Overheard at Work

[Vindicated]

It got dropped, and the VP of my area, which is highly technical, was complaining that he couldn't get it any more.  I asked if he had ever crunched any numbers on it, and the answer was no, he just "wanted the best coverage".

I don't see the problem here - if it's more expensive, it has to be better coverage.  Good thing your family didn't get sick.  You must not love your kids if you are willing to risk their health for $700/mo.
/s

This is a weird argument.

Do you pay for a home security system?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're risking your safety for $50/mo.

Do you have a full-time bodyguard for your kids?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're not hiring professionals to follow them around for $5k/mo

----

The obvious take away is that Reynold has insurance, which DOES protect his family's health.  Should he be critical of a coworker paying for the higher priced stuff?  It depends on the financial details of the person.  If they can afford the $700/mo and it offers benefits that make it a good deal for them, then no problem.  If they're just buying an extra $700/mo of coverage for no benefit, then yes, it's foolish.

[ketchup]

It got dropped, and the VP of my area, which is highly technical, was complaining that he couldn't get it any more.  I asked if he had ever crunched any numbers on it, and the answer was no, he just "wanted the best coverage".

I don't see the problem here - if it's more expensive, it has to be better coverage.  Good thing your family didn't get sick.  You must not love your kids if you are willing to risk their health for $700/mo.
/s

This is a weird argument.

Do you pay for a home security system?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're risking your safety for $50/mo.

Do you have a full-time bodyguard for your kids?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're not hiring professionals to follow them around for $5k/mo

----

The obvious take away is that Reynold has insurance, which DOES protect his family's health.  Should he be critical of a coworker paying for the higher priced stuff?  It depends on the financial details of the person.  If they can afford the $700/mo and it offers benefits that make it a good deal for them, then no problem.  If they're just buying an extra $700/mo of coverage for no benefit, then yes, it's foolish.

I think you missed the /s switch.

[solon]

It got dropped, and the VP of my area, which is highly technical, was complaining that he couldn't get it any more.  I asked if he had ever crunched any numbers on it, and the answer was no, he just "wanted the best coverage".

I don't see the problem here - if it's more expensive, it has to be better coverage.  Good thing your family didn't get sick.  You must not love your kids if you are willing to risk their health for $700/mo.
/s

This is a weird argument.

Do you pay for a home security system?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're risking your safety for $50/mo.

Do you have a full-time bodyguard for your kids?  If not, you must not love your kids if you're not hiring professionals to follow them around for $5k/mo

----

The obvious take away is that Reynold has insurance, which DOES protect his family's health.  Should he be critical of a coworker paying for the higher priced stuff?  It depends on the financial details of the person.  If they can afford the $700/mo and it offers benefits that make it a good deal for them, then no problem.  If they're just buying an extra $700/mo of coverage for no benefit, then yes, it's foolish.

I think you missed the /s switch.

It's always fun when people take sarcasm seriously.

[Vindicated]

Glad it was sarcasm.  I've never seen it shown as "/s".  Alert level lowered to yellow :-P

[LennStar]

One of my young, female colleagues said in the lunch break that she sometimes finds clothes in her cupboard that are several years old and never worn. Sometimes she buys the same cloth twice, because she forgot she already had it.

The 2 male young colleagues at the same table said they were wearing t-shirts that they had had for years. One said his t-shirt was originally blue. It was now very grey, but still looking OK. I am myself also wearing a 10+ year old t-shirt today.

The female colleague is driving a BMW fancy kind of model. Now she is dreaming of a Tesla.
Dream on, girl!

I have a few pullover that may be 20 years old by now. They are really presentable, but as long as I don't need to impress someone they are still doing their job - warm and comfy.
Of course T-Shirts die earlier, they are thinner, and nearly always at the ellbow anyway. 5 years for a cheapo. 

[BDWW]

One of my young, female colleagues said in the lunch break that she sometimes finds clothes in her cupboard that are several years old and never worn. Sometimes she buys the same cloth twice, because she forgot she already had it.

The 2 male young colleagues at the same table said they were wearing t-shirts that they had had for years. One said his t-shirt was originally blue. It was now very grey, but still looking OK. I am myself also wearing a 10+ year old t-shirt today.

The female colleague is driving a BMW fancy kind of model. Now she is dreaming of a Tesla.
Dream on, girl!

I have a few pullover that may be 20 years old by now. They are really presentable, but as long as I don't need to impress someone they are still doing their job - warm and comfy.
Of course T-Shirts die earlier, they are thinner, and nearly always at the ellbow anyway. 5 years for a cheapo.

Your t-shirts have elbows?

[dragoncar]

It's always fun when people take sarcasm seriously.

I think you forgot  the /s switch.

...

Just kidding, I hate that bullshit

[dragoncar]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I don't think people buy Teslas solely to impress other people, though.  They look pretty meh from the outside and cost way more than much cooler looking cars

[Debts_of_Despair]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

[Linea_Norway]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

I do agree on that Teslas are also smart cars in the sense of being electrical and having the longest distance support for electric cars.

[RyanAtTanagra]

They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

I consider BMWs to be the biggest 'keeping up with the jones'' car there is.  They all look the same, the only difference is the 3-digit number on the back, which signifies how much you spent on the car.  Buy the BMW with the biggest number you can afford, to show how far you've made it.

[MgoSam]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

You know that's why I don't really care about the car I drive. I drive a Camry and love it because it gets me from A to B without much hassle, good mileage/safety, and it is reliable. I could easily go out and buy a luxury sedan but I don't because

a. Cost
b. Maintenance costs
c. I don't F@#$ing care about what brand something is. Now I might be more popular if I was driving a flashy car, but I hardly know anything about cars or engines. I would only be buying a premium brand off its reputation and name-recognition. I have greater uses for my money.

[BDWW]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

You know that's why I don't really care about the car I drive. I drive a Camry.

FTFY, the rest was redundant :)

[lemanfan]

I consider BMWs to be the biggest 'keeping up with the jones'' car there is.  They all look the same, the only difference is the 3-digit number on the back, which signifies how much you spent on the car.  Buy the BMW with the biggest number you can afford, to show how far you've made it.

OK, I must admit that I've driven my share of Benzes (not Bimmers), but the first thing I always did was to remove the numbers on the trunk - partly for the clean look, and partly to not try to show off.

And yes, all of these Benzes have been old, cheap and fairly reliable.  :) 

[cheapass]

Buy the BMW with the biggest number you can afford, to show how far you've made it.

Well you don't want your friends and neighbors to think you're poor, do you? Better make yourself poor to make sure they don't think you are!

[Chris22]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

Tesla owners are showing off image at least as much as BMW owners just in different ways; Tesla owners are either virtue signaling (environment, etc) or are driving the most conspicuous trendy "startup gadget" there is. 

Don't get me wrong, they're cool cars and I'd love to have one, but you're silly if you think a Tesla Model S isn't the BMW 5-series status symbol of the modern day.  It completely is. 

[ysette9]

I live in Tesla central (used to run past the headquarters in the morning when I worked in the other office, the factory is on the other side of the bridge from me). From what I can tell, Teslas are purchased by people who would otherwise be buying Lamborghinis, Porsche sedans, or Mazeratis. That is a different price point than a big BMW. Personally if that is what you are doing anyway, the Tesla makes a heck of a lot more sense. These are also the people in $5-15M homes, so people with different financial considerations than me, to say the least.

[Chris22]

I live in Tesla central (used to run past the headquarters in the morning when I worked in the other office, the factory is on the other side of the bridge from me). From what I can tell, Teslas are purchased by people who would otherwise be buying Lamborghinis, Porsche sedans, or Mazeratis. That is a different price point than a big BMW. Personally if that is what you are doing anyway, the Tesla makes a heck of a lot more sense. These are also the people in $5-15M homes, so people with different financial considerations than me, to say the least.

Here in Chicagoland Teslas are pretty thick on the ground, and these people can't all be multi-millionaires with the resources to buy $200k exotics.  I think there are a number of people who can afford more who buy a Tesla instead, but the core Tesla ownership around here is definitely people coming from $50-75k sedans, BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-class territory. 

[Debts_of_Despair]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

You know that's why I don't really care about the car I drive. I drive a Camry and love it because it gets me from A to B without much hassle, good mileage/safety, and it is reliable. I could easily go out and buy a luxury sedan but I don't because

a. Cost
b. Maintenance costs
c. I don't F@#$ing care about what brand something is. Now I might be more popular if I was driving a flashy car, but I hardly know anything about cars or engines. I would only be buying a premium brand off its reputation and name-recognition. I have greater uses for my money.

Best part is a modern Camry is a superior car in many respects.

[BTDretire]

Best part is a modern Camry is a superior car in many respects.

I agree, we had a Camry for many years, biggest problem I had were door handles breaking, inside and outside. I never bought a replacement though, the inside ones I drilled, installed a pin and epoxied, the outside I able to install two flathead screws to fix them. Oh and the motorized antenna, I just extended it and disconnected the motor.

[aGracefulStomp]

A new graduate corporate lawyer: "I was aiming to save a bunch with my new income, but the work is so stressful that I'm going to go on a nice overseas holiday instead."

I wanted to respond with "well why not get a less stressful job which is probably lower paying but you'll end up in the exact same financial position and probably be a happier healthier person??"

bit my tongue though...

[Linea_Norway]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

I do agree on that Teslas are also smart cars in the sense of being electrical and having the longest distance support for electric cars.

I should add that here in Norway electrical cars are heavily sponsored by the government. You don't pay taxes like on other cars. Other cars are taxed for motor size and number of PKs. Therefore sports cars are generally very expensive in this country.
Teslas cost about 50% of what a comparably fast non-electric sports car would cost. Still, the fancy Teslas typically cost a year of my brutto salary. When you want to drive a sports car in Norway, a Tesla is quite a bargain.

[cheapass]

A new graduate corporate lawyer: "I was aiming to save a bunch with my new income, but the work is so stressful that I'm going to go on a nice overseas holiday instead."

I wanted to respond with "well why not get a less stressful job which is probably lower paying but you'll end up in the exact same financial position and probably be a happier healthier person??"

bit my tongue though...

"work is so stressful so I'm going to spend all my money and chain myself to my desk instead of investing it and getting out earlier"

[cheapass]

I should add that here in Norway electrical cars are heavily sponsored by the government.

aka, your neighbors are all subsidizing your decision to own one. Not sure how I'd feel about that..

[remizidae]

Today I mentioned to my coworkers that I'm looking for a new apartment.

Coworker 1 says I should try a certain apartment complex, because it's "the cheapest [he] saw around here;" $1700 or $1800 for a one-bedroom. (Note: that's about $500 more than the cheapest I've seen.]

Another coworker advises me to move to his faraway suburb. There, according to him, I can have more square feet and pay $100 a month less! Sounds good...except I would have to trade my 20-minute walking commute for an hour (one way) of car commuting in "terrible" traffic.

Coworker 3, who chose to live in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in our area, complains that she's worried the landlord is going to double her rent. She already "can't put away anything because the rent is too high." No, she's not planning to move. It's okay, because she's young.

On another topic, coworker 4 mentions she can't afford to shop at Whole Foods all the time, but somebody she wants to. "Then I'll feel like a real grown-up!"

The outing ended with plans to go to a nearby bar. Coworker 5 says the beer is cheap, but it's "definitely not accessible" to transit, so "let's meet at Whole Foods and take an Uber."

I know this place. It's 1.2 miles from our workplace. 0.9 miles from a transit station, oh and the beer is $6.

I kept my mouth shut, feeling I should be grateful for any housing advice, even bad advice. But it seems like all of these people are just living in a different world than I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAuR5bkIlQ

[bombaystinson]

I legit create an account for the urge to share that one from work.

Tangerine (or ING direct if it's still their name in your area) have the promotion that you get 50$ and the person that you refer have 50$ too.

No need to transfer all your assets, no need to do anything else than opening an account. No fees to open one, no fees to maintain one.

Was talking to a coworker about that. Her answer? "Ah jeez, not another one... I don't want to be stuck with another account... 200$ okay it would worth it but not 50$"

...Student who struggles to pay her rent.

[shelivesthedream]

coworker actually said this today "I'm 63 and starting to worry about retirement."  He makes around $130k/yr, it's not a stretch to believe that his inflation adjusted salary has been in that range for decades.

One of my key drivers to force me to look into financial independence/personal finance was a conversation I had with my mom. She was slightly younger than 63, but said the same thing about being worried about retirement. It amazes me...

One of the perhaps understressed boons of mustachian/frugality. I'm not all that close to FI, but by my math, I could stop contributing entirely and still retire comfortably at 65.
Maybe there should be a slogan: Just try it for a few years, and then you can give up go back to your spendypants ways, and you'll still retire well. (Assuming they can keep their hands out of the cookie jar.)

A great point, one I've been thinking about a lot regarding saving now and then maybe going part time in the future.

Some basic examples:

Save $100,000 by 30, stop saving altogether, by 65 it's worth $1,150,615.
Even save $100,000 by 40, stop saving, by 65 it's worth $572,541.

Both amounts would ease a lot of minds regarding retirement I'd bet!

Numbers like this were a huge sell on Mustachianism for me. Even if the SHTF, as long as I can keep my hands off it I've basically got standard retirement covered already. Nothing luxurious, but I could never save another penny between now (26) and 65 and live a perfectly fine life forever (assuming the state kicked in for any major health issues which, being in the UK, odds on it will). I figured I'd try Mustachianism for a few years on the basis that I could always spend money I had already saved but couldn't save money I had already spent.

[mustachepungoeshere]

O look another person throwing out terms like "nanny state" instead of deciding to have a more meaningful discussion. This is just what I LOVE about the internet. /s

A (Facebook) friend of mine responds to all financial columns with, "Another old white guy telling me what to do with my money. *rolls eyes*"

Contributes absolutely nothing to the discussion, and she seems to just be looking for reasons to be offended.

(Because their advice is the problem, not the fact that she spends less than she earns.)

[mustachepungoeshere]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

I do agree on that Teslas are also smart cars in the sense of being electrical and having the longest distance support for electric cars.

That's what the BMW i8 is for.

We had one for a week (work perk) and it was the least practical car I've encountered. Could not wait to give the thing back. It was a $320,000 pain in the arse.

[Feivel2000]

(Because their advice is the problem, not the fact that she spends less than she earns.)

If THAT'S the problem, I would probably be offended as well.

[mustachepungoeshere]

(Because their advice is the problem, not the fact that she spends less than she earns.)

If THAT'S the problem, I would probably be offended as well.

Mea culpa!

Spends more than she earns.

[paddedhat]

Buy the BMW with the biggest number you can afford, to show how far you've made it.

Well you don't want your friends and neighbors to think you're poor, do you? Better make yourself poor to make sure they don't think you are!

The DW and I FIREd on a sweet income stream, with a pile of Vanguard Cheddar that would cause most of our friends and relatives to shit a brick, if they knew the truth. We drive a base model CRV with painted steel rims, decorated with a green patina of pollen and a few bird shit accents. The interior features random bits of wood chips, a set of jumper cables and floor mats that frequently feature a light glaze of horse poop. I love it. It's the ultimate stealth. I look at the neighbors who can barely afford the five series bimmer and the $35K VW, and I just smile. I hope they look at us and wonder if we are just squeaking by in retirement, LOL.

[BuffaloStache]

Not overheard but more of an observation: Our parking lot has a half dozen or so leased BMW 3-series.  All of them bought leased soley for impressing co-workers.  No *ucks given by me as I rolled in past them on my bike.

At my work there are a LOT of Tesla's in the parking lot most of these are owned by people with a pretty high income.

Even one of the guys who cycles almost every day owns a Tesla.

I would give a Tesla driver more credit than these people.  They bought these cars for one thing: the BMW badge.  Yes, I get that there are some BMW drivers who actually appreciate the car for what it is but these people are not them.  A 3-series with low end engine and auto tranny is strictly for posers trying to impress others.

Tesla owners are showing off image at least as much as BMW owners just in different ways; Tesla owners are either virtue signaling (environment, etc) or are driving the most conspicuous trendy "startup gadget" there is. 

Don't get me wrong, they're cool cars and I'd love to have one, but you're silly if you think a Tesla Model S isn't the BMW 5-series status symbol of the modern day.  It completely is.

This. A Tesla-badge exists just like a BMW-badge, even if they are a completely different color.

[Tyson]

I should add that here in Norway electrical cars are heavily sponsored by the government.

aka, your neighbors are all subsidizing your decision to own one. Not sure how I'd feel about that..

Probably the same way that you feel about all government subsidies, I would imagine.

[nouveauRiche]

I figured I'd try Mustachianism for a few years on the basis that I could always spend money I had already saved but couldn't save money I had already spent.

New MMM motto?

[MgoSam]

Numbers like this were a huge sell on Mustachianism for me.....
 I figured I'd try Mustachianism for a few years on the basis that I could always spend money I had already saved but couldn't save money I had already spent.

Yup, same here! Over the weekend I had a ton of family in town and was talking to my cousin's wife. That cousin is more like a brother to me than my actual brother and we are quite close but man is he a spender. He's finishing up his residency so he'll have the income and he has said that he plans to live within it, but his wife was curious when I told her that I plan to retire in 10 years.

She was asking (out of curiosity, not to create doubt) about what I would do if I didn't have enough. "I would keep earning more until I did," and then I added, "the way I see it, if I'd rather have the money saved up than not."

At this cousin's bachelor party 2 years ago (we rented a cabin up north and just boozed for a weekend) he did ask how much I have saved up and when I told him he nearly spat out his coffee and had a huge smile on his face and told me, "I'm so proud of me!"

[infogoon]

O look another person throwing out terms like "nanny state" instead of deciding to have a more meaningful discussion. This is just what I LOVE about the internet. /s

A (Facebook) friend of mine responds to all financial columns with, "Another old white guy telling me what to do with my money. *rolls eyes*"

I don't remember the exact context -- I think it was one of the "avocado toast" episodes -- but a younger friend of mine told me that he doesn't know anyone who trusts the financial sector any more. I told him that investing in index funds is basically just betting that the greedheads on Wall Street will find a way to keep making money, and doesn't that seem likely?

[Dave1442397]

O look another person throwing out terms like "nanny state" instead of deciding to have a more meaningful discussion. This is just what I LOVE about the internet. /s

A (Facebook) friend of mine responds to all financial columns with, "Another old white guy telling me what to do with my money. *rolls eyes*"

I don't remember the exact context -- I think it was one of the "avocado toast" episodes -- but a younger friend of mine told me that he doesn't know anyone who trusts the financial sector any more. I told him that investing in index funds is basically just betting that the greedheads on Wall Street will find a way to keep making money, and doesn't that seem likely?

Exactly, and when (if) Wall Street crashes, it's going to affect you whether you had stocks or not. Even if you kept your money in a mattress, you could end up in a situation like Germany in 1923, when the value of a one-mark gold piece was equivalent to a trillion paper marks.

[Alim Nassor]

Exactly, and when (if) Wall Street crashes, it's going to affect you whether you had stocks or not. Even if you kept your money in a mattress, you could end up in a situation like Germany in 1923, when the value of a one-mark gold piece was equivalent to a trillion paper marks.

As I told people before, if the market goes under, like really goes completely under, then money/gold/silver won't mean a thing. At that point the only things to worry about is food, water and bullets.

Money and gold are not the same thing.

[Kitsune]

Exactly, and when (if) Wall Street crashes, it's going to affect you whether you had stocks or not. Even if you kept your money in a mattress, you could end up in a situation like Germany in 1923, when the value of a one-mark gold piece was equivalent to a trillion paper marks.

A coworker told me a few weeks ago that he doesn't trust the stock market but he's debating on whether to buy gold or not.  I was dumbfounded.

How can you trust a piece of metal that won't do anything but sit there looking shiny, but you can't trust companies which whole existence is to make a profit by any means necessary? Like, wtf is gold going to do for you if the market completely collapses? 

As I told people before, if the market goes under, like really goes completely under, then money/gold/silver won't mean a thing. At that point the only things to worry about is food, water and bullets.

I mean, I don't have a huge amount of faith in the market either? But it seems like a better way to ensure that you can still feed your family and acquire basic good would be to develop valuable skills that would be useful in whatever kind of scenario you're afraid of. Gold ain't gonna feed you, but plumbing knowledge or chickens in the backyard might help a wee bit more.

[Alim Nassor]

Exactly, and when (if) Wall Street crashes, it's going to affect you whether you had stocks or not. Even if you kept your money in a mattress, you could end up in a situation like Germany in 1923, when the value of a one-mark gold piece was equivalent to a trillion paper marks.

As I told people before, if the market goes under, like really goes completely under, then money/gold/silver won't mean a thing. At that point the only things to worry about is food, water and bullets.

Money and gold are not the same thing.

I never said they were.

I guess I misunderstood what you meant.

[mm1970]

Exactly, and when (if) Wall Street crashes, it's going to affect you whether you had stocks or not. Even if you kept your money in a mattress, you could end up in a situation like Germany in 1923, when the value of a one-mark gold piece was equivalent to a trillion paper marks.

A coworker told me a few weeks ago that he doesn't trust the stock market but he's debating on whether to buy gold or not.  I was dumbfounded.

How can you trust a piece of metal that won't do anything but sit there looking shiny, but you can't trust companies which whole existence is to make a profit by any means necessary? Like, wtf is gold going to do for you if the market completely collapses? 

As I told people before, if the market goes under, like really goes completely under, then money/gold/silver won't mean a thing. At that point the only things to worry about is food, water and bullets.

Depends on the gold.  We really like using the five 9's in semiconductors...oh the days when I'd need to borrow some when we ran out, walking across a parking lot with $40,000 worth of gold in my pocket.

[MinnieAG]

My coworker recently launched a "Go Fund Me" page -- she claims that she and her family will lose their house without help from fundraising.

This is the same lady who walks into the office a few times per week with Starbucks and eats fast food almost every day for lunch. She has her hair colored and cut at a premiere salon nearby... running at least $150 each visit. Worst of all?? They recently decided to have another child and are due this fall.

What????????

[theadvicist]

My coworker recently launched a "Go Fund Me" page -- she claims that she and her family will lose their house without help from fundraising.

This is the same lady who walks into the office a few times per week with Starbucks and eats fast food almost every day for lunch. She has her hair colored and cut at a premiere salon nearby... running at least $150 each visit. Worst of all?? They recently decided to have another child and are due this fall.

What????????

I read these stories and I honestly don't know how you people don't say something. Is it a cultural thing? If someone asked me for money to 'save their house' whilst drinking a takeaway coffee I would literally look them in the eye, blink, and say, "are you kidding me? You think you might lose your house, you have a kid on the way, and you can afford coffee?".

I am quite blunt. But (assuming you are in the States, just because of sheer numbers), we Brits are normally quite reserved about commenting on other people. Yet in the States recently on 10 day holiday TWO different strangers told me I was walking too slow*.

People there seemed (in my brief interactions) happy to tell off perfect strangers, which, in all my life, I've never come across here. Sure, I've rolled my eyes at people walking slowly, and I'm sure people have done it about me. But no-one has tapped me on the shoulder and actually *told* me I'm doing something wrong on the street.

Yet, with people I know, doing crazy things, I would definitely say something.

I don't know if this is an interesting social observation, or anecdata gone wrong. So strange to me that you don't all say "WTF?" to their face. Or do you?

*I'm pregnant with twins. I'm going as fast as I can! And I'm sticking to the very edge of buildings, so please, just go around me. I'm not waddling down the middle taking up the whole sidewalk, I'm deliberately trying to stay out of people's way. I know I'm slow, I'm in pain and it's annoying me too! /rant

[paddedhat]

I am quite blunt. But (assuming you are in the States, just because of sheer numbers), we Brits are normally quite reserved about commenting on other people. Yet in the States recently on 10 day holiday TWO different strangers told me I was walking too slow*.

People there seemed (in my brief interactions) happy to tell off perfect strangers, which, in all my life, I've never come across here. Sure, I've rolled my eyes at people walking slowly, and I'm sure people have done it about me. But no-one has tapped me on the shoulder and actually *told* me I'm doing something wrong on the street.

Yet, with people I know, doing crazy things, I would definitely say something.

I don't know if this is an interesting social observation, or anecdata gone wrong. So strange to me that you don't all say "WTF?" to their face. Or do you?

*I'm pregnant with twins. I'm going as fast as I can! And I'm sticking to the very edge of buildings, so please, just go around me. I'm not waddling down the middle taking up the whole sidewalk, I'm deliberately trying to stay out of people's way. I know I'm slow, I'm in pain and it's annoying me too! /rant

Being a self absorbed asshole is a regional thing here in the states. For example, my wife barely walks successfully, using a cane. She is totally paralysed on one side due to a stroke. In the two decades following the stroke, while living in an exurb of NYC.On at least four or five occasions, she was rammed with shopping carts while grocery shopping. One hit was even violent enough that she lost her balance and caught herself as she was falling.  OTOH, while grocery shopping in Asheville NC,  in one trip she had four different people offer to assist her with everything from pushing her cart to reaching items.

 We left the NYC area a few years back. As you can imagine I miss it like  somebody would miss a raging Herpes infection.

[theadvicist]

Confirmation bias being strong, paddedhat, your story has stoked my fire - I was in Philadelphia and NYC. I've spent a lot of time in the States, but never walking this slowly, so I can't really compare to other regions! Although (more confirmation bias) I did once lie down on a bench in an exhibit in Nashville TN (you can guess why... I was hungover) and within seconds about 4 people were asking if I was ok and needed assistance. I actually sat up because I was so embarrassed people were making a fuss of me. My husband had just wandered off to look at something else and was happy to leave me be!

I'm still intrigued as to whether people say anything to the people doing crazy things money-wise. I wonder if people are more restrained because it's 'overheard at WORK'? I guess I would be politer (but only marginally) with a co-worker than a friend or family member.

[Vindicated]

I read these stories and I honestly don't know how you people don't say something. Is it a cultural thing?

On several occasions, when a coworker told me about their extravagant night out at bars and casinos, I've responded, "Oh, do you want me to do the math to see how much that delayed your retirement?"

But this is a coworker that knows I'm frugal, and we give each other a hard time about each other's lifestyles in a friendly manner.

So, I think it really depends on the relationship you have with the person, and if you know they won't be insulted.  I wouldn't say the same thing to 95% of the other coworkers here.

[ingrownstudentloans]

CAlthough (more confirmation bias) I did once lie down on a bench in an exhibit in Nashville TN (you can guess why... I was hungover) and within seconds about 4 people were asking if I was ok and needed assistance.

Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself in my (adopted) town.  As a recovering Yankee who spent some time in South Florida, I can say, they people in Nashville are great  Y'all come back now!

[MinnieAG]

My coworker recently launched a "Go Fund Me" page -- she claims that she and her family will lose their house without help from fundraising.

This is the same lady who walks into the office a few times per week with Starbucks and eats fast food almost every day for lunch. She has her hair colored and cut at a premiere salon nearby... running at least $150 each visit. Worst of all?? They recently decided to have another child and are due this fall.

What????????

I read these stories and I honestly don't know how you people don't say something. Is it a cultural thing? If someone asked me for money to 'save their house' whilst drinking a takeaway coffee I would literally look them in the eye, blink, and say, "are you kidding me? You think you might lose your house, you have a kid on the way, and you can afford coffee?".

I am quite blunt. But (assuming you are in the States, just because of sheer numbers), we Brits are normally quite reserved about commenting on other people. Yet in the States recently on 10 day holiday TWO different strangers told me I was walking too slow*.

People there seemed (in my brief interactions) happy to tell off perfect strangers, which, in all my life, I've never come across here. Sure, I've rolled my eyes at people walking slowly, and I'm sure people have done it about me. But no-one has tapped me on the shoulder and actually *told* me I'm doing something wrong on the street.

Yet, with people I know, doing crazy things, I would definitely say something.

I don't know if this is an interesting social observation, or anecdata gone wrong. So strange to me that you don't all say "WTF?" to their face. Or do you?

*I'm pregnant with twins. I'm going as fast as I can! And I'm sticking to the very edge of buildings, so please, just go around me. I'm not waddling down the middle taking up the whole sidewalk, I'm deliberately trying to stay out of people's way. I know I'm slow, I'm in pain and it's annoying me too! /rant

I'm from Minnesota, and generally I would say that most people here fit the "Minnesota Nice" stereotype. I would NEVER say something to her face, even if she was a close friend. However, I'll complain about in on MMM and laugh about it with my husband! :)

[theadvicist]

I'm from Minnesota, and generally I would say that most people here fit the "Minnesota Nice" stereotype. I would NEVER say something to her face, even if she was a close friend. However, I'll complain about in on MMM and laugh about it with my husband! :)

Ha ha, obviously I'm very glad you share them here! And I am in awe of your restraint (and lolling at Minnesota Nice).