Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13266691 times)

TexasStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18350 on: August 30, 2017, 07:16:44 PM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

Well done! I hope to have a similar amount as you and also be retired by that age, though maybe not long retired


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TexasStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18351 on: August 30, 2017, 07:17:17 PM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

Well done! I hope to have a similar amount as you and also be retired by that age, though maybe not long retired


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TexasStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18352 on: August 30, 2017, 07:18:41 PM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

Well done! I hope to have a similar amount as you and also be retired by that age, though maybe not long retired


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TexasStash

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18353 on: August 30, 2017, 07:17:50 PM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

Well done! I hope to have a similar amount as you and also be retired by that age, though maybe not long retired


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Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18354 on: August 31, 2017, 12:16:57 AM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

That's a neat way of explaining it. Not necessarily the final value but the concept (while still MMM-light), is achievable for many.

TartanTallulah

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18355 on: August 31, 2017, 02:58:48 AM »
Yesterday a kind coworker told me "if you pay yourself first and save one hour of each day's paycheck, by the time you're my age [54], you could have $500k!"

I smiled because she had really good advice and knew what she was talking about. Of course I didn't tell her by the time I'm her age I'll have three times that amount (hopefully) and be long retired!

I think that's quite lovely advice, and could be a very apt image for making the concept of regular saving real to people whose minds work that way. I wouldn't hesitate to offer advice like that to my young co-workers, taking the risk that some of them may already be socking away 70% of their income.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18356 on: August 31, 2017, 03:09:09 AM »
No, it is central AC with air going to all rooms evenly. What happens is that the air is cooled down, but it takes a long time to cool down the walls, couches, counters, beds, etc. So the air is cooled, but then warmed by the rest of the house.

It is much, much easier to keep something cold or keep something warm than it is to make it cold or make it warm.

Yes, look at The Mustache himselfs posts when he writes about the thermal mass of his new home. Or have a look at earthships which use a passive heat storing system to cool in the summer and heat warm in the winter.

Not overheard the earthships at my work, but I COULD HAVE.

barbaz

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18357 on: August 31, 2017, 04:04:26 AM »
It is much, much easier to keep something cold or keep something warm than it is to make it cold or make it warm.

Yes, look at The Mustache himselfs posts when he writes about the thermal mass of his new home.
1) Thermal mass helps to smooth the temperature curve without using artificial heating/cooling, but when you use devices, then turning them off will always save energy, because during the time when the temperature difference is reduced you will have less heat flow between inside and outside. Whether that's cost-effective, comfortable, or "easier" depends on a whole lot of other factors though.

2) Going back to the preferred temperature should always take less time than the device was turned off. Otherwise, how were you able to maintain the temperature in the first place? The only exception is when the heating/cooling device cannot run non-stop.

3) The only interesting question arises in the scenario described by RidetheRain
I live in the desert and if I turn off the a/c while I'm at work then my fridge has to work overtime because of the heat. I end up with a ridiculously high bill because of the fridge and any food in the door goes bad (I hide dairy in the back corner to this day). For me, just cooling the place is cheaper although I do have different temps for when I'm home vs not home.
Does this mean the fridge sucks or is it normal that AC units are more energy efficient than fridges?

Feivel2000

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18358 on: August 31, 2017, 05:09:24 AM »
I once had an AC that pushed out foam instead of cold air.

Only solution was to turn it off and move it to the room for the foam party. This way people could enjoy the foam and my work room was almost foam free.

87tweetybirds

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18359 on: August 31, 2017, 05:39:02 AM »
Long time lurker of this post, but I don't think I've posted before

Not really overheard, but work related. My employer produces a quarterly "flyer" that has your benefits and investment info, basically telling you how much money the company has spent on your benefits, how much you have spent on benefits, etc, but there is also a part that is called "your FIt age. Financially Independent time? I think- it's the soonest they think you will have saved enough to retire at your current rate. I noticed it said "55", and I thought, no way, I should be FI before that, then I noticed the small writing below it says something like, "55 is the earliest our software will compute a retirement age" So I guess the company doesn't think its possible to Retire very early.

And then, not at work, but my Brother (#3) and SIL are pretty deep into debt with student loans, she recently had her laptop computer "die", and they bought a new one-with $ from their student loans that they'll be paying on for the rest of her life. She gave the laptop to one of my brothers(#2), who isn't in a tech field, but is pretty computer savy. (I'm not super tech savy) He told me he had to do a couple of things, and then reinstall the software, but was able to bring the laptop back to life. He offered it back to my SIL, but she said, "Oh, I don't need it, we already bought a new one." Now granted she's in school and may have needed a computer, but I know brother #3 has a laptop, and they have a desktop, so it's not like she didn't have other options while it was being worked on. Oh well, my brother #2 was thrilled to have acquired a "free" laptop.

Rollin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18360 on: August 31, 2017, 05:47:39 AM »
One of my colleagues strongly believes that it is less expensive to run his A/C the whole day while he's at work, than to turn it off when he leaves, then back on again.

Because, he says, it uses more energy to start the cooling process over again and cool the room, than to maintain a given (cold) room temperature. I'm pretty sure that's ignoring very basic principles of thermodynamics. Appreciate if any of you have a concise, yet authoritative site on the topic.

I remember that the Florida Solar Energy Center website had something on this (BTW you are correct). Maybe take the easy road in explanation though and tell him with his theory he should leave his car running all day (while at work of course) with the AC on.

marty998

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18361 on: August 31, 2017, 06:12:11 AM »
I once had an AC that pushed out foam instead of cold air.

Only solution was to turn it off and move it to the room for the foam party. This way people could enjoy the foam and my work room was almost foam free.

I see what you did there ;)

I also think everyone needs to practice badassity and not use aircon at all.

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18362 on: August 31, 2017, 10:22:44 AM »
One of my colleagues strongly believes that it is less expensive to run his A/C the whole day while he's at work, than to turn it off when he leaves, then back on again.

Because, he says, it uses more energy to start the cooling process over again and cool the room, than to maintain a given (cold) room temperature. I'm pretty sure that's ignoring very basic principles of thermodynamics. Appreciate if any of you have a concise, yet authoritative site on the topic.

By that logic, you should just leave the oven on all day so it doesn't have to heat up from room temperature when it's time to make dinner.

Not quite the same logic, actually.

When our AC was out for a couple of days, it took about 3 days to get the house back cool. Why? Because everything in the house was hot. The couches, walls, floors, beds, tables, everything was over 90*. So the air was cooled, but the things were not.

It doesn't take very long to heat 5 cubic feet of air. It takes a LONG time to cool/heat a lot of things, and air.

I'm not saying he's right--but he has a valid, though mis-led point.
The same applies when you're hearing too, when you come back from a holiday mid winter and your house is cold the air is easy to heat but the other stuff needs to heat up as well. Depending on you house's insulation it can actually be better to keep a certain temperature constantly rather than lower the temp dramatically and reheating it a few hours later...

Raenia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18363 on: August 31, 2017, 10:31:38 AM »
Just had a really sad "overheard at work" to share.  My employer runs a shuttle from the site to the train station for employees who take public transit.  From what I can tell, the company hires a contractor company, who in turn hires the driver (and probably provides the van?)  Two of my coworkers to take the train were talking about it, and apparently the guy who drives the van told them that he has to drive 180 miles each way to get from his home to the site, over 2 hours of unpaid driving before he even gets to work.  Apparently he's been sleeping in the van in the parking lot some night because he was too exhausted to drive home.  He's getting older and having some health concerns which might make it dangerous for him to drive, but no one is taking action.  And to top it off, he was recently asking for advice on his legal rights when his paycheck from the contract company bounced when he tried to cash it- which has apparently happened multiple times!

This poor guy cannot possibly be paid enough to make this gig worthwhile.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18364 on: August 31, 2017, 10:51:35 AM »
Pretty common in the transportation industry.  If you aren't driving "loaded" miles you might not be getting paid.

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18365 on: August 31, 2017, 11:05:33 AM »
Depending on you house's insulation it can actually be better to keep a certain temperature constantly rather than lower the temp dramatically and reheating it a few hours later...

Still faulty logic.  If your insulation is so bad that the temp of the house changes dramatically while you're at work, that means it's also bad enough that your a/c or heater is going to be working hard all day to keep a constant temp while no one is there.

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18366 on: August 31, 2017, 11:11:45 AM »
AC usage..

Off thread, but we are swimming in general foam here anyway...

Compared to California (where I used to live), BC has a weird peak demand for electricity...
Its actually in the winter -- between 5 to 8pm, when people come home, turn on heat, make dinner, run laundry, etc.  Please note that the vast majority of homes have natural gas, so this heating spike is about apartments and the furnace fan...  Also, that the vast majority of homes do not have A/C.

http://www.news1130.com/2017/01/04/bc-hydro-breaks-time-high-electricity-demand/

Until, of course, last Monday night, when the temperature at night in my house (without A/C) remained at 29'C for a LOONG time!
Even through earlier in the summer it was hotter I guess people just got tired of the sudden spike in temperatures and turned on their A/C if they had any.. but this was still 25% lower than in the winter.

https://www.bchydro.com/news/press_centre/news_releases/2017/soaring-temperatures-lead-to-increasing-demand-for-power.html

DarkandStormy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18367 on: August 31, 2017, 11:17:04 AM »
Boss at lunch discussing the upcoming football season / tv use / Xbox (or PS4?) use:

Boss: I usually only play the games I buy about 5-6 times and never touch them again - hockey, Madden, etc.
Co-worker: Oh a new Battlefield is coming out pretty soon, too.
Boss: Crap, how am I going to play that while watching football all day Saturday and Sunday.
*pauses*
Boss: I think I'm going to have to get a 2nd TV for the basement.
Co-worker: Couldn't you just not watch football for part of the day? Or stream on your phone?
Boss: Nah, gotta have the football on the big screen.
*pauses again*
Boss: Actually, another problem is my daughter just spends all her time playing Minecraft.  And if she's not playing, she watches videos of other people playing.
Boss: Maybe I'll just have to get a 2nd playstation, too....

Raenia

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18368 on: August 31, 2017, 11:35:05 AM »
Pretty common in the transportation industry.  If you aren't driving "loaded" miles you might not be getting paid.

It's more the distance than the fact that it wasn't paid that made my jaw drop.  The guy lives almost 200 miles from his work, that's insane.  Plus the fact that his paychecks bounced - that is really, really not a good look for any company.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18369 on: August 31, 2017, 02:41:14 PM »
Boss at lunch discussing the upcoming football season / tv use / Xbox (or PS4?) use:

Boss: I usually only play the games I buy about 5-6 times and never touch them again - hockey, Madden, etc.
Co-worker: Oh a new Battlefield is coming out pretty soon, too.
Boss: Crap, how am I going to play that while watching football all day Saturday and Sunday.
*pauses*
Boss: I think I'm going to have to get a 2nd TV for the basement.
Co-worker: Couldn't you just not watch football for part of the day? Or stream on your phone?
Boss: Nah, gotta have the football on the big screen.
*pauses again*
Boss: Actually, another problem is my daughter just spends all her time playing Minecraft.  And if she's not playing, she watches videos of other people playing.
Boss: Maybe I'll just have to get a 2nd playstation, too....

Tell this guy to set up a Twitch stream so I can watch him watching football on one screen, while playing battlefield on another screen, and his daughter watching videos of other people playing Minecraft.  Of course, I'll also want to watch football so I'll probably need to buy another TV so I can also watch this guy.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18370 on: August 31, 2017, 02:46:14 PM »
Not overheard at work per say.  I just had my less than 1/2 a semi household goods delivered for a work paid for transfer.  The driver commented about recently assisting in the pick up and drop off of someone from a midwestern office of our organization.  He had 2 full semi's of household goods.  I can't even imagine.   

dandarc

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18371 on: August 31, 2017, 02:55:56 PM »
Not overheard at work per say.  I just had my less than 1/2 a semi household goods delivered for a work paid for transfer.  The driver commented about recently assisting in the pick up and drop off of someone from a midwestern office of our organization.  He had 2 full semi's of household goods.  I can't even imagine.   
Wow that's a lot of stuff.

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18372 on: September 01, 2017, 12:13:36 AM »
Not overheard at work per say.  I just had my less than 1/2 a semi household goods delivered for a work paid for transfer.  The driver commented about recently assisting in the pick up and drop off of someone from a midwestern office of our organization.  He had 2 full semi's of household goods.  I can't even imagine.   
Wow that's a lot of stuff.

I hope he had a couple of cars in there...!

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18373 on: September 01, 2017, 12:29:52 AM »
Depending on you house's insulation it can actually be better to keep a certain temperature constantly rather than lower the temp dramatically and reheating it a few hours later...

Still faulty logic.  If your insulation is so bad that the temp of the house changes dramatically while you're at work, that means it's also bad enough that your a/c or heater is going to be working hard all day to keep a constant temp while no one is there.
I don't have an AC. But the point is the maintaining a temperature either heating or cooling requires the same type of effort.

Since my house is insulated very well my problem is more that the house retains its temp very well in summer but after a heatwave we also have an inside temp of 27c for a couple of days :D

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18374 on: September 01, 2017, 12:55:51 AM »
Depending on you house's insulation it can actually be better to keep a certain temperature constantly rather than lower the temp dramatically and reheating it a few hours later...

Still faulty logic.  If your insulation is so bad that the temp of the house changes dramatically while you're at work, that means it's also bad enough that your a/c or heater is going to be working hard all day to keep a constant temp while no one is there.
I don't have an AC. But the point is the maintaining a temperature either heating or cooling requires the same type of effort.

Since my house is insulated very well my problem is more that the house retains its temp very well in summer but after a heatwave we also have an inside temp of 27c for a couple of days :D

No windows eh?

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18375 on: September 01, 2017, 09:39:45 AM »
I was stopped by a chugger on the way home from work today and I think he had a bit of a hard time. I usually stop and chat if I have a few minutes to spare, though I always warn them as I stop that I'm not going to give them any money. Never stops them trying...

Him: [Tells me about his charity, then...] So, you live here, right? You rent? Have a mortgage?
Me: Neither, my husband gets a free house through his job.
Him: OK, cool. But you still have to get around. You have a travelcard?
Me: No, I work from home a lot and I'm trying to get back into cycling.
Him: Er, right, OK. But you must have some regular outgoings. Do you have a phone contract?
Me: Yes.
Him (relieved): Right, so we're just looking for £2 a week. Now, what would you do if your phone bill went up by £2/week?
Me: Well, it would almost double.
Him: Your phone contract is £8 a month?!
Me: Well, £11.50, but an extra £8 on that would be a lot, so I'd probably shop around for a new one.
Him (rattled): Er, yeah, I can see that. (Flails briefly.) What about food? What if your food bill went up £2/week?
Me (feeling sorry for him): Yeah, I wouldn't stop eating if it went up £2/week.

He continued his spiel. I declined to give his charity any money, explaining that I already gave to another charity.

Him: But we're not asking for a lot. I'm not going to ask how much you give them, but--
Me: £100 a month.
[Something computes in his brain that I live in a free house, have minimal commuting costs, have what is obviously the cheapest phone contract he has ever come across...and happily give away £100/month. There is obviously something peculiar about me.]
Him: Right, yeah, that is quite a lot already... OK, well, nice to chat to you, keep us in mind!

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18376 on: September 01, 2017, 11:05:17 AM »
I was stopped by a chugger on the way home from work today and I think he had a bit of a hard time....

Hahaha, nice story!

So I figure a chugger is someone who wants to sell you something on the street?
Does this word apply to everyone or just e.g. monthly costing things or only charities (or what they say are charities ;) )

Too bad I wasn't there, I could have told him that my mobile cost was under 11 pounds for the whole last year.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2017, 11:09:09 AM by LennStar »

TartanTallulah

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18377 on: September 01, 2017, 11:42:43 AM »
I was stopped by a chugger on the way home from work today and I think he had a bit of a hard time....

Hahaha, nice story!

So I figure a chugger is someone who wants to sell you something on the street?
Does this word apply to everyone or just e.g. monthly costing things or only charities (or what they say are charities ;) )


Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.

I was most disappointed to be doorstepped by a chugger from a charity I support regularly, have raised funds for, and have some contact with in the course of my job.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18378 on: September 01, 2017, 12:08:32 PM »
I was stopped by a chugger on the way home from work today and I think he had a bit of a hard time....

Hahaha, nice story!

So I figure a chugger is someone who wants to sell you something on the street?
Does this word apply to everyone or just e.g. monthly costing things or only charities (or what they say are charities ;) )


Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.

I was most disappointed to be doorstepped by a chugger from a charity I support regularly, have raised funds for, and have some contact with in the course of my job.

Yup, charity muggers. My killer question, which I forgot to ask this one, is usually, "And how much do you give to [charity] a month?" I've only ever had one really excellent answer, which was along the lines of someone asking people to give £20 a month who himself gave about £30. Normally they look a bit shifty and embarrassed... I also usually have heard of the charity in question and know what they do, so that's their opening spiel shot down, and tend to ask follow-up questions about the details. Sometimes that goes well and we have a nice chat about what the charity does. Other times it's clear they haven't got a clue.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18379 on: September 01, 2017, 03:59:40 PM »
I was stopped by a chugger on the way home from work today and I think he had a bit of a hard time....

Hahaha, nice story!

So I figure a chugger is someone who wants to sell you something on the street?
Does this word apply to everyone or just e.g. monthly costing things or only charities (or what they say are charities ;) )


Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.

I was most disappointed to be doorstepped by a chugger from a charity I support regularly, have raised funds for, and have some contact with in the course of my job.

Yup, charity muggers. My killer question, which I forgot to ask this one, is usually, "And how much do you give to [charity] a month?" I've only ever had one really excellent answer, which was along the lines of someone asking people to give £20 a month who himself gave about £30. Normally they look a bit shifty and embarrassed... I also usually have heard of the charity in question and know what they do, so that's their opening spiel shot down, and tend to ask follow-up questions about the details. Sometimes that goes well and we have a nice chat about what the charity does. Other times it's clear they haven't got a clue.

If they are paid, that's a good question.  If they volunteer, I'd expect to hear something like "$100 worth of my time"

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18380 on: September 02, 2017, 12:05:13 AM »
If they are paid, that's a good question.  If they volunteer, I'd expect to hear something like "$100 worth of my time"

The typical chugger is paid, and will fundraise for one charity one week and another the next, they just change the T-shirt. I've found that the slicker the person the more likely they are to be paid. Also, the one SLTD interacted with seemed to say very little about the charity, just about how she had spare money to give to this one.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18381 on: September 02, 2017, 01:16:46 AM »
If they are paid, that's a good question.  If they volunteer, I'd expect to hear something like "$100 worth of my time"

The typical chugger is paid, and will fundraise for one charity one week and another the next, they just change the T-shirt. I've found that the slicker the person the more likely they are to be paid. Also, the one SLTD interacted with seemed to say very little about the charity, just about how she had spare money to give to this one.

AFAIK all direct debit sign up chuggers are paid. The tin rattlers are usually volunteers, but they only want a bit of spare change and tend to just smile at you rather than accost you.

 To be fair to this guy, he kicked off with:
Him: Have you hear of [charity]?
Me: Yes, you do X, Y and Z.
Him: Great! Well did you know that recently we did [thing in the news]--
Me: Yes. [Finishes his story.]

So he did know about his charity but, er, so did I!

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18382 on: September 02, 2017, 01:39:05 AM »
If they are paid, that's a good question.  If they volunteer, I'd expect to hear something like "$100 worth of my time"

The typical chugger is paid, and will fundraise for one charity one week and another the next, they just change the T-shirt. I've found that the slicker the person the more likely they are to be paid. Also, the one SLTD interacted with seemed to say very little about the charity, just about how she had spare money to give to this one.

AFAIK all direct debit sign up chuggers are paid. The tin rattlers are usually volunteers, but they only want a bit of spare change and tend to just smile at you rather than accost you.

 To be fair to this guy, he kicked off with:
Him: Have you hear of [charity]?
Me: Yes, you do X, Y and Z.
Him: Great! Well did you know that recently we did [thing in the news]--
Me: Yes. [Finishes his story.]

So he did know about his charity but, er, so did I!

Yes, chugging is a thankless task, there is no way I'd do it as a volunteer (or for money but I'm loaded so can afford to be picky). Many people are dismissive or rude to chuggers*. It's a pretty grimy industry, as the chugger-company get a big chunk of the direct debit, so the charity doesn't get nearly as much as if you signed up directly (which they don't mention). There was a story a while ago about them deliberately targeting low income households and areas. Then they sell people's contact details on, and if you sign up for a £2 payment you get phone calls until the end of time about increasing it.

* I say many people, I mean me. I'm rude to chuggers. There are laws against begging in the UK, they often break them. I avoid eye contact, so they only interact with me by physically blocking my way or by touching me. By that point, they no longer deserve my civility (there is clearly some selection bias here, so I'm only rude to the pushy chuggers).

SLTD seems a much nicer person than me. Good for you.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18383 on: September 02, 2017, 04:57:26 AM »
Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.
Getting one at the door would be a good way to STOP me from making donations.
Luckily I live in a "relatively poor" area rented flat (mostly old people here), so the doors are fairly save, and in Germany it's less anyway. Except a very few (real or not real, most likely latter) refugees there were only two sellers of something in the last 10 years.

farfromfire

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18384 on: September 02, 2017, 07:10:24 AM »
One of my colleagues strongly believes that it is less expensive to run his A/C the whole day while he's at work, than to turn it off when he leaves, then back on again.

Because, he says, it uses more energy to start the cooling process over again and cool the room, than to maintain a given (cold) room temperature. I'm pretty sure that's ignoring very basic principles of thermodynamics. Appreciate if any of you have a concise, yet authoritative site on the topic.

"The EPA says it's better to shut off the air conditioner if you will be away for more than a few hours."
https://www.acdoctor.com/blog/turn-off-ac-or-leave-it-on/

* Assuming you live in a non-ridiculously hot area. I live in the desert and if I turn off the a/c while I'm at work then my fridge has to work overtime because of the heat. I end up with a ridiculously high bill because of the fridge and any food in the door goes bad (I hide dairy in the back corner to this day). For me, just cooling the place is cheaper although I do have different temps for when I'm home vs not home.

No fucking way this is true.  It doesn't even make sense.  You just had a malfunctioning fridge that couldn't keep cold enough, or the efficiency difference between your fridge and AC unit was so disparate that no one should have been using that fridge (ie it was clearly malfunctioning). 

I also call bullshit on anyone saying it takes 3 days to recool their house or anything else.  It takes less energy to turn the AC or heater off/down while you are away and only run it while you are home, absolutely no exceptions.   You can make the argument that you are more comfortable for some short period by keeping a constant temperature rather than turning the unit off then back on and waiting for it to reach your ideal temperature, but leaving it on uses more total energy absolutely no exceptions ever.  That's just the laws of thermodynamics.
Yea. In my hometown 110+ is not uncommon, even for a few days in a row, and AC never fails to cool the entire house within a few hours. Definitely no issues with food perishing.
Now, these are concrete block houses which might perform better in high temperatures. But if that makes such a difference vs wood, might as well use them instead of running the AC 24/365.

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18385 on: September 02, 2017, 08:07:36 AM »
Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.
Getting one at the door would be a good way to STOP me from making donations.
Luckily I live in a "relatively poor" area rented flat (mostly old people here), so the doors are fairly save, and in Germany it's less anyway. Except a very few (real or not real, most likely latter) refugees there were only two sellers of something in the last 10 years.
Poor area or not they still come by the door in my city. When they ask me whether I want to pay for whatever charity they are selling I tell them that all my donations go to the Downsyndrome foundation (which is true), I then proceed to explain in great detail how this helps our son yada yada and if they want to subscribe too? The look on their face is epic, especially when our son is in view. It makes for a very convincing pitch, generally better than theirs though I haven't converted anyone yet ;)

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18386 on: September 02, 2017, 01:06:49 PM »
Chugger = "charity mugger". Someone who accosts you in the street or on your own doorstep trying to get you to sign up to make a regular donation to their charity. They're not volunteers, they're paid by the charity.
Getting one at the door would be a good way to STOP me from making donations.
Luckily I live in a "relatively poor" area rented flat (mostly old people here), so the doors are fairly save, and in Germany it's less anyway. Except a very few (real or not real, most likely latter) refugees there were only two sellers of something in the last 10 years.
Poor area or not they still come by the door in my city. When they ask me whether I want to pay for whatever charity they are selling I tell them that all my donations go to the Downsyndrome foundation (which is true), I then proceed to explain in great detail how this helps our son yada yada and if they want to subscribe too? The look on their face is epic, especially when our son is in view. It makes for a very convincing pitch, generally better than theirs though I haven't converted anyone yet ;)

I definitely noticed an increase when I moved to a more 'working class' area a few years back. Not just chuggers, also Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons, the Church of Christ (I thought all churches were the church of Christ?) and people trying to sell magazine subscriptions or other products. I think it's because in my new neighbourhood a lot of people are at home during the day, the elderly, stay at home parents, unemployed people.

I'm polite to everyone, but I do make it clear straight away that I'm not interested. I have gotten into discusions with chuggers in the past though. I always tell them that if the charity is so important to them, why don't they donate their wages? They ususally say something like "would you work for free? I need to pay my bills". Well, yes, actually, I do work for free for my favourite charity because their work is important to me. I give some money to charity too (not to charities that waste their money on chuggers) but as I have more time than money I mainly donate my skills.

Inaya

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18387 on: September 02, 2017, 04:21:36 PM »
* I say many people, I mean me. I'm rude to chuggers. There are laws against begging in the UK, they often break them. I avoid eye contact, so they only interact with me by physically blocking my way or by touching me. By that point, they no longer deserve my civility (there is clearly some selection bias here, so I'm only rude to the pushy chuggers).



I used to try to be polite. Then one literally cornered me against a wall and wouldn't let me pass. Now I just glower at them or pretend to be on my phone.

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18388 on: September 03, 2017, 12:40:23 AM »
* I say many people, I mean me. I'm rude to chuggers. There are laws against begging in the UK, they often break them. I avoid eye contact, so they only interact with me by physically blocking my way or by touching me. By that point, they no longer deserve my civility (there is clearly some selection bias here, so I'm only rude to the pushy chuggers).
I used to try to be polite. Then one literally cornered me against a wall and wouldn't let me pass. Now I just glower at them or pretend to be on my phone.

Yes, this is the sort of shit I won't stand for.

sea_saw

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18389 on: September 03, 2017, 02:52:14 PM »
I stride right past chuggers with a breezy smile but total refusal to make eye contact. On my face that seems to be the most efficient way to be left alone. Otherwise they think I haven't seen them and try to get my attention.

WHEW. It's taken me actual months to make my way through this thread. Don't talk to me about foam, guns, or orange/black boxes. A few minor contributions, from a generally disappointingly sane and sensible workplace. I've been doing a lot more money talk recently thanks to a very lengthy and convoluted house purchase where I ran through a few different financing options at different times. (All different people).

Me: moving house! going to be looking for furniture soon! Exciting and daunting :)
CW: do you have a credit card these days? (referencing a long-ago conversation where I said I didn't see the point in having one, because I didn't need/want credit and everywhere accepts debit these days)
Me: yeah I got one a couple years ago to do online transactions with. Why do you ask?
CW: Oh I'm so pleased for you! That's fantastic.
Me: Why?
CW: Setting up a flat is expensive! You'll have to do it on credit, it's the only way! Wait and see.

CW: So what's the current financing situation? can you afford the place alone in the end?
Me: Just about. But unless I share with a tenant, I won't be saving anything at all, only just about breaking even each month. So sharing is kind of a must.
CW: Lol, 'saving'? You were saving up for a house. Now that you have one, you don't need to save any more. What would be the point?
Me: I mean it's worth it to me to spend all of my money to have somewhere to live that I love, but I'd be sad to miss out on about 7 years of compound interest until I can get out of the extra financing hole. 
CW: NO ONE who owns a house saves. So long as you can make the mortgage payments, don't worry about the rest. Anyway there's no point. Savings accounts can't remotely keep up with property prices around here.
Me: I wasn't planning on keeping all my money in a bank savings account...
CW: Whatever. You still can't beat property! It's not possible!

Me: Wow, my bank just sent me a text reminding me they're going to take out my very first mortgage payment in a couple of weeks. Like I didn't realise I was moving house! I wonder what the people they normally deal with are like... it's a very stern text that sounds like they're expecting an argument.
CW: Actually it's a legal requirement that they notify you.
Me: I guess that makes sense, sounds like a good idea. It's just the way it's phrased, like they think I'm going to be surprised by it. I suppose some people must be.
CW:  Back in the day, the first payment used to be on the day the mortgage came through. So the money would be sent to you and then immediately deducted again for the sale plus extra for the first repayment! Never made sense to me, might as well have not lent that chunk in the first place. And a lot of people got hit with it unexpectedly right in the middle of moving expenses and so on.
Me: That's interesting, I never even saw the mortgage money, it went straight to the solicitors. And in the mortgage application paperwork it said what day of the month you'd like to pay, 1st, 5th, 10th etc. I just picked the first.
CW:  *looks suddenly shocked* why the 1st? Wouldn't you want the 20th? (we get paid mid month).
Me: Um, it was the first option... I honestly didn't really think about it. Why?
CW: Aren't you worried half the money will be gone by then?
Me: ...no?

Christof

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18390 on: September 03, 2017, 03:12:04 PM »
Admittedly, I would have picket the option that cost me the least amount in interest, so most likely the 1st, too. Not sure what payday has to do with this unless we are in negative interest territory, though.

Dollar Slice

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18391 on: September 03, 2017, 08:52:56 PM »
CW:  *looks suddenly shocked* why the 1st? Wouldn't you want the 20th? (we get paid mid month).
Me: Um, it was the first option... I honestly didn't really think about it. Why?
CW: Aren't you worried half the money will be gone by then?
Me: ...no?

Don't you just hate it when your mortgage payment spends itself when you're not looking?

(OK, admittedly there was that one time I bought something on eBay in my sleep...)

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18392 on: September 04, 2017, 01:26:49 AM »
CW:  *looks suddenly shocked* why the 1st? Wouldn't you want the 20th? (we get paid mid month).
Me: Um, it was the first option... I honestly didn't really think about it. Why?
CW: Aren't you worried half the money will be gone by then?
Me: ...no?

Related and overheard at work: you should pick the first for your mortgage payment, so that if you are having trouble paying it you can switch the payment day to the 28th and get a month for 'free'.

Not entirely terrible, but planning to be unable to pay your mortgage is a whole level of irresponsible.

Feivel2000

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18393 on: September 04, 2017, 01:42:13 AM »
I would probably had chosen the payday or the day after, just for the easiness of accounting...

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18394 on: September 04, 2017, 05:48:26 PM »
CW:  *looks suddenly shocked* why the 1st? Wouldn't you want the 20th? (we get paid mid month).
Me: Um, it was the first option... I honestly didn't really think about it. Why?
CW: Aren't you worried half the money will be gone by then?
Me: ...no?

Don't you just hate it when your mortgage payment spends itself when you're not looking?

(OK, admittedly there was that one time I bought something on eBay in my sleep...)

I have a CW who has many entertaining stories about his deadbeat relatives. He still can't figure out how they got a mortgage in the first place (on a $125k condo in PA), but when the first mortgage payment was due, they said they were short of money and couldn't pay it until the 15th of the month, but that was ok because there was no penalty if they paid by then.

He asked them what they were going to do the next month...<crickets>...

Scandium

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18395 on: September 05, 2017, 09:39:12 AM »
(referencing a long-ago conversation where I said I didn't see the point in having one, because I didn't need/want credit and everywhere accepts debit these days)

To be fair this is pretty good advice; saving/cash-back 1-5% on every single thing you buy is good money! With the average MMM spending probably $500/year at least. I've seen people here do worse for less than that..

Digital Dogma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18396 on: September 05, 2017, 10:26:01 AM »
CW insisted on telling me his "strategy" at the casino the other day. It hurt.

CW: "I'll wait till we win about a hundred dollars, then go take that out to the car so my wife can't spend it all back at the casino"
Me: "Yea but how much do you typically spend to make the first hundred?"
CW: "I dunno, but we aren't using the high roller slot machines, some people will go crazy on those things. They play five dollars at a time! We use the dollar machines."
CW: "I go to the casino to make money, not spend it!"

I didn't have anything constructive to say, hearing something that crazy blew my mind. I was speechless and changed the topic.

aperture

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18397 on: September 05, 2017, 10:57:44 AM »
CW insisted on telling me his "strategy" at the casino the other day. It hurt.

CW: "I'll wait till we win about a hundred dollars, then go take that out to the car so my wife can't spend it all back at the casino"
Me: "Yea but how much do you typically spend to make the first hundred?"
CW: "I dunno, but we aren't using the high roller slot machines, some people will go crazy on those things. They play five dollars at a time! We use the dollar machines."
CW: "I go to the casino to make money, not spend it!"

I didn't have anything constructive to say, hearing something that crazy blew my mind. I was speechless and changed the topic.

My parents went to Vegas two to three times per year for decades and always came back talking about the one or two big wins that they had during the trip. In each of these instances I tried to find out how much they spent to get the big win, and never could elicit an answer that made mathematical sense.  My father was otherwise logical and clear minded, but there was some sort of euphoric recall that took over when slot machines were involved.  I think at the end of the day, they spent $s at the casino being entertained in ways they enjoyed and the total cost was in their budget, so no harm no foul. 

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18398 on: September 05, 2017, 11:16:22 AM »
I've mentioned before that everyone at work is pretty frugal.  The boss' '99 Corolla got totalled a few months back.  He replaced it...with a 2003 Honda Accord with over 200k miles on it.  And despite the peeling clear coat, this one has all the bells and whistles--leather seats, moon roof, heated seats, V6 engine, power everything!

I'm a red panda

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #18399 on: September 05, 2017, 11:23:56 AM »
CW insisted on telling me his "strategy" at the casino the other day. It hurt.

CW: "I'll wait till we win about a hundred dollars, then go take that out to the car so my wife can't spend it all back at the casino"
Me: "Yea but how much do you typically spend to make the first hundred?"
CW: "I dunno, but we aren't using the high roller slot machines, some people will go crazy on those things. They play five dollars at a time! We use the dollar machines."
CW: "I go to the casino to make money, not spend it!"

I didn't have anything constructive to say, hearing something that crazy blew my mind. I was speechless and changed the topic.

My parents went to Vegas two to three times per year for decades and always came back talking about the one or two big wins that they had during the trip. In each of these instances I tried to find out how much they spent to get the big win, and never could elicit an answer that made mathematical sense.  My father was otherwise logical and clear minded, but there was some sort of euphoric recall that took over when slot machines were involved.  I think at the end of the day, they spent $s at the casino being entertained in ways they enjoyed and the total cost was in their budget, so no harm no foul.

I think I've told this before on this board, but I'm not sure.

My Mother is always on me about Vegas as a "cheap" vacation.  She tells me about how my Dad and his friends do a few guys trips a year. They go out there and their hotel is comped, they usually get a few dinners, a round of golf or two, and maybe even a show comped. While they play, all their drinks are free.

Um, Mom. Money is being spent somewhere. Do you really think I'm going to gamble the kind of money it takes to get all those "freebies"?

My Dad absolutely has the kind of money to spend to get so much "free". But Vegas isn't a cheap vacation, no matter how many comps they throw at you.

(She also likes to insist I take a cheap southwest flight out there, despite being told again and again we don't have southwest.)