Overheard at Work

[johnny847]

I do my best to trim quotes if I'm on my computer, but it's a PITA on mobile and I don't usually do it then.

As for the subscription options, you can certainly turn off email notifications, but you cannot remove a thread from the "show new replies to your posts" section unless you have not been quoted and you go delete every single post you've made on the thread.

Thank you for this info! Off to delete my post in "Say hi and introduce yourself!"

(And I agree, snipping quotes on an ipad is next to impossible to do correctly and in a reasonable timeframe. I guess I should look into tapatalk or whatever it's called.)

Not unless I go quote you first!

Haha. Jk.

[cheapass]

Good one at work yesterday.

CW: "man, the handle snapped off of our kitchen sink faucet this weekend so we have to use pliers to turn it on and off"
Me: "Oh that's no big deal, you can pick up a new handle for a few bucks at the hardware store"
CW: "Well my wife decided we need a whole new sink so we're going that route"

Can't waste a good opportunity to spend money!

[Playing with Fire UK]

I guess I should look into tapatalk or whatever it's called.

If you do, make sure to leave the 'sent on my iPad via tapatalk' message on. That can rile up the people who would otherwise be concerned about your untrimmed quotes.

[theadvicist]

Not unless I go quote you first!

Haha. Jk.

Ha ha, that would have been pretty funny! Seriously Johnny, this knowledge has changed my life for the better. Deleted my post and now it's not in my 'unreadreplies' every single time I go there. Thank you.

Also, LOL at replacing the whole sink because of a bad tap.

Our kettle clicks off too soon, but if you jiggle it on the base it comes on again and works fine. BIL used it, and in immense frustration (disproportionate to simply having to jiggle a magic jug which boils water in seconds, the likes of which Napoleon could only have dreamt of) said, "For f8cks sake, just buy a new kettle!".

The joke is we actually have a 'spare' kettle in the loft that someone gave us as a wedding gift, just waiting for this one to give out on us. I guess we just don't consider a kettle that still produces water at a perfect 100 degrees C to be 'broken'.

[cheapass]

Also, LOL at replacing the whole sink because of a bad tap.

It is astounding how quickly people default to BUY A NEW ONE instead of FUCKIN' FIX IT. Saw a post on Facebook of a friend who just bought a new car, financed. In the comments they had mentioned "yeah, it adds to our monthly expenses but the old one was making a weird noise." Omg, not a noise! It's inoperable, doc!

[Papa Mustache]

Oh I've mentioned some small issue with one of our well-aged cars and gotten a lecture about why we need to just replace the whole vehicle outright. I mean it's a $20 fix I can do myself when I have the time. Not a show stopper that will leave us on the side of the road. Its not the beginning of the end or anything.

[johnny847]

Not unless I go quote you first!

Haha. Jk.

Ha ha, that would have been pretty funny! Seriously Johnny, this knowledge has changed my life for the better. Deleted my post and now it's not in my 'unreadreplies' every single time I go there. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Now if only the people who made the forum software could make it possible for us to remove threads from the show new replies section at will....


And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

[cheapass]

And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

One of my coworkers is getting a payout from Volkswagen (like $5K) because he has one of the TDI cars affected by the emissions scandal. He said a lot of his friends keep asking him "What are you going to buy??" "VTSAX. That's what I'm going to buy."

[runningthroughFIRE]

Not unless I go quote you first!

Haha. Jk.

Ha ha, that would have been pretty funny! Seriously Johnny, this knowledge has changed my life for the better. Deleted my post and now it's not in my 'unreadreplies' every single time I go there. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Now if only the people who made the forum software could make it possible for us to remove threads from the show new replies section at will....


And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

I get that with my 2002 grand am.  The bumper's cracked and the hood is slightly dented from when a truck driver forgot how mirrors work while parallel parking.  I keep getting told to just replace the car, or at least get a new bumper.  The car works just fine, the bumper isn't coming off, and the dent doesn't prevent me from opening/closing the hood.

[bludreamin]

And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

This made me laugh out loud as I'm getting the same comments on my '02 corolla. I unfortunately don't have the grad student excuse... I'm an enviro engineer with 5+ years experience and most people keep asking me when I'll replace it... I always tell them the same thing - when the rust wins (most likely) or it starts becoming unreliable (not likely with less than 110k miles)

[johnny847]

And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

This made me laugh out loud as I'm getting the same comments on my '02 corolla. I unfortunately don't have the grad student excuse... I'm an enviro engineer with 5+ years experience and most people keep asking me when I'll replace it... I always tell them the same thing - when the rust wins (most likely) or it starts becoming unreliable (not likely with less than 110k miles)

Nice. I've got 96k miles on mine. I plan on keeping for years to come.

[MrMoogle]

Not unless I go quote you first!

Haha. Jk.

Ha ha, that would have been pretty funny! Seriously Johnny, this knowledge has changed my life for the better. Deleted my post and now it's not in my 'unreadreplies' every single time I go there. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Now if only the people who made the forum software could make it possible for us to remove threads from the show new replies section at will....


And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

I get that with my 2002 grand am.  The bumper's cracked and the hood is slightly dented from when a truck driver forgot how mirrors work while parallel parking.  I keep getting told to just replace the car, or at least get a new bumper.  The car works just fine, the bumper isn't coming off, and the dent doesn't prevent me from opening/closing the hood.

Newer bumpers are like motorcycle helmets, they don't work nearly as well the second time as the first.  I believe a 2002 would be new enough to fall under that category, so there is a safety reason to replace it. FYI.

[mtn]

And yeah it's ridiculous how many times I've heard the replace it instead of fix it approach. I'm driving a 2002 corolla and I've had people tell me to replace it whenever I mention any little problem, such as a burnt out headlight bulb. Really? That's a $10 part.
Fortunately I don't get this lecture too often as I play the poor grad student card. Not that I'm actually poor.... but it helps to pretend sometimes.

This made me laugh out loud as I'm getting the same comments on my '02 corolla. I unfortunately don't have the grad student excuse... I'm an enviro engineer with 5+ years experience and most people keep asking me when I'll replace it... I always tell them the same thing - when the rust wins (most likely) or it starts becoming unreliable (not likely with less than 110k miles)

Nice. I've got 96k miles on mine. I plan on keeping for years to come.

One of the happiest days of the past year was when I got the news from the insurance company that my wife's Corolla was going to be totaled after a very minor accident. I hated that car. What a gutless, soulless excuse for an automobile. I’ve been in elevators that were more exhilarating than that appliance was. But the damn thing ran and was efficient and safe, and paid for, which meant that I’d never be able to convince myself to get rid of it. Thankfully the accident took care of that problem for us.

[mm1970]

Good one at work yesterday.

CW: "man, the handle snapped off of our kitchen sink faucet this weekend so we have to use pliers to turn it on and off"
Me: "Oh that's no big deal, you can pick up a new handle for a few bucks at the hardware store"
CW: "Well my wife decided we need a whole new sink so we're going that route"

Can't waste a good opportunity to spend money!

We used pliers to turn our shower on and off for weeks before we got around to fixing it.

[Kitsune]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

[johnny847]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

The no AC would be a bit much for me living in Atlanta. And even if I could learn to tolerate it, any guests in my car certainly would not.

They think a five year old car is old? Really?

[Frugal_NYC]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

You bought a 2011 model that didn't have AC or auto locks...didn't know that was possible, my '99 toyota has both plus heated seats.  Don't tell me you have to manually roll down the windows too?

[Kitsune]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

You bought a 2011 model that didn't have AC or auto locks...didn't know that was possible, my '99 toyota has both plus heated seats haha.  Don't tell me you have to manually roll down the windows too?

Nope, those are about the only thing that's automatic!! We bought the floor model at a VERY good price in late 2011, hence the weird features.

And the new model Honda Fits also have the no-AC option: 3K cheaper than the AC option (16K vs 19K).

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Like, at that price, open the windows.

Actually, he was super pro-AC for our next car. And I was like "the cost breaks down like this. Would you pay 500$ to have AC on our current car for this summer only?" "NO!!!" Well, why do you want to pay that every year on our next car?" "Huh..." Conclusion: unless we can get it included, or at a SUPER good price, it is NOT worth 3K on a 15K car for AC in Quebec. In Atlanta? Texas? Miami? Sure. What I need is heating. :)

[FuturePrimitive]

And the new model Honda Fits also have the no-AC option: 3K cheaper than the AC option (16K vs 19K).

This must be a Canada thing because the base Fit in the US comes standard with AC. At least for 2016+

[slugline]

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Yes, we love having A/C in the car in Texas summers. But I find the A/C handy during our brief winter too as the A/C's de-humidification effect stops condensation from building up on the inside of cold windows. Is that not a problem in Canada?

[RyanAtTanagra]

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Yes, we love having A/C in the car in Texas summers. But I find the A/C handy during our brief winter too as the A/C's de-humidification effect stops condensation from building up on the inside of cold windows. Is that not a problem in Canada?

The heater dries the air, too.  A/C defrost (defog?) is nice when it's not cold enough to need to turn on the heat, but you still need to dry out the inside of the windshield.  That's not really an issue in Canada winter though, as you'll always be using the heater :-)

[mtn]

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Yes, we love having A/C in the car in Texas summers. But I find the A/C handy during our brief winter too as the A/C's de-humidification effect stops condensation from building up on the inside of cold windows. Is that not a problem in Canada?

The heater dries the air, too.  A/C defrost (defog?) is nice when it's not cold enough to need to turn on the heat, but you still need to dry out the inside of the windshield.  That's not really an issue in Canada winter though, as you'll always be using the heater :-)

I was about to post the AC as a dehumidifier. Being in Chicago, it is almost a necessity. I remember a couple of times when I drove a car with broken AC in the summer that my choices were to not be able to see through the windshield, pull over every 2 minutes to wipe it off, or not drive. Even with the heat on it wouldn't dry it out. And no one wants to put the heat on when it is 98* anyways.

[MrMoogle]

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Yes, we love having A/C in the car in Texas summers. But I find the A/C handy during our brief winter too as the A/C's de-humidification effect stops condensation from building up on the inside of cold windows. Is that not a problem in Canada?

The heater dries the air, too.  A/C defrost (defog?) is nice when it's not cold enough to need to turn on the heat, but you still need to dry out the inside of the windshield.  That's not really an issue in Canada winter though, as you'll always be using the heater :-)

I was about to post the AC as a dehumidifier. Being in Chicago, it is almost a necessity. I remember a couple of times when I drove a car with broken AC in the summer that my choices were to not be able to see through the windshield, pull over every 2 minutes to wipe it off, or not drive. Even with the heat on it wouldn't dry it out. And no one wants to put the heat on when it is 98* anyways.

Most heaters don't actually remove moisture.  Heaters change the temperature of the air, which increases the maximum absolute humidity, which then lowers the relative humidity.  If it's already hot out, increasing the temp isn't going to change the maximum absolute humidity much, and therefore won't lower the relative humidity much.

[tomatops]

Lady in my office:

1) Trying to tell an amusing anecdote: "My dog is so spoiled, but I'm okay with it. She rides right in the middle on the leather eats of my $100,000 Lexus SUV on the way to the cottage and my kids are stuck in the back! Funny right?"

Later...

2) "My cottage is too much work these days. I spend all my time trying to get people to rent it so I can cover the expenses for it and for the boat."

3) "On the way home, I rear-ended somebody in the car and it's going to cost something like $5000 dollars, because Lexus has special parts. Such an inconvenience"

She also commutes 90 minutes to work every day one-way...

I don't have the heart to tell her that she is very well off and she should sell everything and retire already!

[libertarian4321]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

You bought a 2011 model that didn't have AC or auto locks...didn't know that was possible, my '99 toyota has both plus heated seats.  Don't tell me you have to manually roll down the windows too?

My 2007 hyundai accent has AC, but not power locks and windows. They're still out there!

My 2002 Silverado also has manual locks and windows.

Love those manual windows.  Great exercise! :)

[Papa Mustache]

Maybe manual windows and manual locks will become part of the new (old) security system which includes manual transmissions. These cars/trucks will be so weird nobody can/will steal them.

[kayvent]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

You bought a 2011 model that didn't have AC or auto locks...didn't know that was possible, my '99 toyota has both plus heated seats haha.  Don't tell me you have to manually roll down the windows too?

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Like, at that price, open the windows.

The AC on my '06 is functionally broken. It is a white car but with a black interior. Yeah, for those thirty days, for half an hour each, it is pretty awful. But then I discovered that I can just keep my windows cracked open two centimetres when I'm not using it and a few more while driving.

[dragoncar]

From my colleague: "When are you gonna get a new car? It's so old! And, really, manual door locks??! You might as well be living in the 80s!"
Me: "You know what else my car has? No monthly payments, and low gas bills. I'll get rid of it when it falls apart on the highway."
*Silence*
Colleage: "HOW did you manage no car payments??!?! Did your parents buy you a car?"

Excuse me, I'm gonna go hit my head against the wall now.

For the record: I drive a  2011 Honda Fit that my husband and I bought new in 2011. It has no AC, manual locks, and is VERY reliable. We share the car, so we only HAVE one car to afford and maintain. And how we managed car payments: well, we bought a car after 5 years of working professional-level jobs in a city with excellent public transit, and we saved money instead of going out every night. That's how we afforded the car.

Parents, indeed *harumph* Honestly, I'm kind of insulted.

You bought a 2011 model that didn't have AC or auto locks...didn't know that was possible, my '99 toyota has both plus heated seats haha.  Don't tell me you have to manually roll down the windows too?

The no-AC is a bit of a drag in summer, but I discussed it with my husband last week (because we're looking at needing a second car in about 18 months, and will likely buy another fit, since it's perfect for our needs and we have no complaints and it's a good car for a good price): we're in Quebec. Assuming we keep a car 6 years (we're rural and drive a lot), that 3K extra is 500$/summer for AC on the car. Which, realistically, we'd actually use... 25 days? Maybe 30?

Like, at that price, open the windows.

The AC on my '06 is functionally broken. It is a white car but with a black interior. Yeah, for those thirty days, for half an hour each, it is pretty awful. But then I discovered that I can just keep my windows cracked open two centimetres when I'm not using it and a few more while driving.

It's really not that expensive to add AC to your car.

[JAYSLOL]

I don't have the heart to tell her that she is very well off and she should sell everything and retire already!

How dare you, how could she possibly be happy rear-ending someone with something less than a $100k Lexus?  :)

Oh and what the hell kind of Lexus costs $100k?  I mean, I know Lexus can be some damn expensive cars Toyotas, but i wow, $100k is a whole new level of stupid.

[MrRealEstate]

I get a remark about once a week about my phone (an iphone 5, barely 3 years old)

So far i've been able to replace the battery, screen and charger port. The charger port I was told by apple that it was impossible to replace. $10 from amazon later it's good as new. I didn't realize how easy the iphones were to fix and tear down.

[shelivesthedream]

I get a remark about once a week about my phone (an iphone 5, barely 3 years old)

So far i've been able to replace the battery, screen and charger port. The charger port I was told by apple that it was impossible to replace. $10 from amazon later it's good as new. I didn't realize how easy the iphones were to fix and tear down.

That's really good to hear. I've had my iPhone 4 screen shatter twice. Both times it was so bad I could not use the phone and it was when I was so busy I was like "I have to have this fixed RIGHT NOW, I cannot even wait a day for parts to come, let alone spend time fixing it", so I dashed to a high street repair shop. (I need emails on my phone all the time for work, and I'm self-employed.) But I'd like it to break one day when I have time to try out fixing it myself.

[CodAlmighty]

I get a remark about once a week about my phone (an iphone 5, barely 3 years old)

So far i've been able to replace the battery, screen and charger port. The charger port I was told by apple that it was impossible to replace. $10 from amazon later it's good as new. I didn't realize how easy the iphones were to fix and tear down.

I too have the same phone and it's about the same age. It was handed down to me by a friend who's contract had ended. She was paying $65 a month for it and is now paying a similar amount for her iPhone 6. Meanwhile I have a 30 day rolling contract that allows me 125 minutes, 100MB of data and 500 texts, and it costs $6.50 per month. In a year's time her new contract would have ended, so I will probably get her iPhone 6. I can then sell the iPhone 5 and that will pay my monthly bill for at least 6 months.

[BTDretire]

I too have the same phone and it's about the same age. It was handed down to me by a friend who's contract had ended. She was paying $65 a month for it and is now paying a similar amount for her iPhone 6. Meanwhile I have a 30 day rolling contract that allows me 125 minutes, 100MB of data and 500 texts, and it costs $6.50 per month. In a year's time her new contract would have ended, so I will probably get her iPhone 6. I can then sell the iPhone 5 and that will pay my monthly bill for at least 6 months.

It's good to have spendypants friends!  :-)

[Digital Dogma]

On topic, I work with someone who bought a $7,000 riding mower the other week. He lives on half an acre. When I asked him why he bought it, he said that he wanted one that would last. Riiiight...

Have never needed one, how much should one ordinarily spend?

I lived on 2.5 acres with my ex. We paid $500 for a used fairly high end John Deere.

Back in spendypants days we bought one new off the floor for $1500 +/-. It was an MTD though - even then I wasn't willing to pay a premium for green paint. And having worked in a machine shop making parts for JD, I never felt like there was anything special about them.

The only good thing about a JD tractor is when it comes with a Yanmar engine.

[jinga nation]

I don't have the heart to tell her that she is very well off and she should sell everything and retire already!

How dare you, how could she possibly be happy rear-ending someone with something less than a $100k Lexus?  :)

Oh and what the hell kind of Lexus costs $100k?  I mean, I know Lexus can be some damn expensive cars Toyotas, but i wow, $100k is a whole new level of stupid.

Lexus LS 600h L, 2016 model starts at USD 120,400.
http://www.lexus.com/models/LS-hybrid

But they last a long time.

[RWD]

I don't have the heart to tell her that she is very well off and she should sell everything and retire already!

How dare you, how could she possibly be happy rear-ending someone with something less than a $100k Lexus?  :)

Oh and what the hell kind of Lexus costs $100k?  I mean, I know Lexus can be some damn expensive cars Toyotas, but i wow, $100k is a whole new level of stupid.

Lexus LS 600h L, 2016 model starts at USD 120,400.
http://www.lexus.com/models/LS-hybrid

But they last a long time.

Depreciation is killer. $63k for this low mileage 2012 which according to the description had a new sticker price of $131k. That works out to $2.91/mile in deprecation alone!

[firelight]

I get a remark about once a week about my phone (an iphone 5, barely 3 years old)

So far i've been able to replace the battery, screen and charger port. The charger port I was told by apple that it was impossible to replace. $10 from amazon later it's good as new. I didn't realize how easy the iphones were to fix and tear down.

I too have the same phone and it's about the same age. It was handed down to me by a friend who's contract had ended. She was paying $65 a month for it and is now paying a similar amount for her iPhone 6. Meanwhile I have a 30 day rolling contract that allows me 125 minutes, 100MB of data and 500 texts, and it costs $6.50 per month. In a year's time her new contract would have ended, so I will probably get her iPhone 6. I can then sell the iPhone 5 and that will pay my monthly bill for at least 6 months.

CodAlmighty, what carrier do you have your cell phone plan on?

[jinga nation]

I don't have the heart to tell her that she is very well off and she should sell everything and retire already!

How dare you, how could she possibly be happy rear-ending someone with something less than a $100k Lexus?  :)

Oh and what the hell kind of Lexus costs $100k?  I mean, I know Lexus can be some damn expensive cars Toyotas, but i wow, $100k is a whole new level of stupid.

Lexus LS 600h L, 2016 model starts at USD 120,400.
http://www.lexus.com/models/LS-hybrid

But they last a long time.

Depreciation is killer. $63k for this low mileage 2012 which according to the description had a new sticker price of $131k. That works out to $2.91/mile in deprecation alone!

The sweet spot is models that are 6 years old and the manuf warranties are expired. You can get 5-6 year old LS 460L for $mid-20s to $low-30s, mileage dependent. A 2011 model with 26500 miles is advertised for $35k. I'm not sold on the hybrid stuff.

[Papa Mustache]

That Lexus gets 23 MPG even with the hybrid equipment???

[RWD]

That Lexus gets 23 MPG even with the hybrid equipment???

Same as the non-hybrid (AWD models) on the highway. The only improvement is with city economy, which goes from 16 mpg to 19 mpg. I'm guessing it still has to use the V8 at highway speeds. Also, it weighs 5,115 pounds!

[terrier56]

Today I asked my boss what he was doing on the weekend. So he tells me the following:

boss: I am going on a bar tour
me: okay
boss: Only instead of a bus driving us to the bars it will be a helicopter
me: holy sh#$balls

Total cost is $750AUD plus alcohol. novelty can be expensive. Also there is 1 extra spot and if he doesn't fill it he will have to pay for that seat as well.

[SoccerLounge]

The only improvement is with city economy, which goes from 16 mpg to 19 mpg.

Holy shit, hold the phone! Now get me Greenpeace on the line! I need to tell them how Lexus just saved the Goddamn Earth all by themselves!!! :D

[JAYSLOL]

That Lexus gets 23 MPG even with the hybrid equipment???

Same as the non-hybrid (AWD models) on the highway. The only improvement is with city economy, which goes from 16 mpg to 19 mpg. I'm guessing it still has to use the V8 at highway speeds. Also, it weighs 5,115 pounds!

5115lbs!  Is it an armoured car or does it also do heavy excavation work?  (Yeah I know there are way heavier cars than even this, sadly). 

[Metric Mouse]

That Lexus gets 23 MPG even with the hybrid equipment???

Same as the non-hybrid (AWD models) on the highway. The only improvement is with city economy, which goes from 16 mpg to 19 mpg. I'm guessing it still has to use the V8 at highway speeds. Also, it weighs 5,115 pounds!

5115lbs!  Is it an armoured car or does it also do heavy excavation work?  (Yeah I know there are way heavier cars than even this, sadly).

It's all the safety features.... if you believe the other flame/thread on the topic. :D

[MrRealEstate]

I get a remark about once a week about my phone (an iphone 5, barely 3 years old)

So far i've been able to replace the battery, screen and charger port. The charger port I was told by apple that it was impossible to replace. $10 from amazon later it's good as new. I didn't realize how easy the iphones were to fix and tear down.

That's really good to hear. I've had my iPhone 4 screen shatter twice. Both times it was so bad I could not use the phone and it was when I was so busy I was like "I have to have this fixed RIGHT NOW, I cannot even wait a day for parts to come, let alone spend time fixing it", so I dashed to a high street repair shop. (I need emails on my phone all the time for work, and I'm self-employed.) But I'd like it to break one day when I have time to try out fixing it myself.

If you're the kinda person who breaks screens frequently and can't wait 24hours (amazon has same day shipping on iphone 5 screens in my area) it may be prudent to just have one handy since they are only $22. About a quarter of the price of having it repaired. Watch some of the "jerryrigeverything" youtubes and you'll be able to fix them easily in no time.

[gimp]

Hybrid supercars use electric motors for low-end performance, not for efficiency. This shouldn't be a surprise.

[Shalamar]

Speaking of iPhones, my 4S died recently and couldn't be fixed.   I qualified for a free upgrade to a 6, or - for a mere $50 - I could get a 6S.   I kept saying patiently "I want the free one, please."   The guy didn't give up until I said "Look - I loved my 4S.   The only reason why I'm here today for an upgrade is that it can't be fixed."

[PencilThinStash]

The only improvement is with city economy, which goes from 16 mpg to 19 mpg.

Holy shit, hold the phone! Now get me Greenpeace on the line! I need to tell them how Lexus just saved the Goddamn Earth all by themselves!!! :D

It's not often that something on the internet actually makes me laugh out loud...

Well played.

[hudsoncat]

I had this conversation today... it's not mind blowing like somethings on this thread, but it amused me. Because CW seems very suspicious of our lifestyle and loves to challenge me when we are "spending money" as if to prove we aren't as frugal as we appear (I feel I should note, I never actually bring up money with this particular person, she just really seems very interested in how I choose to spend my money since the time she over heard me talking about savings and retirement with someone who was genuinely interested and of a similar mindset of me)

CW: What are you doing tonight?
Me: Going to a baseball game.
CW: Oh, [Triple A team one hour away]? That's fun. But I thought you didn't spend money on things like that!
Me: No, [college league team in town]. The games are a lot fun and tickets are really cheap, even if DH hadn't gotten tonight's tickets free through work.
CW: Well you still have to drive there and pay for gas!
Me: We'll ride our bikes. It's only about 5 miles.
CW: But it might rain.
Me: So we'll get wet?
CW: Well you still have to eat supper at the park!
Me: We'll just eat at home before we go.
CW: That's just weird.

[bebegirl]

CW, really nice lady, invited me and other colleagues to go to Starbucks (I generally drink Starbucks when join colleagues or friends). On our way we had a small talk and somehow ended up discussing Costco. I complained that every time my husband and I go there, we end up leaving a bunch of money there. Minimum $80. This happens because generally we eat quite pricy food because we love fruits, veggies, fish, cheese, and wine.

CW told that that was nothing because she and her husband leave there at least $800 each time they go..

I was so shocked that did not have time to ask how often they do this.

Holy-moly!