost), Styrofoam (nearly lost), and the Keep on Trucking Guy http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Keep-On-Truckin--the-70s-482814_713_348.jpg by R. Crumb (lost).

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8356 on: May 26, 2015, 09:19:57 AM »
Non-stick pans (of any stripe) aren't safe, according to growing scientific evidence on the larger chemical group (PFAS). Google "the Madrid Statement" or for an example: http://greensciencepolicy.org/madrid-statement/

Plus, I honestly hate cooking on them. I use cast iron skillets for much of my cooking, and used either enameled cast-iron or tri-ply stainless for things like acidic sauces that don't play nice with plain iron.

Seasoned cast iron that's taken care of (don't wash with soap, dry immediately, wipe with oil if necessary) properly is a vastly superior "non-stick" surface, cheaper, and lasts basically forever. It's like the ultimate Mustachian cookware.

Ghzbani

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8357 on: May 26, 2015, 01:52:48 PM »
Not overheard at work, but from a former neighbor, discussing large tax bills and sacrifices:
Neighbor: "It was a really tough year for us, but we really cut our spending, and paid off $10K worth of taxes and furniture loans in that year.  So glad we don't have to live like that anymore!"

They have two mortgages on their home, spent $20K on an extended patio, both buy new SUV's/pickup trucks every other year, still have furniture loans, the works!!!  Annual income is probably about $120K combined.  I get the feeling they think they are good w/their money b/c they put a few hundred/mo in savings.  I know they contribute the 3% required to get the match on the 401K, and no IRA's.
FURNITURE LOANS! Bahahahaha!!!
Wow. I'd rather use crates and piles of clothing as furniture than go into debt for "things that hold my butt".
I did try to finance a couch when I was an idiot 21-yo second lieutenant, and thankfully was denied for shitty credit. Later, I figured out how easy it is to find good used stuff. My current couch was $1200 new, and I bought it years later for $200 from a guy who had put it in a loft and barely used it.
I did let DW talk me into a new bedroom set after she moved in, but only because I had a friend working the store who got us a deep discount. New furniture depreciation is even worse than cars... you often lose 50% or more just hauling it out the door.

I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8358 on: May 26, 2015, 02:10:22 PM »
Not overheard at work, but from a former neighbor, discussing large tax bills and sacrifices:
Neighbor: "It was a really tough year for us, but we really cut our spending, and paid off $10K worth of taxes and furniture loans in that year.  So glad we don't have to live like that anymore!"

They have two mortgages on their home, spent $20K on an extended patio, both buy new SUV's/pickup trucks every other year, still have furniture loans, the works!!!  Annual income is probably about $120K combined.  I get the feeling they think they are good w/their money b/c they put a few hundred/mo in savings.  I know they contribute the 3% required to get the match on the 401K, and no IRA's.
FURNITURE LOANS! Bahahahaha!!!
Wow. I'd rather use crates and piles of clothing as furniture than go into debt for "things that hold my butt".
I did try to finance a couch when I was an idiot 21-yo second lieutenant, and thankfully was denied for shitty credit. Later, I figured out how easy it is to find good used stuff. My current couch was $1200 new, and I bought it years later for $200 from a guy who had put it in a loft and barely used it.
I did let DW talk me into a new bedroom set after she moved in, but only because I had a friend working the store who got us a deep discount. New furniture depreciation is even worse than cars... you often lose 50% or more just hauling it out the door.

I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.

Yeah, or find someone that's moving. A friend of mine's fiance is moving into her place in a week and posted pictures of his stuff saying, "Free to anyone that comes by to pick it up or else we will toss it to the curb." So I went and got a perfectly nice and comfy love seater that fits perfectly in my room.

Ghzbani

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8359 on: May 26, 2015, 02:31:26 PM »
Different kind of crazy: I had a co-worker who inherited a condo in NYC, plus a bunch of money.  I mean millions of dollars.  She worked this miserable job and always working extra OT.  One day I went to borrow a pen from her and what did i see in her drawer?  Probably $40,000 worth of uncashed paychecks.  She said she was "saving them for a rainy day".  Far as I know, she died saving for a rainy day.  Good frugality IQ, terrible quality of life filter.

Uhm, Is that allowed? I was under the impression that checks went bad after a specific time, ("stale" I think is the word our payroll uses). Additionally, I know alot of companies set up specific accounts to do paychecks out of. Won't there be a delay when she tries to cash those all at once since the bank will probably want to double-check with the issuer due to their size and age?

Kind of defeats the point of a rainy-day fund if she has to wait for the checks to clear, doesn't it?

This is actually the most common form of saving for blue collar workers.  Can't spend what isn't in your bank account (or more accurately what you haven't already cashed in at the check cashing store).  Stick a few paychecks under the mattress and then bust them out at Christmas to pay for your shipping / vacation.
Source: Corporate Treasury Management course in college

How does a Payroll department deal with it though? If a check goes bad in 180 days or whatever and you wait too long, will you be able to access the money? Will you be able to access it quickly (as is the point of a rainy day fund)? Or worst case scenario, what if you leave the company/the company folds?

It just seems incredibly dangerous.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8360 on: May 27, 2015, 10:02:49 AM »
Non-stick pans (of any stripe) aren't safe, according to growing scientific evidence on the larger chemical group (PFAS). Google "the Madrid Statement" or for an example: http://greensciencepolicy.org/madrid-statement/

Plus, I honestly hate cooking on them. I use cast iron skillets for much of my cooking, and used either enameled cast-iron or tri-ply stainless for things like acidic sauces that don't play nice with plain iron.

Seasoned cast iron that's taken care of (don't wash with soap, dry immediately, wipe with oil if necessary) properly is a vastly superior "non-stick" surface, cheaper, and lasts basically forever. It's like the ultimate Mustachian cookware.

Does that include so called "ceramic" nonstick?  They say PFOA or PTFE, but perhaps they still use some PF? 

Anyways, I don't believe that seasoned cast iron is safe.  If has a chemical coating as well, but you make it yourself out of a homemade varnish.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8361 on: May 27, 2015, 10:07:47 AM »
A co-worker has no money because she's terrible with money. Recently she bought a $300k house, and then took a loan from her 401k to pay for new shutters ($4500), a fence, and a blackspalsh.

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8362 on: May 27, 2015, 11:59:47 AM »
I wouldn't put Teflon anywhere near the high heat of a grill (even if I used Teflon at all, which I don't).
Teflon is probably on all the pans you use. 
No, more likely PTFE Polytetrafluorethylen. Teflon is just a brand of this stuff ;)
And they dont like it if you call a pan "has teflon" if it has just PTFE from someone else. That can get expensive if you are a trader.

So what's the difference between brand name Teflon and generic PTFE? As far as i'm aware it's made of the same molecules and is indistinguishable.  I think "teflon" and "PTFE" are synonymous for all practical purposes.

Is it a trademark issue.  It the term is used generically the trademark holder can loose their right to the term, unless they can demonstrate that they have been trying to protect it.

Examples of lost or nearly lost trademarks in the US include Aspirin (lost), Kleenex (nearly lost), Styrofoam (nearly lost), and the Keep on Trucking Guy http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Keep-On-Truckin--the-70s-482814_713_348.jpg by R. Crumb (lost).

Yes it's a trademark issue (hence being a brand name), but it is chemically indistinguishable.  I use the term teflon because nearly everyone knows what it is, but most people aren't aware of the chemical structure.  It's much easy to just say "teflon" than it is to say "it's PTFE, chemically the exact same thing as teflon, but not actually name brand teflon" and have everyone know exactly what i'm talking about.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8363 on: May 27, 2015, 12:05:55 PM »
I know - way, way behind but I'll catch up eventually.

Early on in my current job I went on a few business trips and we were supposed to DOUBLE UP IN THE BEDS! Uh - no. Thanks though. Don't want to know my coworkers that well. I barely want to share a room with them. Sure enough several coworkers doubled up and made due several times until - perhaps - b/c I put my foot down and said no thanks.

Later I found out that the lead employee had messed up our travel budget and was trying to make up for the travel cost by simply not having enough rooms/beds for everyone.

The money is there for everyone to have their own room or at least bed if it is spent carefully. Maybe someone different should be managing the money?

Who knows what this fellow's personal finances are like - maybe there is a reason he's frequently trying to borrow stuff from coworkers like tools. Uh - you make more than we do by a fair amount - visit the "Made in China" tool store and buy your own. He's a very ego driven guy - his things are a very important part of his image.

Now when we do one of these trips I travel with a sleeping bag just in case or I question the bunking arrangements ahead of time. I don't mind taking to the floor is necessary or sleeping on the fold out bed. I'm no prude but no bed sharing - thanks.

Since then the lead employee has found himself travelling long distances by vehicle by himself b/c nobody wants to go on these trips with him. Associated problems include random tantrums about piddly stuff. And everything is supposed to be okay a short time later. Like it never happened.

I've heard someone suggest that he is is a micromanager who doesn't get to manage anything b/c we are all so well practiced at what we do (engineering) that we are one or two steps ahead of him at all times.

It is otherwise a great place to work. I just try to keep my assignments separate from this fellow's.

I would certainly assume that if my employer requests me to take a further drug test due to a false positive, I wouldn't see the bill. The drug test is solely for the employer's benefit. I've never heard of people having to pay for their own - this could be a "stingy employer - get out!" warning sign. (Similar to the employers that make you share rooms with other employees on business trips, the stingy employer that will go outside socially acceptable boundaries to save a buck is certainly not going to pay you what you are worth, as they are looking to keep every expense as low as possible.)

Tallgirl1204

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8364 on: May 27, 2015, 12:44:11 PM »
I know - way, way behind but I'll catch up eventually.

Early on in my current job I went on a few business trips and we were supposed to DOUBLE UP IN THE BEDS! Uh - no. Thanks though. Don't want to know my coworkers that well. I barely want to share a room with them. Sure enough several coworkers doubled up and made due several times until - perhaps - b/c I put my foot down and said no thanks.

Later I found out that the lead employee had messed up our travel budget and was trying to make up for the travel cost by simply not having enough rooms/beds for everyone.

The money is there for everyone to have their own room or at least bed if it is spent carefully. Maybe someone different should be managing the money?

Who knows what this fellow's personal finances are like - maybe there is a reason he's frequently trying to borrow stuff from coworkers like tools. Uh - you make more than we do by a fair amount - visit the "Made in China" tool store and buy your own. He's a very ego driven guy - his things are a very important part of his image.

Now when we do one of these trips I travel with a sleeping bag just in case or I question the bunking arrangements ahead of time. I don't mind taking to the floor is necessary or sleeping on the fold out bed. I'm no prude but no bed sharing - thanks.

Since then the lead employee has found himself travelling long distances by vehicle by himself b/c nobody wants to go on these trips with him. Associated problems include random tantrums about piddly stuff. And everything is supposed to be okay a short time later. Like it never happened.

I've heard someone suggest that he is is a micromanager who doesn't get to manage anything b/c we are all so well practiced at what we do (engineering) that we are one or two steps ahead of him at all times.

It is otherwise a great place to work. I just try to keep my assignments separate from this fellow's.

I would certainly assume that if my employer requests me to take a further drug test due to a false positive, I wouldn't see the bill. The drug test is solely for the employer's benefit. I've never heard of people having to pay for their own - this could be a "stingy employer - get out!" warning sign. (Similar to the employers that make you share rooms with other employees on business trips, the stingy employer that will go outside socially acceptable boundaries to save a buck is certainly not going to pay you what you are worth, as they are looking to keep every expense as low as possible.)

Well... this was back in the day...  my (engineer) dad's job sent him to a very industrialized city to work on a project that had huge time pressure associated with it.  My dad was expected to "hot bunk" in a hotel room with a guy who was on the opposite shift from him.  i.e., sleeping in the SAME BED but at different times.  For six weeks.  This arrangement did not last long before the employees rebelled (at least, I recall it that way).  And when my dad got back from the trip, it was not long before he found a new job. 

This all said, we are working on hiring a contractor for work we are doing in a remote location.  The only sleeping accomodations are really rustic, and include twin beds in shared bedrooms.  It's that, or drive about three hours a day round trip to a hotel.  It will be interesting to see how the bids come in. 

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8365 on: May 27, 2015, 01:20:50 PM »
I know - way, way behind but I'll catch up eventually.

Early on in my current job I went on a few business trips and we were supposed to DOUBLE UP IN THE BEDS! Uh - no. Thanks though. Don't want to know my coworkers that well. I barely want to share a room with them. Sure enough several coworkers doubled up and made due several times until - perhaps - b/c I put my foot down and said no thanks.

Later I found out that the lead employee had messed up our travel budget and was trying to make up for the travel cost by simply not having enough rooms/beds for everyone.

The money is there for everyone to have their own room or at least bed if it is spent carefully. Maybe someone different should be managing the money?

Who knows what this fellow's personal finances are like - maybe there is a reason he's frequently trying to borrow stuff from coworkers like tools. Uh - you make more than we do by a fair amount - visit the "Made in China" tool store and buy your own. He's a very ego driven guy - his things are a very important part of his image.

Now when we do one of these trips I travel with a sleeping bag just in case or I question the bunking arrangements ahead of time. I don't mind taking to the floor is necessary or sleeping on the fold out bed. I'm no prude but no bed sharing - thanks.

Since then the lead employee has found himself travelling long distances by vehicle by himself b/c nobody wants to go on these trips with him. Associated problems include random tantrums about piddly stuff. And everything is supposed to be okay a short time later. Like it never happened.

I've heard someone suggest that he is is a micromanager who doesn't get to manage anything b/c we are all so well practiced at what we do (engineering) that we are one or two steps ahead of him at all times.

It is otherwise a great place to work. I just try to keep my assignments separate from this fellow's.

I would certainly assume that if my employer requests me to take a further drug test due to a false positive, I wouldn't see the bill. The drug test is solely for the employer's benefit. I've never heard of people having to pay for their own - this could be a "stingy employer - get out!" warning sign. (Similar to the employers that make you share rooms with other employees on business trips, the stingy employer that will go outside socially acceptable boundaries to save a buck is certainly not going to pay you what you are worth, as they are looking to keep every expense as low as possible.)
This seems crazy for engineering!  I mean, I went to a conference once, and a coworker decided to go last minute.  So I agreed to share my room, and she called ahead and got my single changed to a double (2 beds).  That was fine, except she slept like the dead and her alarm on her phone didn't wake her up.

When my husband was in grad school, it was common to send a few grad students to a conference and make them share a room because grad school budgets aren't huge.  Not a big deal really.  But the other prof in my spouse's lab had one woman in his lab, and he wanted to have her share a room with two guys.

Now, me personally?  I wouldn't care.  Bunch of 20-somethings, and hey, I was in the Navy.  So if it had been my husband (it wasn't), I would have figured it was fine - they change clothes in the bathroom right?  One of the other wives FREAKED OUT.  Couldn't believe I didn't care.  I mean, the grad student is a friend of mine!  I trust her!  (and my husband).  Maybe it didn't help that she was 6' tall, blond, and from Yugoslavia. 

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8366 on: May 27, 2015, 01:45:10 PM »
Oh, are we talking about cast iron master race things? Because we are now.

Regardless of the safety of your various non-stick pans, they just plain suck. Fuck em!

Cast iron, stainless steel carbon steel, that's where it's at. Ceramic is fine too; some pans are cast iron - ceramic. I don't use them because they stain. I only use cast iron and stainless steel.

Let's see. Cheap as fuck to buy cast iron. $20 gets you a lodge pan, and lodge is good old american quality. No, it's not wagner or griswold, the surface isn't machined, but apart from that, no complaints. Each $20 pan or $30 pot lives pretty much forever; it may well outlive you and me. Very little care required. Can be used on any cooking surface under the sun, and maybe on the sun's surface too, if the radiation don't kill ya. (Okay, no, 6000K will probably melt cast iron, and the 2000000K of the corona through which you have to pass first definitely will.) Makes food taste great. Oh, and if you're anemic, it solves that by putting iron in your food. Buy it for life and spend nearly nothing on it? Yes, please.

Stainless steel is good too. Especially if it has aluminum or copper inside for heat distribution. Pricey, though!

Aushin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8367 on: May 27, 2015, 02:02:42 PM »

But you are missing out on saving the bacon grease for cooking other tasty delights (like has browns)!
Yummy! But, I too love to grill and haven't heard of the Teflon mats (I use a charcoal grill, no grease traps, just flare ups if you are not careful)

I cooked the hashbrowns and eggs in the bacon grease right after I cooked the bacon. Once it drips through the grill to the trap it's all nasty, rusty, black and unusable though. 

These are the grill mats I bought: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDNEM8K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They were $6.99 when I purchased them a few weeks ago.

How do you grill an egg?

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8368 on: May 27, 2015, 02:07:51 PM »

But you are missing out on saving the bacon grease for cooking other tasty delights (like has browns)!
Yummy! But, I too love to grill and haven't heard of the Teflon mats (I use a charcoal grill, no grease traps, just flare ups if you are not careful)

I cooked the hashbrowns and eggs in the bacon grease right after I cooked the bacon. Once it drips through the grill to the trap it's all nasty, rusty, black and unusable though. 

These are the grill mats I bought: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KDNEM8K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They were $6.99 when I purchased them a few weeks ago.

How do you grill an egg?

On a teflon mat.  The mat covers the grill grating giving you a flat surface to grill on.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8369 on: May 27, 2015, 02:25:15 PM »
When my husband was in grad school, it was common to send a few grad students to a conference and make them share a room because grad school budgets aren't huge.  Not a big deal really.  But the other prof in my spouse's lab had one woman in his lab, and he wanted to have her share a room with two guys.

Now, me personally?  I wouldn't care.  Bunch of 20-somethings, and hey, I was in the Navy.  So if it had been my husband (it wasn't), I would have figured it was fine - they change clothes in the bathroom right?  One of the other wives FREAKED OUT.  Couldn't believe I didn't care.  I mean, the grad student is a friend of mine!  I trust her!  (and my husband).  Maybe it didn't help that she was 6' tall, blond, and from Yugoslavia.

I'm surprised the school would allow this. Requiring a woman room with 2 men can open them to a lot of liability.

(I'm like you though- I trust my husband. Most of his friends in grad school were very attractive women.  He always had to share rooms with other men though.)

My company has never suggested room sharing. I think that is way different than students- usually students suggested it because their grants were so small.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8370 on: May 27, 2015, 03:19:23 PM »
I'm trying to piece together the puzzle of a client's books and prior year tax return and I get this in response:

"I needed to show a lot of income on the tax return so that we could qualify for a bigger house."

I'm dying here... W... T... F.

chicagomeg

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8371 on: May 27, 2015, 03:23:05 PM »
Non-stick pans (of any stripe) aren't safe, according to growing scientific evidence on the larger chemical group (PFAS). Google "the Madrid Statement" or for an example: http://greensciencepolicy.org/madrid-statement/

Plus, I honestly hate cooking on them. I use cast iron skillets for much of my cooking, and used either enameled cast-iron or tri-ply stainless for things like acidic sauces that don't play nice with plain iron.

Seasoned cast iron that's taken care of (don't wash with soap, dry immediately, wipe with oil if necessary) properly is a vastly superior "non-stick" surface, cheaper, and lasts basically forever. It's like the ultimate Mustachian cookware.

Does that include so called "ceramic" nonstick?  They say PFOA or PTFE, but perhaps they still use some PF? 

Anyways, I don't believe that seasoned cast iron is safe.  If has a chemical coating as well, but you make it yourself out of a homemade varnish.

I grew up in the town where Teflon was made and now have to have medical monitoring for the rest of my life for a range of conditions due to the water pollution they caused. So I will stick to my cast iron and stainless steel. The only "chemical varnish" is one made of cooking oil and heat. Seems less likely to cause cancer.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8372 on: May 27, 2015, 04:29:10 PM »
I'm trying to piece together the puzzle of a client's books and prior year tax return and I get this in response:

"I needed to show a lot of income on the tax return so that we could qualify for a bigger house."

I'm dying here... W... T... F.

Oh my god...

What do you consider your professional responsibility here?  Do you tell them...? Or do you just back slowly away?

Cpa Cat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8373 on: May 27, 2015, 04:46:48 PM »
Oh my god...

What do you consider your professional responsibility here?  Do you tell them...? Or do you just back slowly away?

If it's a tax return that I'm preparing, I don't truck with that. I tell them I can't sign a tax return I know is incorrect. If I prepared it and it's already submitted and I find out they misled me, then I'll tell them to amend and frankly would probably dump them as a client. I don't usually assume my clients know what they're doing, so I can usually detect garbage bookkeeping prior to filing - unless they were deliberately obfuscating.

In this case, where I didn't prepare it and am arriving on the scene after the fact - my professional responsibility is to inform them that they should amend their return. But that's it. I'm actually not allowed to do much more than that.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8374 on: May 27, 2015, 07:09:00 PM »
Regardless of the safety of your various non-stick pans, they just plain suck. Fuck em!
Boosting cast iron, slamming non-stick AND gratuitous swearing? I think you're my spirit sibling.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8375 on: May 27, 2015, 08:03:15 PM »
Colleague always complaining about cost of living for a family of 4, got a $1000 gift card from the boss (basically for doing awesome ass licking job but let's not go there).
Would he use the gift card on something to help said cost of living ?
.... Bought a $1299 drone (http://store.apple.com/au/product/HH6N2X/A/parrot-bebop-drone-with-skycontroller?afid=p238%7CyX4ztpSR-dc_mtid_18707vxu38484_pcrid_57987149086_&cid=aos-au-kwg-pla-btb )for his 6 years old daughter ...

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8376 on: May 27, 2015, 08:40:29 PM »
(It amazes me when finding errors in people's pay. When pay checks are short, the people are quick to say something, but when they get too much they never make a sound.)

Just for the record, I received a paycheck that was 10 times the correct amount when my employer switched to a new payroll system some years ago.

And I went straight to accounting to get it sorted out.

I still have a photo-copy of that check somewhere.   I figured I would never see another $36,000 paycheck for half a month's work again in my lifetime.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8377 on: May 27, 2015, 08:46:23 PM »
In high school I interned at an aquarium. The department I worked in did these week-long educational outreach trips and I tagged along on one. There was a certain budget for hotels and since the week I went we were all female, we reasoned that we could afford a nicer hotel if we all stayed in one room rather than getting two (3 of us total). But I think it would have been a little weird if we'd been required to share. 

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8378 on: May 28, 2015, 07:58:03 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

theadvicist

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8379 on: May 28, 2015, 08:02:14 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".

greenmimama

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8380 on: May 28, 2015, 08:05:44 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".

Just like Sears, they are a bank disguised as a big box store. Many others like them, they make more off of their financing than everything else they sell combined.

fb132

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8381 on: May 28, 2015, 08:05:55 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".
Well he is right, samething with car salesmen, they are not selling a car, they sell finance.

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8382 on: May 28, 2015, 08:11:04 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".
Well he is right, samething with car salesmen, they are not selling a car, they sell finance.

Well.... sort of.  In the same way that McDonald's isn't a burger company, but is a real estate company.

The underlying product still needs to be something people want, and you still have to sell it to them.  You just may make a lot of your money a different way than the product.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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Sam E

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8383 on: May 28, 2015, 08:12:02 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

I've actually made use of these types of credit lines before in order to make my budget run a bit more smoothly and keep from emptying out my bank account for something so expensive, but only when I was 100% guaranteed to pay it off well before the 0% period expired. Most people don't make those kinds of plans, though, so the companies make a killing offering attractive grace periods to people who think "0% interest and no minimum payment for 6 months" means "You don't have to start paying anything back until 6 months from now."

fb132

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8384 on: May 28, 2015, 08:13:35 AM »
I knew you could finance furniture but I've never actually heard of anybody doing it. Most of ours comes from college dumpsters. You'd be surprised what kids throw away after Finals Week.
As with many industries, financing is a key strategy for increasing sales in a cash-poor society. 0% for 6 months, 12 months, or more is common, and is prominently featured in advertising. You can even rent-to-own, which makes credit cards look like a smart play by comparison.

Yep, I know a guy who owns a furniture business. He once told me, in all seriousness, "I don't sell furniture, I sell finance".
Well he is right, samething with car salesmen, they are not selling a car, they sell finance.

Well.... sort of.  In the same way that McDonald's isn't a burger company, but is a real estate company.

The underlying product still needs to be something people want, and you still have to sell it to them.  You just may make a lot of your money a different way than the product.
True, but the almighty dollar wins, so the salesmen would prefer to sell a car on someone who is broke than someone who wants to pay it cash. Not sure if it's true, but I read somewhere that when someone buys a car in cash, the profit margin is very low (under 10%).

zephyr911

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8385 on: May 28, 2015, 08:21:16 AM »
I've actually made use of these types of credit lines before in order to make my budget run a bit more smoothly and keep from emptying out my bank account for something so expensive, but only when I was 100% guaranteed to pay it off well before the 0% period expired. Most people don't make those kinds of plans, though, so the companies make a killing offering attractive grace periods to people who think "0% interest and no minimum payment for 6 months" means "You don't have to start paying anything back until 6 months from now."
Hell, I do it all the time. I have $16K parked on a 1-year, $0-fee, 0%-APR cash advance right now for a solar array that goes in next week. The system has a projected ROI of 7-8% and will be paid off or rolled into my mortgage before the promo expires.
If you use cheap credit to increase investments and better your long-term outcome, it's a great tool. If you use it to dig yourself deeper into debt buying things you can't afford, it's an anchor around the necks of the drowning. Unfortunately, such deals only exist because most people are in the latter category. IOW, the house wins on average, because the game wouldn't exist if it didn't.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8386 on: May 28, 2015, 09:35:08 AM »
CW 1: I found a great old truck for sale.
CW 2: Sounds like a real gas hog.
CW 1: It's not about the gas.

I just hope he meant that he's buying it to fix up and then sell to someone else to pay to drive it.

This is very unusual, fortunately. Everyone else at my work is very mustachian. Everyone packs lunches and the bike rack outside is full every day.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8387 on: May 28, 2015, 09:48:38 AM »
Regardless of the safety of your various non-stick pans, they just plain suck. Fuck em!
Boosting cast iron, slamming non-stick AND gratuitous swearing? I think you're my spirit sibling.
I super tried to live without non-stick.  Managed for about 6 months.  But I just couldn't live without the occasional pan of fried potatoes, and my cast iron doesn't work too great for that.

Plus my cast iron griddle looks like it's chipping?

Anyway.

Vorpal

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8388 on: May 28, 2015, 09:53:47 AM »
CW 1: I found a great old truck for sale.
CW 2: Sounds like a real gas hog.
CW 1: It's not about the gas.

I just hope he meant that he's buying it to fix up and then sell to someone else to pay to drive it.

This is very unusual, fortunately. Everyone else at my work is very mustachian. Everyone packs lunches and the bike rack outside is full every day.

Maybe it's a classic truck. Then it truly isn't about the gas, because it likely won't be a daily driver.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8389 on: May 28, 2015, 09:53:56 AM »
(It amazes me when finding errors in people's pay. When pay checks are short, the people are quick to say something, but when they get too much they never make a sound.)

Just for the record, I received a paycheck that was 10 times the correct amount when my employer switched to a new payroll system some years ago.

And I went straight to accounting to get it sorted out.

I still have a photo-copy of that check somewhere.   I figured I would never see another $36,000 paycheck for half a month's work again in my lifetime.
When I was first in the Navy, I lived in DC.  You get a lot of VHA in DC.  I didn't *quite* understand the whole VHA thing - but when it was explained to me, it was explained as "they add your BAQ and max VHA.  If your rent is above that, you keep it.  If your rent is below that, you keep half the difference."  So my rent was less because I rented a cold room in a dank basement. I went to my Milpers office and told them that I thought I was being overpaid.  They said "oh no, they are just trying to max out your VHA."

Okay, I was a dumb ensign.

Anyway, 9 months later I am transferred to my schooling in Pittsburgh.  THAT'S when they look at my info and realize they have been overpaying me - sum total to date has been $900 (you know, that was a lot in 1992, my rent was $308.33).  We agreed that they would take $150 out per month for 6 months.  We took care of the first month in DC.

Well, Pittsburgh milpers didn't get the memo.  My very first paycheck?  $0.00.  Good thing that I had savings, and got a tax refund.

jba302

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8390 on: May 28, 2015, 10:18:39 AM »
I work with a girl that recently married into money (she was far from poor but now is very wealthy).
She crashed her car last week, a $70k German coupe. It was completely her fault though the damage was relatively minor (scuffed and dented door and wing).  There's only maybe $2k damage.

She is trying to convince her new husband to buy her a $160k range rover (trading in her car without getting it repaired) because she doesn't feel safe in her car any more.

Quote
completely her fault

Quote
she doesn't feel safe in her car any more.

Quote
completely her fault


dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8391 on: May 28, 2015, 10:47:20 AM »
Non-stick pans (of any stripe) aren't safe, according to growing scientific evidence on the larger chemical group (PFAS). Google "the Madrid Statement" or for an example: http://greensciencepolicy.org/madrid-statement/

Plus, I honestly hate cooking on them. I use cast iron skillets for much of my cooking, and used either enameled cast-iron or tri-ply stainless for things like acidic sauces that don't play nice with plain iron.

Seasoned cast iron that's taken care of (don't wash with soap, dry immediately, wipe with oil if necessary) properly is a vastly superior "non-stick" surface, cheaper, and lasts basically forever. It's like the ultimate Mustachian cookware.

Does that include so called "ceramic" nonstick?  They say PFOA or PTFE, but perhaps they still use some PF? 

Anyways, I don't believe that seasoned cast iron is safe.  If has a chemical coating as well, but you make it yourself out of a homemade varnish.

I grew up in the town where Teflon was made and now have to have medical monitoring for the rest of my life for a range of conditions due to the water pollution they caused. So I will stick to my cast iron and stainless steel. The only "chemical varnish" is one made of cooking oil and heat. Seems less likely to cause cancer.

Yeah, I know a guy who used to work near an old coal mine -- died of lung cancer.  That's why I don't use electricity.

ash7962

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8392 on: May 28, 2015, 11:14:26 AM »
Ok I have a fun story from work, but its not overheard since (sorry).  I work for a very small company (30 people), and I arrange a 401k frontload situation with the guy who does payroll (a lawyer, not an accountant).  We make it so I'm still contributing an amount from my regular paychecks to receive the full match, and I'm told I won't receive a match on the 401k front load.  Its all well and good until I get my bonus paystub and see I was matched a seemingly random amount.  We go back and forth for about a month where he's trying to tell me how he calculated it but his calculations don't match my numbers.  Finally he tells me that he matched me based on the percentage of the max 401k contributions.  Meaning he did (my frontload/18,000) = x%, and the x% was applied to the max match I could receive based on my salary.  I then tell him that my paychecks are still getting matched for the max amount, and if that continues then in May they will have over matched me.  He tells me that he will stop matching my 401k contributions when I reach the max match.  At this point I stop trying to figure out his reasoning behind this method, and just decide to audit all my paystubs to make sure I am receiving the correct match.  Not a super crazy story, but sometimes I still scratch my head and wonder why he came up with this random 401k match payment plan.  It makes 0 sense to me.

In summary: payroll guy says my frontloaded 401k contribution won't be matched which turns out to be a lie.  He matches 401k frontload by an arbitrary amount, can't explain to me why it was done that way, and then matches less than half my paycheck contributions throughout the year.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8393 on: May 28, 2015, 11:36:25 AM »
Oh my god...

What do you consider your professional responsibility here?  Do you tell them...? Or do you just back slowly away?

If it's a tax return that I'm preparing, I don't truck with that. I tell them I can't sign a tax return I know is incorrect. If I prepared it and it's already submitted and I find out they misled me, then I'll tell them to amend and frankly would probably dump them as a client. I don't usually assume my clients know what they're doing, so I can usually detect garbage bookkeeping prior to filing - unless they were deliberately obfuscating.

In this case, where I didn't prepare it and am arriving on the scene after the fact - my professional responsibility is to inform them that they should amend their return. But that's it. I'm actually not allowed to do much more than that.

I do find it amusing that they INFLATED their income. Completely the opposite of what most people do.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8394 on: May 28, 2015, 12:29:47 PM »
Regardless of the safety of your various non-stick pans, they just plain suck. Fuck em!
Boosting cast iron, slamming non-stick AND gratuitous swearing? I think you're my spirit sibling.
I super tried to live without non-stick.  Managed for about 6 months.  But I just couldn't live without the occasional pan of fried potatoes, and my cast iron doesn't work too great for that.

Plus my cast iron griddle looks like it's chipping?

Anyway.

Cast irons make the best fried potatoes. What'd you do???

And how'd you chip the bloody thing? (Seriously though, was it a pan from lodge? Because if so, go email 'em and they'll probably refund you. Lodge stuff doesn't really break, or at least it shouldn't.) Also, when you say griddle... there are a lot of things that fall under the category, I am wondering what exactly you're using (mostly because I am trying to figure out how your fried potatoes don't rock!)

Cpa Cat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8395 on: May 28, 2015, 12:40:52 PM »
I do find it amusing that they INFLATED their income. Completely the opposite of what most people do.

I was pretty tempted to respond with, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you lived in OPPOSITE LAND!"

Actually, that Jackie Chan picture posted above is a pretty good representation of what really happened to me.

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8396 on: May 28, 2015, 01:04:56 PM »
Someone bought a brand new car because the battery in their current car (2 years old, I think) needed replaced.
What is this I don't even

I just replaced the battery in my 18 year old car.  And that battery was four years old.

My battery in my daily driver has consistently lasted 6+ years. Don't know if it is the brand or where I live. I will say I cheaped out and bought a discount battery from one of the national FLAPS (friendly local auto parts store) for our other car and it lasted only about two or three years. Was still under partial warranty but still why does one brand last so long while the other lasts such a short time.

Had a coworker making less than $10 an hour years ago that replaced a whole car over a thermostat (~$10 part). She came to work driving her new brand X car. Nice thing. I asked her what happened to the old car - sometimes I've fallen into some deals by buying the old car outright just b/c they don't want to deal with selling the old car*.

She reported that the car was not warming up very well and the temp was fluctuating high and low and the fuel economy was down a little. The local brand X dealer mechanic told her that she needed a new engine (!!!) and she thought it was better just to buy a new car. Not a used car, but a new car. And a much nicer car than the old car which was more or less in the middle of the product range. I was silently very angry with that dealer b/c they lied to her and she couldn't afford it.

At first I wanted to teach her about what they had done to her and then knowing how some folks get hostile about their decisions being questioned - I decided to let that conversational dog just sleep. All the reasons poor people stay poor boggles my mind.

Have bought several cars for cheap b/c people were sending them to the crusher b/c they didn't want to fix them. One friend bought one for $50 that he later sold to me for $150. He drove it 3 years, and I drove it for 18 months and traded it for a project car that needed less than $75 of TLC before I resold it for $850 or $900. Intercepted a little GM S-10 p/u going to the crusher b/c the engine was junk the owner was assured by a mechanic. The engine was just full of sludge b/c it was never serviced regularly as he was supposed to do. Changed the oil a couple of times over the 250 miles of my ownership and literally hosed out the interior with a garden hose. It was a rolling trash can with that much trash in it. Scrubbed the carpets and seat with a tire brush and it looked GOOD. Unintentionally sold it within a day or so to a friend who needed a little truck b/c his own engine was toast. Over the course of a year or so I guess - he changed the oil and filter frequently and managed to resurrect that engine. It is still a good daily driver today for him years later. My windfall went to pay down a child dental expense that happened about the same time.

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8397 on: May 28, 2015, 01:08:56 PM »
Someone bought a brand new car because the battery in their current car (2 years old, I think) needed replaced.
What is this I don't even

I just replaced the battery in my 18 year old car.  And that battery was four years old.

Someone bought a brand new car because the battery in their current car (2 years old, I think) needed replaced.
What is this I don't even

I just replaced the battery in my 18 year old car.  And that battery was four years old.

My battery in my daily driver has consistently lasted 6+ years. Don't know if it is the brand or where I live. I will say I cheaped out and bought a discount battery from one of the national FLAPS (friendly local auto parts store) for our other car and it lasted only about two or three years. Was still under partial warranty but still why does one brand last so long while the other lasts such a short time.

Had a coworker making less than $10 an hour years ago that replaced a whole car over a thermostat (~$10 part). She came to work driving her new brand X car. Nice thing. I asked her what happened to the old car - sometimes I've fallen into some deals by buying the old car outright just b/c they don't want to deal with selling the old car*.

She reported that the car was not warming up very well and the temp was fluctuating high and low and the fuel economy was down a little. The local brand X dealer mechanic told her that she needed a new engine (!!!) and she thought it was better just to buy a new car. Not a used car, but a new car. And a much nicer car than the old car which was more or less in the middle of the product range. I was silently very angry with that dealer b/c they lied to her and she couldn't afford it.

At first I wanted to teach her about what they had done to her and then knowing how some folks get hostile about their decisions being questioned - I decided to let that conversational dog just sleep. All the reasons poor people stay poor boggles my mind.

hernandz

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8398 on: May 28, 2015, 01:13:12 PM »

How does a Payroll department deal with it though? If a check goes bad in 180 days or whatever and you wait too long, will you be able to access the money? Will you be able to access it quickly (as is the point of a rainy day fund)? Or worst case scenario, what if you leave the company/the company folds?

It just seems incredibly dangerous.

Every state has a department that "holds onto" the money represented by those uncashed paychecks and other types of dormant accounts, known as unclaimed property.

As a person who has always lived in New York, I was able to get an $2,000 insurance reimbursement check that I had somehow lost and never deposited. New York helpfully has a registry you can search online, and then fill out a form with more of your details to prove you are entitled to the money.  Many states put out advertisements in a local paper about dormant accounts.  While there are 3rd parties that will search and claim on your behalf, that's not a very Mustachian way to go. 

Papa Mustache

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #8399 on: May 28, 2015, 02:05:56 PM »
*Back to normal voice* Btw that really disgusts me that she is both complaining about voluntarily spending huge sums of cash and at the same time clearly bragging about it...blecchhh.

Witnessed a coworker doing that bragging thing about his sportscar and his big boy toys one day to a second coworker.

Employee one makes six digits. Employee two makes about $30K and works multiple jobs.

That was the day that I felt I had seen the true colors of employee 1 for the first time.