Overheard at Work

[Ashyukun]

Only 4?

Is that first picture from the Indy St. Pat's parade, where they take them all out to the Speedway? I've wanted to get to that for a while but never have made it. The D-Rex (monster truck DeLorean) is a standard fixture at DeLorean Car Shows. Have only seen the DeLorean Limo the same guy is (or at least was) working on at one show.

[FunkyStickman]

Interesting! Especially the fact two were carbureted conversions, given I converted mine over to carbed while restoring it too. The only time I've ever seen another carbed one has been at the 2 DeLorean Car Shows I've been to where there were 40+ cars total and still only 2 or 3 of us running carbs. There were more engine-swapped cars than carbureted, including one awesome LS-4 swap. Honestly, the only time I see another one AT ALL is when I'm at a specific meetup for them- there are supposedly 3 or 4 around Central KY, but mine is the only one most people say they've ever actually seen.

A lot of D owners just don't drive them. To hard to fix them if something breaks, maybe? I don't know. Don't have much use for a car I can't drive.

[robotclown]

People at work talking about how they aren't "broke" because they have 200 dollars and payday is only three days away, so it's fine. 

[Nudelkopf]

"I want to buy a really awesome watch. Like, a $5000 watch. But I can't buy it this year because I'm saving my whole wage for my wedding at the end of the year".

This lady at work is seriously saving her entire $60,000/yr teacher's wage on her wedding. She said they're living off her fiance's pay this year for all their expenses, and her's is going straight to the wedding. Oh man.

[nikki]

"I want to buy a really awesome watch. Like, a $5000 watch. But I can't buy it this year because I'm saving my whole wage for my wedding at the end of the year".

This lady at work is seriously saving her entire $60,000/yr teacher's wage on her wedding. She said they're living off her fiance's pay this year for all their expenses, and her's is going straight to the wedding. Oh man.

Imagine if all of her salary were going toward investments instead...

[Hedge_87]

So I'm really getting tired of being called a tight ass at work for not buying my wife a newer car. We are in the process of buying a house that will put us a very walkable 1 block from her work and 7 blocks from mine. I don't see the need to pour a crap load of money into a new fancy pants car that will just sit in the garage. I don't see why that is so hard to understand. He also asked what she is going to do in the winter... I simply said wear more clothes. She would have almost as far to walk from the parking lot as she would the front door.

[Joggernot]

So I'm really getting tired of being called a tight ass at work for not buying my wife a newer car.

I was called "cheap" by two people at work who bought new gadgets as they came out and new trucks (totally unneeded because they did no hauling) every three years.  One of them died a couple weeks ago while working.  The other is still working.  I retired semi-early and started doing more fun things with my life.

[dragoncar]

I was called "cheap" by two people at work who bought new gadgets as they came out and new trucks (totally unneeded because they did no hauling) every three years.  One of them died a couple weeks ago while working.

Ha... ha?

[Cinder]

So I'm really getting tired of being called a tight ass at work for not buying my wife a newer car.

I posted earlier about a mom yelling at her grown daughter that she was cheap for not spending 'only' 5k more for the option on her car that would tell her where she parked it...

[dandarc]

"I want to buy a really awesome watch. Like, a $5000 watch. But I can't buy it this year because I'm saving my whole wage for my wedding at the end of the year".

This lady at work is seriously saving her entire $60,000/yr teacher's wage on her wedding. She said they're living off her fiance's pay this year for all their expenses, and her's is going straight to the wedding. Oh man.

Imagine if all of her salary were going toward investments instead...

Yes - this could be a positive, they will obviously learn that they can live on just her fiance's pay, so maybe after the wedding they will start investing that 60K per year.  Or maybe the conclusion will be they can afford to buy brand new cars every single year.  Keep us posted Nudelkopf.

[Ashyukun]

A lot of D owners just don't drive them. To hard to fix them if something breaks, maybe? I don't know. Don't have much use for a car I can't drive.

Yup, that's been my experience too. I ALWAYS hear of someone who has one in their garage but never drives it. An ex-GF had a neighbor who had one that just sat, half taken apart, under a car cover in their garage. She told them I'd be more than happy to look it over and give them some help in getting it together and roadworthy, but they were content to just have it sitting there.

Parts aren't a problem- 99% of the parts on the car, I can have a replacement (usually New Old Stock, but for common wear items they still have them made) at my door in 24 hours if I'm willing to pay for overnight shipping. Finding a shop that you trust to work on one if you don't live near one of the official DMC shops though can be a challenge- but I've long been of the mind that you shouldn't own a classic car if you're not capable of doing at least a majority of the work to maintain it mechanically yourself, so I do all the work on mine myself outside of things like swapping tires. The K-Jet system can be a pain when something goes wrong, which is a large part of why I (and many of the others who have done so as well) converted it over to a carb which, while still not perfect, is a LOT simpler and has more people and resources available to work on than the K-Jet.

When I first bought it mine wasn't running and needed a lot of work, and I got asked ALL the time when people heard about it, "What are you going to do with it when you're done?" to which I'd usually look at them like they'd grown a third eye and answer, "Drive it." Right now it's my main car (though as I noted I ride my bike way more than driving at the moment) since my usual daily driver, the Saturn, has some issues I need to resolve before it can be safely driven. It has its quirks- I've never managed to track down the bad ground that means even with the battery cut-off switch that I'll have to have the battery charged back up every other month or so- but otherwise it's a great car to drive around.

[FunkyStickman]

When I first bought it mine wasn't running and needed a lot of work, and I got asked ALL the time when people heard about it, "What are you going to do with it when you're done?" to which I'd usually look at them like they'd grown a third eye and answer, "Drive it." Right now it's my main car (though as I noted I ride my bike way more than driving at the moment) since my usual daily driver, the Saturn, has some issues I need to resolve before it can be safely driven. It has its quirks- I've never managed to track down the bad ground that means even with the battery cut-off switch that I'll have to have the battery charged back up every other month or so- but otherwise it's a great car to drive around.

A few guys ran 1/2" ground cables to fix those weird grounding issues... apparently the frame doesn't make a good ground.

Also, +1 for Saturns. I have an Ion Red Line. It's actually faster and rarer than a Delorean, but not nearly as cool.

[Brad_H]

I was called "cheap" by two people at work who bought new gadgets as they came out and new trucks (totally unneeded because they did no hauling) every three years.  One of them died a couple weeks ago while working.

Ha... ha?

It's not really funny but it is a cause for celebration; I have heard around here several times someone who plans to work until they die, and to see someone set a life-long goal and to nail it with such precision is outstanding. We should all be so tenacious.

[Ashyukun]

A few guys ran 1/2" ground cables to fix those weird grounding issues... apparently the frame doesn't make a good ground.

Also, +1 for Saturns. I have an Ion Red Line. It's actually faster and rarer than a Delorean, but not nearly as cool.

Mine has something similar, a new ground line that runs from the battery to the frame (rear trailing arm bolt) and then over to the transmission. It's never been a problem with things not getting enough power but just that the battery will invariably drain down when it sits even when I've used the battery cut-off to disconnect all but the radio from the battery. I really should find a way to keep the radio settings from getting lost from an alternate power source so I can totally disconnect the battery when it's sitting. It will become less of an issue when I get the garage cleared out and I can have it in the garage hooked up to a battery tender.

Being faster than a DeLorean isn't a particularly hefty feat, but the Ion Red Line is a very nice car. I personally have always wanted (and still kind of do, though it's completely impractical) a Saturn Sky and was rather disappointed when DMC's attempt at buying the factory & production line fell through. My S-Series has been a great car for the last 14 years and will hopefully continue to be for a while to come- though ironically it would probably be the vehicle I'd be most likely to sell if my bike commuting works out well over the winter months.

[Hadilly]

And, combining DeLoreans and personal finance a little bit more... The teller at my bank asked if we were planning on buying a house because of the large balance in the account. I said no, I had a large credit card bill coming (medical expenses). (Anyway, not the smartest guy because the amount in questions is about 5% of what you'd need for a down payment around here, but whatever) He sympathized and said that he had just finished paying off the 30K it took to restore his DeLorean which was now worth 60K. I suggested that this would be a great time to sell and put the money in investments. He said no, he was waiting MJ Fox to die and would necroprofit then. I didn't feel like talking about compounding, etc.

[Ashyukun]

And, combining DeLoreans and personal finance a little bit more... The teller at my bank asked if we were planning on buying a house because of the large balance in the account. I said no, I had a large credit card bill coming (medical expenses). (Anyway, not the smartest guy because the amount in questions is about 5% of what you'd need for a down payment around here, but whatever) He sympathized and said that he had just finished paying off the 30K it took to restore his DeLorean which was now worth 60K. I suggested that this would be a great time to sell and put the money in investments. He said no, he was waiting MJ Fox to die and would necroprofit then. I didn't feel like talking about compounding, etc.

Ouch. 30K is more- close to the order of twice to be exact- than I spent buying and fixing mine up to where it is now, I can't IMAGINE spending 30K to restore it! And I suspect that he's going to be rather shocked when he does indeed decide to sell it- there are VERY few DMC-12 that would sell for that much money- usually I believe just the ones that have some kind of unique history to them that make them stand out (like the one Johnny Carson owned). I've seen people trying to sell DeLorean Time Machine conversion cars for upwards of 50k, but very rarely actually selling them at that price since it's a very niche market (and in many places I believe it can't be driven normally on the roads...).

[jimmymango]

A lot of D owners just don't drive them. To hard to fix them if something breaks, maybe? I don't know. Don't have much use for a car I can't drive.

Jerry Seinfeld drove a Delorean on the Patton Oswalt episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and it broke down within seconds of picking Oswalt up - http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/patton-oswalt-how-would-you-kill-superman

[Eric]

Ouch. 30K is more- close to the order of twice to be exact- than I spent buying and fixing mine up to where it is now, I can't IMAGINE spending 30K to restore it!

I bet he added a flux capacitor.  I hear those are pretty spendy.

[hermoninny]

I commented on a coworker's lunch smelling good when I went to heat mine up.  She had meatloaf.  I commented that I had been thinking about making meatloaf because I just stocked up on ground beef on sale.

"Oh, I bought this at Trader Joe's.  It's a really good deal.  I can cut it in half, and it's only $5."

I buy a pound of (non-organic, but no hormones, etc) beef on sale for $3.  For $5, I can make enough meatloaf to feed my family for a week.

Crazy!

[Ashyukun]

Ouch. 30K is more- close to the order of twice to be exact- than I spent buying and fixing mine up to where it is now, I can't IMAGINE spending 30K to restore it!

I bet he added a flux capacitor.  I hear those are pretty spendy.

They're not exactly cheap, at least for replica prop variety- I've seen them around $300 on eBay. It's not the flux capacitor it will get you, it's getting the Plutonium...

[NoraLenderbee]

I was called "cheap" by two people at work who bought new gadgets as they came out and new trucks (totally unneeded because they did no hauling) every three years.  One of them died a couple weeks ago while working.

Ha... ha?

It's not really funny but it is a cause for celebration; I have heard around here several times someone who plans to work until they die, and to see someone set a life-long goal and to nail it with such precision is outstanding. We should all be so tenacious.

LOL

[Goldielocks]

I commented on a coworker's lunch smelling good when I went to heat mine up.  She had meatloaf.  I commented that I had been thinking about making meatloaf because I just stocked up on ground beef on sale.

"Oh, I bought this at Trader Joe's.  It's a really good deal.  I can cut it in half, and it's only $5."

I buy a pound of (non-organic, but no hormones, etc) beef on sale for $3.  For $5, I can make enough meatloaf to feed my family for a week.

Crazy!

hmm,   with fillers, that $5 is still just 2 normal size meatloaves, or two family dinners -- and that feeds your family for a week?  Mine tend to eat a lot of meatloaf (1 lb + per dinner) at one sitting when I make it...   

[dragoncar]

Ouch. 30K is more- close to the order of twice to be exact- than I spent buying and fixing mine up to where it is now, I can't IMAGINE spending 30K to restore it!

I bet he added a flux capacitor.  I hear those are pretty spendy.

Of course they're expensive.  It's what... makes... time... travel... possible!

In my search for a pic of a flux capacitor, I came across this NSFW pic... be forewarned.

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6135899904/h7AE97F1D/

[Joggernot]

I was called "cheap" by two people at work who bought new gadgets as they came out and new trucks (totally unneeded because they did no hauling) every three years.  One of them died a couple weeks ago while working.

Ha... ha?

It's not really funny but it is a cause for celebration; I have heard around here several times someone who plans to work until they die, and to see someone set a life-long goal and to nail it with such precision is outstanding. We should all be so tenacious.

LOL

It's sad because he made 150% of what I made and spent it all instead of saving it.

[hermoninny]

I commented on a coworker's lunch smelling good when I went to heat mine up.  She had meatloaf.  I commented that I had been thinking about making meatloaf because I just stocked up on ground beef on sale.

"Oh, I bought this at Trader Joe's.  It's a really good deal.  I can cut it in half, and it's only $5."

I buy a pound of (non-organic, but no hormones, etc) beef on sale for $3.  For $5, I can make enough meatloaf to feed my family for a week.

Crazy!

hmm,   with fillers, that $5 is still just 2 normal size meatloaves, or two family dinners -- and that feeds your family for a week?  Mine tend to eat a lot of meatloaf (1 lb + per dinner) at one sitting when I make it...

My kids are 3 and 19 months.  The 3-year old won't touch the meatloaf, and the 19-month old will eat only a little.  :)

[MidwestGal]

At school, one of my classmates walked in smiling from ear to ear.

"I bought a new car yesterday!  Got a great deal on it, I talked them down from 2X,XXX to 16,XXX and put a lot down so I'm only financing several thousand (didn't specify the amount) for 5 years.  What's even better is that I spent $XXXX on the warranties and undercoating/other shit so I'll be covered if absolutely anything happens."

This was the same person who told me that they were no longer interested in finishing their major, hasn't the slightest idea what's going on in the future, has a part time job and lives with parents.  What's even better is that they had originally walked on the lot looking for a used car...  This is one of the most book-smart folks I know, A student and everything.  To their credit, they had been sharing a car with a parent and saving money for the down payment.

I must have had a completely lost look on my face, with how my other classmate nudged me to see if I was OK.

[lizfish]

Finally got one. I do payroll for a company. They're new to me, and they get paid on the last working day of the month. So one of the ladies in the office comes in with her timesheets and asks when the pay will go in (I think, the same day it always does. But I'm new to them, so maybe it's not always been thus) I tell her, and she pulls a face. "Some months are longer than others eh?" I say. She nods. Fast forward 4 hours, the director comes in and asks me to pay everyone the day before the end of the month. Because "people have got direct debits coming out on the last day"

I'm thinking, why ask me to move the date of the payroll? Why not ask them to move their darned DDs? And also, try keeping a buffer in case you don't get paid. It helps, trust me. I do not understand that logic. But he's the boss, so a day earlier it is. *sigh*

[Tempe]

Lizfish, I have seen moments like that. Our pay day was usually 5 days after the 1st since our bosses had to put everything in and weren't there always. I had a coworker complaining that her rent was due and that she was struggling to pay it. Seriously? We know the paychecks will be late, where was your second paycheck going? Other coworkers ask me when we get paid, I tell them 5 days after the date they originally told us. Is is that hard to remember without freaking out it is late? I don't care when the paychecks go in as long as I'm paid at some point.

[Lis]

In defense of those people who worry about being paid late (and this is not meant to sound complainypants!), I get it. Maybe my reasons are different (probably are), but if I wasn't paid on time it would cause some headaches. My e-fund is in a high interest savings account and CDs at another bank. My SL is due on the third of each month (a date I picked on purpose), and I'm paid the 15th and last day of the month. I do keep a smaller, short term e-fund in my main bank for that very reason, but I did get super nervous this morning when I didn't get an email saying my direct deposit went through (went to spam, thanks gmail). I like it when things go smoothly and get grumpy when they don't. But again, it wouldn't be life ending for me if I got paid a couple of days late. I'll just need to pop some extra advil.

[nordlead]

If my pay was late it would cause a cascading affect that would cost me a small chunk of money in fees.

Not that I can't cover the costs, but without a couple days notice that the pay will be late I can't move the money fast enough due to our horribly antiquated banking system that requires days to transfer something that should take seconds.

[BigRed]

Is it really worth it to be so optimized as to the location of your money that you couldn't handle a small error by your payroll department?  It seems unlikely that having a buffer of 1-2 paychecks worth in your normal bill paying account would have any meaningful effect on your long term finances and the benefit of not worrying about something out of your control would be pretty nice.

For instance, my wife's boss forgot to submit her timesheets for June and so, instead of getting her monthly check on July 1, it didn't get deposited until July 29th.  The sum total of things I needed to do to handle that was: nothing.  We use YNAB, we're fully buffered and we keep a healthy balance in our checking account. 

Unless you're in a high interest rate debt emergency, it seems like making sure a delay in your pay doesn't cause problems would be very useful.

[vivophoenix]

ill be honest.

I get annoyed as well,  because I am type A.

I get a high on days I get paid, because that is also my bill paying day. I enjoy signing checks, and placing them into each addressed and stamped envelope . ( i know, its nuts that i still use checks) I also update my budget, and start transferring over money to invest.  I try to almost empty my bank account each pay period, because it should be going towards a bill, and left overs towards savings.

also, I find it interesting when companies have some reason or excuse for paying me late. the company didnt get that work it wanted me to do immediately,  a week later. and its not going to pay me any extra for that late week. so sometimes its not about living close to the margins.

[Lis]

ill be honest.

I get annoyed as well,  because I am type A.

Seconded.

For what it's worth, I am in a high interest debt emergency. Every penny I make is accounted for. At 6.75%, I want that thing gone ASAP (and soon it will be)! I do have more than the minimum payment in my regular bank just in case, but that's money I want to forget is there any only use it for an emergency (and someone screwing up in payroll is not an emergency). Then again, my company outsources payroll (and all other HR functions), so heads would probably roll if an error like that ever happened.

[zataks]

I had a bit of pay delayed (about $300) but as it was over and above my normal 80 hour pay (it was for being on-call) it didn't have any impact on me financially.  However, I was upset about it as the timeframe in which I get paid is governed by labor law and that time limit had been exceeded.  It didn't help that my supervisor would not give direct answers as to where my pay was, either. 

I also agree that you should have buffer.  But if the employer has agreed to pay on a certain day, that agreement should be upheld.

[purpleqgr]

I'd start immediately looking for another job if my employer suddenly missed the pay period by a couple of days without a very good explanation - this is a huge red flag. I've been through enough downturns and seen enough hollowed out companies chain their doors closed unannounced on a random tuesday morning.  Regularly missing their agreed upon pay date? Nope - floating a loan to my employer is not in my best interest. Nothing to do with my available funds, it's just the sign of a company that hasn't got their shit together.

I don't understand folks that 'need' a paycheck a day earlier than end of month, though. C'mon, budget already.

[nordlead]

Is it really worth it to be so optimized as to the location of your money that you couldn't handle a small error by your payroll department?  It seems unlikely that having a buffer of 1-2 paychecks worth in your normal bill paying account would have any meaningful effect on your long term finances and the benefit of not worrying about something out of your control would be pretty nice.

For instance, my wife's boss forgot to submit her timesheets for June and so, instead of getting her monthly check on July 1, it didn't get deposited until July 29th.  The sum total of things I needed to do to handle that was: nothing.  We use YNAB, we're fully buffered and we keep a healthy balance in our checking account. 

Unless you're in a high interest rate debt emergency, it seems like making sure a delay in your pay doesn't cause problems would be very useful.

My company would be in huge trouble, with the potential of losing big contracts if they ever failed to submit timesheets with a delay so bad that we didn't get paid for 28 days. Heck, even 1 day late will look bad for us. I think my company has been late once before on the electronic payment and we got a notice ahead of time that there was going to be a problem.

For me, all my bill pays are automated. I expect money to be transfered into my checking account, and then expect 1-4 days later to have lots of withdrawals. If my company fails to pay on time I probably have much bigger problems coming down the line.

[odput]

I'd start immediately looking for another job if my employer suddenly missed the pay period by a couple of days without a very good explanation - this is a huge red flag.

Glad I'm not the only one who though of it this way...I'd be super worried about the company if my payday was missed and nobody offered a reasonable explanation (payroll software issue or something major like that)

[Zikoris]

For me, all my bill pays are automated. I expect money to be transfered into my checking account, and then expect 1-4 days later to have lots of withdrawals. If my company fails to pay on time I probably have much bigger problems coming down the line.

This is a good reason to have bills charged to a credit card rather than your bank account.

[AlanStache]

For me, all my bill pays are automated. I expect money to be transfered into my checking account, and then expect 1-4 days later to have lots of withdrawals. If my company fails to pay on time I probably have much bigger problems coming down the line.

This is a good reason to have bills charged to a credit card rather than your bank account.

I think this has come up before in cc-hacking threads, is it a Canadian thing that you can easily put power/internet/etc on a cc?  I think in the states it is a pain or discouraged.

[dragoncar]

For me, all my bill pays are automated. I expect money to be transfered into my checking account, and then expect 1-4 days later to have lots of withdrawals. If my company fails to pay on time I probably have much bigger problems coming down the line.

This is a good reason to have bills charged to a credit card rather than your bank account.

All my credit card due dates are on the 4th.  If my paycheck is late by a week, I'm gonna collect penalties.

http://employment-law.knoji.com/pay-day-violations-in-california/

[Zikoris]

I think this has come up before in cc-hacking threads, is it a Canadian thing that you can easily put power/internet/etc on a cc?  I think in the states it is a pain or discouraged.

Most places here allow it, yeah - but wouldn't most American companies that accepted auto-payment from a bank account also allow it from a credit card? Is it common to allow one but not the other?

All my credit card due dates are on the 4th.  If my paycheck is late by a week, I'm gonna collect penalties.

We pay all our credit cards off in full twice a month on our pay periods. This means we'd have to not get paid for a solid month before running the risk of paying interest, and even then, we would just transfer in money from savings at that point. Even if it takes a day or two to transfer money around, you should still have ample time.

[vivophoenix]

i cant pay the following from a cc:  electric/gas bill,  student loan,auto loan, cc bill (ha!)

[dragoncar]

All my credit card due dates are on the 4th.  If my paycheck is late by a week, I'm gonna collect penalties.

We pay all our credit cards off in full twice a month on our pay periods. This means we'd have to not get paid for a solid month before running the risk of paying interest, and even then, we would just transfer in money from savings at that point. Even if it takes a day or two to transfer money around, you should still have ample time.

I'm "fine" either way, I meant I'm going to collect penalties from my employer's misdemeanor.

[cdub]

All my credit card due dates are on the 4th.  If my paycheck is late by a week, I'm gonna collect penalties.

Sounds like you need a YNAB buffer. That would solve all those problems and you wouldn't care when your payday is.
(link Removed)

Seriously YNAB is awesome. You'll never worry about when you get paid again.

[AH013]

For me, all my bill pays are automated. I expect money to be transfered into my checking account, and then expect 1-4 days later to have lots of withdrawals. If my company fails to pay on time I probably have much bigger problems coming down the line.

This is a good reason to have bills charged to a credit card rather than your bank account.

I think this has come up before in cc-hacking threads, is it a Canadian thing that you can easily put power/internet/etc on a cc?  I think in the states it is a pain or discouraged.

in MA, my TV, internet, phone and gas (propane) can go on a CC for free.  My electric, sewer & water requires a bank ACH or they charge a 3% CC transaction fee which just barely exceeds the 2% cash back I'd otherwise get to be willing to do it.

YMMV.  I feel like I remember 1 provider in all my moves that allowed electric to go on a CC without any extra fees, but water & sewer has always only offered free ACH (or sometimes only paper checks or fee applies -- I can see how they thought it was to my convenience to give them money without them having to handle, endorse, and drag a paper check to the bank)

[Bobberth]

Not 'overheard at work' but 'overseen on a public printer at work'.  My boss has talked about his friend and how "He doesn't save money".  I knew the friend was a good lawyer in town but I never knew how much he made until I saw something on the printer.  The friend is 63 and made $460k last year.  Good for him.  The kicker is he & his wife have a combined $900k in investible assets.  That includes his 401k.  Most of our clients of this age in this income range have 2x-3x + this amount in 401k's as they wanted to defer taxes during their high earning years, even if they did spend a lot along the way.  Apparently he saves very little even in his 401k.  Clown is on the verge of normal retirement age and doesn't even have 2x his apparent yearly spending and SS won't put a dent in his monthly spending. 

[dragoncar]

Can we just change the thread title to "crazy stuff you've heard"?   Then every other post doesn't need a disclaimer that it wasn't "overheard," "not at work," etc

[EricL]

Fortunately my co workers are either reasonably prudent or prudently quiet about their finances so I've no recent stories.  However, here are two from years ago, one anti mustachian and one very much not so.

In my first officer assignment years ago I received a phone call from a bill collector - fortunately not one of mine.  This collector was looking for PFC X.  I'd never heard about PFC X so I asked around the office.  The word from the old timers was he'd been out of the unit and Army for years.  When he was in he hooked up with a woman with expensive tastes.  He eventually ran out of creditor resources buying her stuff and turned to robbing banks.  He was OK at it until the police matched his gun to a bullet fired into the ceiling of the last bank.  He got a DD and went to prison.  Apparently he either still had unresolved debts, was out making new ones, or both.  Sad but it felt good telling a bill collector he was SOL.

SPC R was a 20 something company clerk in the same assignment and a pretty smart guy.  In conversation he broadly hinted he had tens of thousands invested in various stocks and diverted large chunks of his pay into them.  One day at work I found him practically doing somersaults with joy.   Some company had gone public and he was diverting a large chunk of his assets to buy into it.  I was in no position to invest and thought he was a bit crazy.  I told him as much since the company's business model was so unconventional.  But SPC R assured me this "Google" company would do very well.

[Jack]

I'd start immediately looking for another job if my employer suddenly missed the pay period by a couple of days without a very good explanation - this is a huge red flag. I've been through enough downturns and seen enough hollowed out companies chain their doors closed unannounced on a random tuesday morning.  Regularly missing their agreed upon pay date? Nope - floating a loan to my employer is not in my best interest. Nothing to do with my available funds, it's just the sign of a company that hasn't got their shit together.

I don't understand folks that 'need' a paycheck a day earlier than end of month, though. C'mon, budget already.

For some reason, I got deja vu -- of getting deja vu -- while reading this. I feel like I remember feeling like I've remembered reading it before.

i cant pay the following from a cc:  ... cc bill (ha!)

Now that's too bad. It would be awesome to pay off a balance by swapping it between cash back card A and cash back card B over and over!

[Beric01]

Co-worker brought in his $2 grand watch today, which he just received. Apparently his wife got a $750 handbag for "compensation".

He's always complaining about how much his wife spends, but seems to have no problems spending himself.