Overheard at Work

[Jack]

CO-Worker3-->ME : It looks like someone is jealous... Don't you have any plans to change your old car? (I drive a paid of -06 Volvo)
ME: No, why should I? Cars don't give me satisfaction, they are just a mean of transportation for me.

You (next time): "No, I'm flabbergasted that anyone would waste so much money trading in a perfectly good, almost new car!"

Or at least that's what I would say -- but then again, I'm not always very nice...

[ketchup]

CO-Worker3-->ME : It looks like someone is jealous... Don't you have any plans to change your old car? (I drive a paid of -06 Volvo)
ME: No, why should I? Cars don't give me satisfaction, they are just a mean of transportation for me.

You (next time): "No, I'm flabbergasted that anyone would waste so much money trading in a perfectly good, almost new car!"

Or at least that's what I would say -- but then again, I'm not always very nice...

I'm flabbergasted that anyone thinks of a 2006 Volvo as an "old car."  It's probably nicer than a 2012 Kia.

[NumberCruncher]

hehe, "old car" discussions at work are fun.

Three years ago, my new boss said something along the lines of "surely we pay you enough to get a new car" because my car was in the shop for like 2 days.

Three years later, and I still have that 2000 Camry. :)

It's not the most mustachian, but we also don't drive much so "eh."

[dude]

At a diner yesterday morning.  Waitress 1 (W1) asks Waitress 2 if she got word on her car from the mechanic yet:

W2:  Ugh.
W1: Not good, huh?
W2:  He said it would start at $2500.
W1: Is that worth it to repair the car or you gonna trade it in and get a new one?
W2: Well, he said if it's my main car, it might be worth repairing.  I guess $2500 is better than another $50,000 for a new one, but if I'm just going to start having problems with it. I'm thinking of selling one of the other cars, maybe the Tahoe . . .

I almost scarfed up my coffee.

[hazelkate]

CO-Worker3-->ME : It looks like someone is jealous... Don't you have any plans to change your old car? (I drive a paid of -06 Volvo)
ME: No, why should I? Cars don't give me satisfaction, they are just a mean of transportation for me.

You (next time): "No, I'm flabbergasted that anyone would waste so much money trading in a perfectly good, almost new car!"

Or at least that's what I would say -- but then again, I'm not always very nice...

I'm flabbergasted that anyone thinks of a 2006 Volvo as an "old car."  It's probably nicer than a 2012 Kia.

Ya, my 2000 Volvo runs just lovely. And she's 15 years old!

[Timmmy]

hehe, "old car" discussions at work are fun.

Three years ago, my new boss said something along the lines of "surely we pay you enough to get a new car" because my car was in the shop for like 2 days.

Three years later, and I still have that 2000 Camry. :)

It's not the most mustachian, but we also don't drive much so "eh."

I got that line every single time I got a raise at my last job.  Apparently I was "making too much money" to be driving a 1989 f-150 that I bought for $700.  It had holes in the floor, was rusty everywhere, made awful noises but it got me to work every time. 

[greenmimama]

We get the line about cars too, I don't understand why family cares that we drive older vehicles? Seriously why does it matter?

[RyanAtTanagra]

We get the line about cars too, I don't understand why family cares that we drive older vehicles? Seriously why does it matter?

Because it's an attack on their choices (for some reason).  Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

[Timmmy]

We get the line about cars too, I don't understand why family cares that we drive older vehicles? Seriously why does it matter?

Because it's an attack on their choices (for some reason).  Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Misery loves company and they think that everyone should suffer with crushing lease payments for a "safe & reliable" car. 

[Davids]

hehe, "old car" discussions at work are fun.

Three years ago, my new boss said something along the lines of "surely we pay you enough to get a new car" because my car was in the shop for like 2 days.

Three years later, and I still have that 2000 Camry. :)

It's not the most mustachian, but we also don't drive much so "eh."

You could have said something like clearly you don't...

[NumberCruncher]

hehe, "old car" discussions at work are fun.

Three years ago, my new boss said something along the lines of "surely we pay you enough to get a new car" because my car was in the shop for like 2 days.

Three years later, and I still have that 2000 Camry. :)

It's not the most mustachian, but we also don't drive much so "eh."

You could have said something like clearly you don't...

haha, I love it.

They'd have to pay me A LOT more for me to consider buying a new car...

[gimp]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

[RyanAtTanagra]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Agreed, but for some reason it seems to be a huge fear for a lot of people.  I had a car for about a year that was in such bad condition I told people that whenever I left in it, I never fully expected to get where I was going, which was completely true.  They always looked at me like I was insane for still driving the thing, but accepting and embracing the possibility of breaking down on the road was very liberating.  Every time I felt a weird bump or heard a noise from the engine or underside I'd go 'oh maybe this is finally it!'.  That car sucked in so many ways and I miss it dearly.

[greenmimama]

We get the line about cars too, I don't understand why family cares that we drive older vehicles? Seriously why does it matter?

Because it's an attack on their choices (for some reason).  Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Misery loves company and they think that everyone should suffer with crushing lease payments for a "safe & reliable" car.

My family pays cash, but they are much more willing to have a bunch of cash tied up in new vehicles and I think they just like having diff. cars every few years, they aren't into buying luxury at least, they have a Civic and a CR-V but still.

[Travis]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Agreed, but for some reason it seems to be a huge fear for a lot of people.  I had a car for about a year that was in such bad condition I told people that whenever I left in it, I never fully expected to get where I was going, which was completely true.  They always looked at me like I was insane for still driving the thing, but accepting and embracing the possibility of breaking down on the road was very liberating.  Every time I felt a weird bump or heard a noise from the engine or underside I'd go 'oh maybe this is finally it!'.  That car sucked in so many ways and I miss it dearly.

My wife had a breakdown in our 2003 Focus two months ago on a lonely stretch of I-5 in Oregon.  It was the first time the car has had a breakdown of any kind and it ended up being a $1000 or so repair bill.  Waiting for the tow truck for over an hour with a 4 year old wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world (forgetting to charge her cellphone came close though).  I was not pleased to spend the money, but most of it was budgeted for and it's still light years ahead of a car payment.  In contrast, one of my subordinates has a large pickup truck that someone backed into just before we deployed so he had to pay for part of that and he's still paying for the vehicle itself.

[sheepstache]

We need to come up with a quick code word when we get too far down a follow up thread, or off topic.

Muskrat

GREAT!, now I have that stupid song stuck in my head...

Oh, how I want to Google a muskrat song, but I'm scared...

Oh, you are so young... Here, it's the kind of song that you think you hate, but your brain secretly likes it and makes it run in your head until you go insane, or think the only way out is to eat a bullet, lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBYV_7a0FQs

What did I just listen to? :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIyixC9NsLI

Now the badger song. That I can get behind. Same with the Llama song.

This Muskrat thing is...odd, but kind of fun.

Agreed. Must be a generational thing. Each human generation evolves immunity to its parents' earworms but so too do the earworms evolve...

[gimp]

My wife had a breakdown in our 2003 Focus two months ago on a lonely stretch of I-5 in Oregon.  It was the first time the car has had a breakdown of any kind and it ended up being a $1000 or so repair bill.  Waiting for the tow truck for over an hour with a 4 year old wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world (forgetting to charge her cellphone came close though).  I was not pleased to spend the money, but most of it was budgeted for and it's still light years ahead of a car payment.  In contrast, one of my subordinates has a large pickup truck that someone backed into just before we deployed so he had to pay for part of that and he's still paying for the vehicle itself.

It's actually a liberating experience: once you go through it, you stop worrying. It's the same as how kids who fall from a tree or a swing or whatever, and break an arm and a leg, end up being less afraid of heights than kids who don't: they realize it's really not a big deal.

Keep a cell charger in your car, though. Make sure your car can charge the phone when the engine isn't running. (My car does it fine; others might need to turn the key backwards, or forwards one stop without hitting ignition, or whatever.) If none of the above work... well, a spare battery, or a solar charger, or a battery phone case, or a battery powered phone charger, won't go amiss. Those options can be $5 or cheaper. For example, this cell charger is $3 shipped. It's important to have a good emergency road kit in your car, and though your definition of "good" may be different from mine, chances are that a way to charge your phone is part of it!

[ketchup]

CO-Worker3-->ME : It looks like someone is jealous... Don't you have any plans to change your old car? (I drive a paid of -06 Volvo)
ME: No, why should I? Cars don't give me satisfaction, they are just a mean of transportation for me.

You (next time): "No, I'm flabbergasted that anyone would waste so much money trading in a perfectly good, almost new car!"

Or at least that's what I would say -- but then again, I'm not always very nice...

I'm flabbergasted that anyone thinks of a 2006 Volvo as an "old car."  It's probably nicer than a 2012 Kia.

Ya, my 2000 Volvo runs just lovely. And she's 15 years old!

My 1996 Volvo did great too!

[gimp]

Why do volvo drivers seem to often get pissed when they get passed, and try to compete? It's volvo drivers, and men driving minivans, the two most common types of drivers who try to speed up when they get passed. (And women driving huge SUVs, too.)

[Travis]

Keep a cell charger in your car

She has a plug-in - sometimes two if I leave mine in the car.  She just forgot to plug it in and drained what was left using the phone and looking up a few things online.  She probably could have charged it using just the car battery after they pulled over, but since she didn't know what happened to the car I think she was afraid of touching anything.

[cdttmm]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

[Goldielocks]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

+1.

but argh!  My favorite show is also a favorite of what would have then been a 13 yr old?!    This should be an old person reference.  Maybe I need to grow up :¬}

[mm1970]

hehe, "old car" discussions at work are fun.

Three years ago, my new boss said something along the lines of "surely we pay you enough to get a new car" because my car was in the shop for like 2 days.

Three years later, and I still have that 2000 Camry. :)

It's not the most mustachian, but we also don't drive much so "eh."

My boss's boss's boss (who I've known for 14+ years) still drives the car he had when I met and worked directly for him, in 2000.  I think it's a 1998 mustang.

[sky_northern]

I live in a small town this is a conversation with a new (female) co-worker that moved from Toronto about two months ago:

CW: When I'm dating someone they always gain weight, I don't know why, I don't know how to cook.
Me: Well they probably end up taking you out to eat a lot. But how could you not know how to cook?
CW: Well, I cook now, but in the city I never cook.
Me: That's crazy. Must be expensive too.
CW: No, in the city there is food everywhere, you can buy a meal for 5-8 dollars so it's cheaper than cooking for a single person.
Me: No, it's not, I call bullshit.
CW: What, no it is cheaper.
Me: I can make a pot of chili for 5 bucks and eat for a week. (if it's meat chilli and you are buying meant that 5 bucks might be an exaggeration but I get wild meat for free.)
CW: Who wants to eat chili for a week straight?
Me: That's what fridges and freezers were invented for- you don't actually have to eat chili for a week, but it's a week worth of meals.
CW2: (maybe trying to release tension?)yum, Chili, I have a great recipe I should make some this weekend now that it's getting cold.

[arebelspy]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

+1.

but argh!  My favorite show is also a favorite of what would have then been a 13 yr old?!    This should be an old person reference.  Maybe I need to grow up :¬}

Brown coats can be any age!

[jordanread]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

+1.

but argh!  My favorite show is also a favorite of what would have then been a 13 yr old?!    This should be an old person reference.  Maybe I need to grow up :¬}

Brown coats can be any age!

+1. Yes we can.

[agent_clone]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Agreed, but for some reason it seems to be a huge fear for a lot of people.  I had a car for about a year that was in such bad condition I told people that whenever I left in it, I never fully expected to get where I was going, which was completely true.  They always looked at me like I was insane for still driving the thing, but accepting and embracing the possibility of breaking down on the road was very liberating.  Every time I felt a weird bump or heard a noise from the engine or underside I'd go 'oh maybe this is finally it!'.  That car sucked in so many ways and I miss it dearly.

My wife had a breakdown in our 2003 Focus two months ago on a lonely stretch of I-5 in Oregon.  It was the first time the car has had a breakdown of any kind and it ended up being a $1000 or so repair bill.  Waiting for the tow truck for over an hour with a 4 year old wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world (forgetting to charge her cellphone came close though).  I was not pleased to spend the money, but most of it was budgeted for and it's still light years ahead of a car payment.  In contrast, one of my subordinates has a large pickup truck that someone backed into just before we deployed so he had to pay for part of that and he's still paying for the vehicle itself.

This one hour tow truck wait and having cellphone reception amuses me.  I am reminded of this post: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/is-a-new-car-reasonable-in-australia/msg278647/#msg278647 . That being said, I don't know that older cars have particularly been commented on at work (well aside from a few people having older cars themselves).

[Chaplin]

I do think fundraisers during work are awkward because of the pressure to donate, at which point it's not a donation anymore.

Whenever parents come around trying to sell their kids' Girl Guide cookies, I always try to negotiate the price. It never works, but enough people buy them and then leave them out for others to eat that there's no need buy any and actually encourage parents further.

[Chaplin]

Now the badger song. That I can get behind. Same with the Llama song.

Hamster Dance!

[ketchup]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

+1.

but argh!  My favorite show is also a favorite of what would have then been a 13 yr old?!    This should be an old person reference.  Maybe I need to grow up :¬}

Brown coats can be any age!

+1. Yes we can.

Sure can.  I would have been 11 when the show aired (2002), but I didn't see it until a year or two ago if that somehow makes it any better.

[mm1970]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

[Goldielocks]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

Ok I looked it up.  How do you get trapped in you car for three days, near shamrock when it appears to be flatish there and less than 20miles between  roads or highways?

Most people would walk out on the second day. 

[mm1970]

Okay, that's really funny!
I'd love to read about bloggers who would make Amy D cry in envy.

The all-time champion of frugality would have to be Dolly Freed of Possum Living, although technically she's not a blogger. 

My top three:
Ellie Kay
EllieKay.com

Mike & Lauren
http://www.mikeandlauren.com/

Johnny & Mrs. Moneyseed
http://www.johnnymoneyseed.com/

Very honorable mention:
Amanda
http://www.frugalconfessions.com/

Abigail
http://ipickuppennies.net/

Andrea
http://savingslifestyle.com/

Andy
http://artofbeingcheap.com/

Ashley
http://moneytalkscoaching.com/

Erin
http://www.myfrugalhome.com/

And for sheer volume:
http://www.wisebread.com/

There are another 50 or so at this list with the "frugality" keyword, although I haven't read much of their blogs:
http://finconexpo.com/attendee-list/

Thanks!!  Totally going to check these out after the kiddos are in bed.

[mm1970]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Agreed, but for some reason it seems to be a huge fear for a lot of people.  I had a car for about a year that was in such bad condition I told people that whenever I left in it, I never fully expected to get where I was going, which was completely true.  They always looked at me like I was insane for still driving the thing, but accepting and embracing the possibility of breaking down on the road was very liberating.  Every time I felt a weird bump or heard a noise from the engine or underside I'd go 'oh maybe this is finally it!'.  That car sucked in so many ways and I miss it dearly.

My wife had a breakdown in our 2003 Focus two months ago on a lonely stretch of I-5 in Oregon.  It was the first time the car has had a breakdown of any kind and it ended up being a $1000 or so repair bill.  Waiting for the tow truck for over an hour with a 4 year old wasn't fun, but it wasn't the end of the world (forgetting to charge her cellphone came close though).  I was not pleased to spend the money, but most of it was budgeted for and it's still light years ahead of a car payment.  In contrast, one of my subordinates has a large pickup truck that someone backed into just before we deployed so he had to pay for part of that and he's still paying for the vehicle itself.

Not a middle of nowhere breakdown, but...a few years ago my husband had a 1.5 week trip to DC for business.  Rather than fly home for 1.5 days in the middle, we used his miles to fly me and our 5 year old out for a four day weekend.  (We met and got married there, so it was fun, and we stayed with friends.)

Well, I got back after a long day of traveling to CA with my son.  My cell phone (calls only, no texts) was very much almost dead.  I got to my car in long term parking and it wouldn't unlock, much less start.  Turns out that my son had turned on the interior light before we got out.

I was THIS CLOSE to taking the shuttle to the other long term lot to take my husband's car home.  But instead I used the last of the cell juice to call my spouse, who gave me the USAA emergency number.  Waited an hour in the heat of the parking lot for the tow truck to give me a jump THEN drove about 45 minutes through town (it's a 10 minute drive home) to let my son nap and to recharge the battery.  Fun times.

[mm1970]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

Ok I looked it up.  How do you get trapped in you car for three days, near shamrock when it appears to be flatish there and less than 20miles between  roads or highways?

Most people would walk out on the second day.

Well, their van broke down and the nearest place that could fix it was...I dunno, 100 miles away?  I can't remember.  They holed up in a hotel while the van got towed and fixed, then paid a local to drive them to their van.

And it was the middle of summer, so hot.

[iris lily]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Agreed, but for some reason it seems to be a huge fear for a lot of people.  I had a car for about a year that was in such bad condition I told people that whenever I left in it, I never fully expected to get where I was going, which was completely true.  They always looked at me like I was insane for still driving the thing, but accepting and embracing the possibility of breaking down on the road was very liberating.  Every time I felt a weird bump or heard a noise from the engine or underside I'd go 'oh maybe this is finally it!'.  That car sucked in so many ways and I miss it dearly.

When we last moved we had an old car, and we talked about leaving it along side of the road if it went kerplunk, placing the title son the windshield. haha.

[Goldielocks]

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

Ok I looked it up.  How do you get trapped in you car for three days, near shamrock when it appears to be flatish there and less than 20miles between  roads or highways?

Most people would walk out on the second day.

Well, their van broke down and the nearest place that could fix it was...I dunno, 100 miles away?  I can't remember.  They holed up in a hotel while the van got towed and fixed, then paid a local to drive them to their van.

And it was the middle of summer, so hot.

Thanks, I thought they were stuck waiting in their car for a passerby to get help.

[jordanread]

Everything's shiny, cap'n.

+1

+1.

but argh!  My favorite show is also a favorite of what would have then been a 13 yr old?!    This should be an old person reference.  Maybe I need to grow up :¬}

Brown coats can be any age!

+1. Yes we can.

Sure can.  I would have been 11 when the show aired (2002), but I didn't see it until a year or two ago if that somehow makes it any better.

That's the second time someone has aged me in the past two weeks.

[Albert]

All this talk about being stranded reminded me of a story from grad school in US. My roommate was driving from Oregon to Las Vegas with his girlfriend for some gambling. Don't remember what his car was, but old for sure. On the way back his car died in a small town in Eastern California. He managed to get it to the nearest mechanic, but turned out that a replacement part had to be ordered with waiting time of 2 weeks. They were 8-9 h drive from nearest friends or relatives. The only way to get out of town a public bus coming three times a week to collect released prisoners from nearby federal prison. Obviously the bus had left few hours ago so they ended staying in a motel for two days, then taking this bus to somewhere on the coast, then Greyhound back to Oregon. A friend then drove him two weeks later to retrieve the car. Not an end of the world of course, but not exactly fun either.

Nothing like this possible here of course. Every hamlet has frequent public transport.

[iwasjustwondering]

I have a happy ending to one of my overheard at work posts!  I had posted about a rewards system we have at work, where you get points and can renew them for consumer items like laptops or jewelry, or cash.  Well, the first time I cashed in my points, I bought a treadmill and ended up having $900 taken out of my next paycheck for the taxes.  It was shocking.  Now, I just exchange them for cash. 

I had posted about my coworker friend, who had thousands of dollars worth of points just sitting in her rewards account.  I had told her she should cash them in, and she said it wasn't worth the effort, and she'd just lose money for taxes anyway.  I told her she could just get cash, and she just waved me away, saying it just wasn't worth it.  She and I have worked on a few projects together, and gotten the same rewards points, so I knew she was sitting on a lot of money.  Finally, last week, we had another chat where the rewards points came up.  I said I was hoping to get a reward for some thing I had just worked on, and she said, as usual, "Those points are worthless anyway."  I said, "No, you can just exchange them for cash."  She *finally* listened.  She told me she had 50,000 points, and I told her that was worth $10,000.  She had no idea how to get to the account, so I showed her the link and walked her through it.  It took about three minutes to turn her points into cash, and yes, she got $10,000, which will appear, minus taxes, in her paycheck a few weeks from now.

I have been trying to tell her about the cash option for a year, but she just wouldn't listen.  I don't know why I kept trying, but I guess I thought it was worth one more shot.  So many people I work with have no clue how much these points are worth, or that there is a cash option.  I have another coworker who is sitting on 85,000 points, but like first coworker, she is convinced they are worthless and won't listen to any other viewpoints.  I don't like second CW as much as first CW, so I just don't bother with her, even though it bothers *me* to think that someone would just give up $15,000 because it's easier than spending three minutes clicking "cash out" on a website.

[zolotiyeruki]

I have another coworker who is sitting on 85,000 points, but like first coworker, she is convinced they are worthless and won't listen to any other viewpoints.  I don't like second CW as much as first CW, so I just don't bother with her, even though it bothers *me* to think that someone would just give up $15,000 because it's easier than spending three minutes clicking "cash out" on a website.

Any chance those points are transferrable? :P

[horsepoor]

I have another coworker who is sitting on 85,000 points, but like first coworker, she is convinced they are worthless and won't listen to any other viewpoints.  I don't like second CW as much as first CW, so I just don't bother with her, even though it bothers *me* to think that someone would just give up $15,000 because it's easier than spending three minutes clicking "cash out" on a website.

Any chance those points are transferrable? :P

Yeah, or you could start a service of cashing the points in for a percentage...

[hazelkate]

A co-worker at my part time gig recently finished her Masters program and accepted a great new job. She went from working part time (while also in school part time) earning $14k/year to now earning $55k/year in a her dream job. During her last shift, we had a great discussion about spending habit changes and lifestyle inflation, etc. She talked about how she wanted to keep living frugally even on her new salary so she could pay off her student loans and pay off her lawyer from her recent divorce. We actually had a great talk about values and consumer culture and really connected in a Mustachian kind of way.

One week later, she posted to Facebook next to a brand new Honda CRV at the dealership. "Movin' up in the world!" was her photo title. Then in the comments, she said, "Next on the agenda is a trip to Hawaii with my boy!"

So much for our great discussion...

[randymarsh]

A co-worker at my part time gig recently finished her Masters program and accepted a great new job. She went from working part time (while also in school part time) earning $14k/year to now earning $55k/year in a her dream job. During her last shift, we had a great discussion about spending habit changes and lifestyle inflation, etc. She talked about how she wanted to keep living frugally even on her new salary so she could pay off her student loans and pay off her lawyer from her recent divorce. We actually had a great talk about values and consumer culture and really connected in a Mustachian kind of way.

One week later, she posted to Facebook next to a brand new Honda CRV at the dealership. "Movin' up in the world!" was her photo title. Then in the comments, she said, "Next on the agenda is a trip to Hawaii with my boy!"

So much for our great discussion...

Hopefully it's just a "get it out of your system" thing. I could see treating yourself after that kind of income jump. But damn...a brand new CRV is around 40% of her income.

[marty998]

A co-worker at my part time gig recently finished her Masters program and accepted a great new job. She went from working part time (while also in school part time) earning $14k/year to now earning $55k/year in a her dream job. During her last shift, we had a great discussion about spending habit changes and lifestyle inflation, etc. She talked about how she wanted to keep living frugally even on her new salary so she could pay off her student loans and pay off her lawyer from her recent divorce. We actually had a great talk about values and consumer culture and really connected in a Mustachian kind of way.

One week later, she posted to Facebook next to a brand new Honda CRV at the dealership. "Movin' up in the world!" was her photo title. Then in the comments, she said, "Next on the agenda is a trip to Hawaii with my boy!"

So much for our great discussion...

Hopefully it's just a "get it out of your system" thing. I could see treating yourself after that kind of income jump. But damn...a brand new CRV is around 40% of her income.

You can be sure that it has been financed, and holiday will be on the CC.

[rocksinmyhead]

A co-worker at my part time gig recently finished her Masters program and accepted a great new job. She went from working part time (while also in school part time) earning $14k/year to now earning $55k/year in a her dream job. During her last shift, we had a great discussion about spending habit changes and lifestyle inflation, etc. She talked about how she wanted to keep living frugally even on her new salary so she could pay off her student loans and pay off her lawyer from her recent divorce. We actually had a great talk about values and consumer culture and really connected in a Mustachian kind of way.

One week later, she posted to Facebook next to a brand new Honda CRV at the dealership. "Movin' up in the world!" was her photo title. Then in the comments, she said, "Next on the agenda is a trip to Hawaii with my boy!"

So much for our great discussion...

Hopefully it's just a "get it out of your system" thing. I could see treating yourself after that kind of income jump. But damn...a brand new CRV is around 40% of her income.

yeah I definitely understand the "get it out of your system" factor. I was reasonably frugal (by normal people standards) even pre-MMM, but when I finished grad school and got my first "real" job, my salary went up almost 500% and the first thing I did was buy a new car... (to be fair the old one was 17 years old and the new one is a Nissan Versa hatch that I plan on driving for a long time)

Or they just worry about you getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, if it's your mom or dad being concerned, in my experience ;-)

You don't know stranded in the middle of nowhere until your car dies during a cross-country drive.

Turns out, as long as you have a bit of cash and a credit card, it's really not a big deal.

Unless "middle of nowhere" is something like the yukon, or the haul road up to deadhorse / prudhoe, in which case you are shit outta luck. Get your car checked very well and do preventative maintenance before you do that...

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

weirdly enough, I've actually been there. there are more "middle of nowhere" places, but I will say the food options around there get old fast. would you like chicken fried chicken, or chicken fried steak? sorry, the only vegetables we have are fried okra and iceberg with ranch dressing.

(not knocking fried okra in any way, I love that shit, it's just that 3 days of panhandle cuisine really fucks up my stomach)

[Ashyukun]

My neighbors were stranded with their 3 daughters in Shamrock, TX.  That's middle of nowhere!
For 3 days

Ok I looked it up.  How do you get trapped in you car for three days, near shamrock when it appears to be flatish there and less than 20miles between  roads or highways?

Most people would walk out on the second day.

Well, their van broke down and the nearest place that could fix it was...I dunno, 100 miles away?  I can't remember.  They holed up in a hotel while the van got towed and fixed, then paid a local to drive them to their van.

And it was the middle of summer, so hot.

When I was in college, some HS friends and I tried to carpool to another friend's wedding in one of the Carolinas from the mid-west. Were on a state highway in West Virginia when we hit a massive pothole that broke an upper strut mount and crippled the car. This was in the mid-90's when cell phones were not the kind of thing a college kid would have. The car was a mid-80's Audi- the first place that we towed it to said, and this is as close to an exact quote as I can remember nearly 20 years later, "Audi? Is that one of the new Ford lines?"

Thankfully we found a shop nearby that knew what an Audi was and could fix it- but this happened on a Saturday and they couldn't get the parts in until that Monday so we were stuck in a hotel in a little WV town for 3 days until the car could get fixed. Had to miss the wedding and just turn around and drive back home.

[skunkfunk]

Coworker of mine just got another DUI. He's suspended without pay til successful rehab. They kept him on the roster so he could get insurance to pay for that. The owners told everybody what happened so its no secret.

His story is that he's been laid off due to too low a workload. Bet he's glad he saved all that money not getting cab rides home from his nightly romps about town.

[iris lily]

...she is convinced they are worthless and won't listen to any other viewpoints.  I don't like second CW as much as first CW, so I just don't bother with her, even though it bothers *me* to think that someone would just give up $15,000 because it's easier than spending three minutes clicking "cash out" on a website.

I can't imagine working with any one person, let alone multiple people, so stupid about leaving $10,000 on the table.

While I am skeptical myself about "free money" because it usually is not free, it's very strange that your co-workers don't get it about the great windfall awaiting them. Usually word-of-mouth experiences like yours carry much weight. Perhaps they are hearing the experiences of other like you who cashed in their points for crap and they saw taxes come out of their check.

I have to say that is a robust rewards point system that your place of work offer! wow!

[dragoncar]

...she is convinced they are worthless and won't listen to any other viewpoints.  I don't like second CW as much as first CW, so I just don't bother with her, even though it bothers *me* to think that someone would just give up $15,000 because it's easier than spending three minutes clicking "cash out" on a website.

I can't imagine working with any one person, let alone multiple people, so stupid about leaving $10,000 on the table.

While I am skeptical myself about "free money" because it usually is not free, it's very strange that your co-workers don't get it about the great windfall awaiting them. Usually word-of-mouth experiences like yours carry much weight. Perhaps they are hearing the experiences of other like you who cashed in their points for crap and they saw taxes come out of their check.

I have to say that is a robust rewards point system that your place of work offer! wow!

I think he works at that factory that makes screen doors for submarines.

AMIRITE?