Overheard at Work

[Bigote]

Just an FYI guys it's called a black box

Yeah, but did you know they're not actually black? They're bright orange, so they can be seen better.

Sometimes they're red.

I have a picture I took in lower manhattan a couple of days after 9-11, of a poster that the FBI put up asking for help locating the 'black box'.   The one they showed in the poster was red.   I'll find the picture and post it here later. 

[solon]

Just an FYI guys it's called a black box

Yeah, but did you know they're not actually black? They're bright orange, so they can be seen better.

Sometimes they're red.

I have a picture I took in lower manhattan a couple of days after 9-11, of a poster that the FBI put up asking for help locating the 'black box'.   The one they showed in the poster was red.   I'll find the picture and post it here later.

Hmm... so apparently the FBI can't find them when they're red. They should make them orange.

[HairyUpperLip]

wait... so black boxes are really orange? :-p

[frugalnacho]

There is a blue, black, red, orangey foam encompassing this thread.

[GuitarStv]

wait... so black boxes are really orange? :-p

Orange is the new black.

[AlanStache]

Personally, I find this foam boring.  Can't think of a way to picture boring foam, so I went with gross...




:-p

jk

[skyrefuge]

They explained it to me that if they worked over time, they made more money, which bumped them into a higher tax bracket, which meant they take home less money overall than if they had not worked over time.

Yep, I've heard the exact same thing many times (though never at work, sorry!)  I figure the people in this thread who jump and contort to explain such ignorant statements as possible examples of financial-wizardry are simply lucky enough to have never known such ignorant anti-mustachians, and thus give far too much benefit-of-the-doubt (I think I've even done the same for some other types of statements reported in this thread). Which is weird, since right here are 100 fucking pages documenting the unbelievable stupidity of real-life people! Ah well, hope springs eternal, which is nice, I suppose.

[senecando]

Which is weird, since right here are 100 fucking pages documenting the unbelievable stupidity of real-life people! Ah well, hope springs eternal, which is nice, I suppose.

Code: [Select]

    104 pages
 -    2 pages (black box discussion)
 -    1 page  (100 page celebration)
 -    1 page  (other foam)
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   100 pages of unbelievable stupidity


[HairyUpperLip]

Which is weird, since right here are 100 fucking pages documenting the unbelievable stupidity of real-life people! Ah well, hope springs eternal, which is nice, I suppose.

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    104 pages
 -    2 pages (black box discussion)
 -    1 page  (100 page celebration)
 -    1 page  (other foam)
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   100 pages of unbelievable stupidity


hahahaha

[Goldielocks]

A shocking number of people don't understand how a  progressive tax system works. They think that if they go up to the next tax bracket, they pay that tax rate on all of their income, not just the margin. So these people think the interest deduction saves them money overall by keeping them in a lower tax bracket.

Yes.  I was especially confused as a kid when I was told by several different grown ups that exact thing.  It wasn't a misunderstanding on my part, because I probed them to get answers because it didn't make sense to me.  They explained it to me that if they worked over time, they made more money, which bumped them into a higher tax bracket, which meant they take home less money overall than if they had not worked over time (not just pay more taxes).

Great description of what I have heard people "grown-ups" say, too.   

Why this wide spread fallacy in thinking?

Could it be that because of increased marginal tax rate, your hourly pay, net of taxes, on overtime, can be less than your hourly pay next of taxes on the first 40 hours of work....     because your basic 40 hours includes all your regular deductions, so your next tax on the first 40 hours is quite low, but fully taxed on the overtime pay.

At this point, people say to themselves -- work overtime for only $25 per hour in my pocket, instead of $30 per hour during normal hours?
_____________________________________________________
Thoughts?  I am giving the "grownups" too much thinking credit?

[russianswinga]

The other day, I heard from my officemates that ZTE Grand X2L  smartphone went on a one-day sale.

 From the Original price - P11,990 (around $273) to P 1,999. (Around $46).

Some of my officemates went nuts over this! They wanted to buy the phone (even though they had their own functional smartphones). Some asked their friends/relatives to go to the  mall where the ZTE kiosk was located and buy the phone.

In the end, the kiosk (in our city) only had 30-50 available units for sale

Browncoat, what part of Russia are you from? I'm from Moscow, currently living the Mustachian life in San Diego.

[fallstoclimb]

wait... so black boxes are really orange? :-p

Orange is the new black.

Oranges:  The new black!

[jordanread]

The other day, I heard from my officemates that ZTE Grand X2L  smartphone went on a one-day sale.

 From the Original price - P11,990 (around $273) to P 1,999. (Around $46).

Some of my officemates went nuts over this! They wanted to buy the phone (even though they had their own functional smartphones). Some asked their friends/relatives to go to the  mall where the ZTE kiosk was located and buy the phone.

In the end, the kiosk (in our city) only had 30-50 available units for sale

Browncoat, what part of Russia are you from? I'm from Moscow, currently living the Mustachian life in San Diego.

I think it's Brown Cat, but I love finding other browncoats in these parts.

[dragoncar]

I've seen the same thing with our payroll system.  It's not intelligent at all.  It takes whatever you made this pay period and multiplies it by 26 pay periods, regardless of the circumstances around the check (OT or bonus) and regardless of where in the year it falls, and then multiplies a certain factor to estimate withholding.  So if you make $30k/yr, and get a 10k bonus on the last pay check, it just assumes you are going to make an insane amount of money (despite already receiving all 26 pay periods for this tax year) and withholds most of the bonus.

I get the same thing every year.  The first two cheques from my Job we get$5000 bonus and $3500 bounus.  The deductions from these cheques are huge, because it calculates, incorectly, that my salary for the year will be substancally higher than what it is.  I have reduced sorce deductions as much as I can throught the year so that I dont end up giving the gvernment an intrest free loan all year.

In New York State (because Wall Street) it's standard to withhold all bonus income at the highest marginal rates, since many people getting bonuses are in that bracket. So my husband was an engineer at an ibank and got a bonus of about 10% of his annual salary. I looked at the direct deposit and called him to ask "where it all went." It was fine, but they ended up withholding 47% of it, which ended up defraying the amount we owed on freelance income at the end of the year.

25% is pretty standard: http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2011/12/09/bonus-time-how-bonuses-are-taxed-and-treated-by-the-irs/

Which is weird, since right here are 100 fucking pages documenting the unbelievable stupidity of real-life people! Ah well, hope springs eternal, which is nice, I suppose.

Code: [Select]

    104 pages
 -    2 pages (black box discussion)
 -    1 page  (100 page celebration)
 -    1 page  (other foam)
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   100 pages of unbelievable stupidity


Implies the black box discussion isn't stupid?

[jordanread]

Code: [Select]

    104 pages
 -    2 pages (black box discussion)
 -    1 page  (100 page celebration)
 -    1 page  (other foam)
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   100 pages of unbelievable stupidity


1 page of other foam? Methinks your algorithm may be messed up. :)

[senecando]

Implies the black box discussion isn't stupid?

;{

[gimp]

I've also had things withheld at 25%. It's very standard.

[Bigote]

Just an FYI guys it's called a black box

Yeah, but did you know they're not actually black? They're bright orange, so they can be seen better.

Sometimes they're red.

I have a picture I took in lower manhattan a couple of days after 9-11, of a poster that the FBI put up asking for help locating the 'black box'.   The one they showed in the poster was red.   I'll find the picture and post it here later.

[Primm]

Just an FYI guys it's called a black box

Yeah, but did you know they're not actually black? They're bright orange, so they can be seen better.

Sometimes they're red.

I have a picture I took in lower manhattan a couple of days after 9-11, of a poster that the FBI put up asking for help locating the 'black box'.   The one they showed in the poster was red.   I'll find the picture and post it here later.

Depends when they were made. The new regulations used by the FAA and international airlines since 2003 (post-9/11, obviously) require that the device be yellow or bright orange. I don't know if there was any requirement for already fitted devices to be replaced if they didn't meet regulations.

[ender]

A shocking number of people don't understand how a  progressive tax system works. They think that if they go up to the next tax bracket, they pay that tax rate on all of their income, not just the margin. So these people think the interest deduction saves them money overall by keeping them in a lower tax bracket.

Yes.  I was especially confused as a kid when I was told by several different grown ups that exact thing.  It wasn't a misunderstanding on my part, because I probed them to get answers because it didn't make sense to me.  They explained it to me that if they worked over time, they made more money, which bumped them into a higher tax bracket, which meant they take home less money overall than if they had not worked over time (not just pay more taxes).

Great description of what I have heard people "grown-ups" say, too.   

Why this wide spread fallacy in thinking?

Could it be that because of increased marginal tax rate, your hourly pay, net of taxes, on overtime, can be less than your hourly pay next of taxes on the first 40 hours of work....     because your basic 40 hours includes all your regular deductions, so your next tax on the first 40 hours is quite low, but fully taxed on the overtime pay.

At this point, people say to themselves -- work overtime for only $25 per hour in my pocket, instead of $30 per hour during normal hours?
_____________________________________________________
Thoughts?  I am giving the "grownups" too much thinking credit?

Oh my gosh I have heard this so often about overtime.

[Cinder]

At this point, people say to themselves -- work overtime for only $25 per hour in my pocket, instead of $30 per hour during normal hours?

Oh my gosh I have heard this so often about overtime.

I've heard exactly the same thing, it boggles my mind.. If the withholding is to high, you still get it back after taxes are calculated!  Just because you don't have it now doesn't mean it doesn't exist! 

I guess that's just the other side to the huge spending holiday when everyone gets their tax returns...

[former player]

At this point, people say to themselves -- work overtime for only $25 per hour in my pocket, instead of $30 per hour during normal hours?

Oh my gosh I have heard this so often about overtime.

I've heard exactly the same thing, it boggles my mind.. If the withholding is to high, you still get it back after taxes are calculated!  Just because you don't have it now doesn't mean it doesn't exist! 

I guess that's just the other side to the huge spending holiday when everyone gets their tax returns...

What really irritates me is that I hear it so often in relation to people on benefits where their benefits get gradually withdrawn the more they earn.  It can mean that there is a high marginal rate of tax on their earnings over a certain level, but they still end up with more money that they are providing for themselves and on the first step to getting off benefits.  But no, it's "not worth it".

[Zaga]

Just putting this here, but you guys do know that payroll has rules for how to withhold taxes, right?  It's not like they maliciously 'assume' that your one large paycheck is going to be your standard paycheck for the whole year.  That is actually the rules they are required to follow for withholding.

Same thing with bonuses - the federal supplemental tax rate is applied to all bonus checks.  Actually you're lucky if you get a bonus early in the year, then you can change your withholding for the rest of the year to compensate.  If you get a bonus late in the year then you don't have time to change your withholding to compensate for the rest of the year.

[Timmmy]

Just putting this here, but you guys do know that payroll has rules for how to withhold taxes, right?  It's not like they maliciously 'assume' that your one large paycheck is going to be your standard paycheck for the whole year.  That is actually the rules they are required to follow for withholding.

Same thing with bonuses - the federal supplemental tax rate is applied to all bonus checks.  Actually you're lucky if you get a bonus early in the year, then you can change your withholding for the rest of the year to compensate.  If you get a bonus late in the year then you don't have time to change your withholding to compensate for the rest of the year.

Think of them more as guidelines.

[frugalnacho]

Just putting this here, but you guys do know that payroll has rules for how to withhold taxes, right?  It's not like they maliciously 'assume' that your one large paycheck is going to be your standard paycheck for the whole year.  That is actually the rules they are required to follow for withholding.

Same thing with bonuses - the federal supplemental tax rate is applied to all bonus checks.  Actually you're lucky if you get a bonus early in the year, then you can change your withholding for the rest of the year to compensate.  If you get a bonus late in the year then you don't have time to change your withholding to compensate for the rest of the year.

No one said it was malicious, just retarded.

[Le Barbu]

When someone is aware of all those witholding rules and decide it still doesn't worth for their situation, it's ok. But most are clueless and even don't know that you can lower your taxes contributing in registered accounts or pension plans. 

[Le Barbu]

Guys, please, start a different thread about box colors, it's getting annoying now.

Mkay?

Please

[Adventine]

The other day, I heard from my officemates that ZTE Grand X2L  smartphone went on a one-day sale.

 From the Original price - P11,990 (around $273) to P 1,999. (Around $46).

Some of my officemates went nuts over this! They wanted to buy the phone (even though they had their own functional smartphones). Some asked their friends/relatives to go to the  mall where the ZTE kiosk was located and buy the phone.

In the end, the kiosk (in our city) only had 30-50 available units for sale

Browncoat, what part of Russia are you from? I'm from Moscow, currently living the Mustachian life in San Diego.

I believe thatbrowncat resides in a completely different timezone, as I saw (and almost fell for) the exact same deal :) I realized that a new phone wouldn't be worth the long lines. My current cheapass smartphone still works fine, anyway. I mentally patted myself on the back when I read the news reports about the hordes of angry customers and almost nonexistent stocks of the phone on sale.

[dragoncar]

Guys, please, start a different thread about box colors, it's getting annoying now.

Mkay?

Please

Sure, whatchu wanna talk about instead?  Pyramid textures?  Sphere contrasts?  Cylinder brightnesses?

[AgileTurtle]

They explained it to me that if they worked over time, they made more money, which bumped them into a higher tax bracket, which meant they take home less money overall than if they had not worked over time.

Yep, I've heard the exact same thing many times (though never at work, sorry!)  I figure the people in this thread who jump and contort to explain such ignorant statements as possible examples of financial-wizardry are simply lucky enough to have never known such ignorant anti-mustachians, and thus give far too much benefit-of-the-doubt (I think I've even done the same for some other types of statements reported in this thread). Which is weird, since right here are 100 fucking pages documenting the unbelievable stupidity of real-life people! Ah well, hope springs eternal, which is nice, I suppose.

Ive got into countless arguments with people about this. Managers appologies to some employees about having work overtime for "less pay" than regular time because taxes. But there was nothing they could do about it.

 I had a job where HR was trying to figure out a way to give bonus without it all going to taxes. The CEO was talking about it. He wanted to give a small bonus that wasnt all eaten up with taxes. And specifically talked about how if your payroll check is "too big" you will lose most your money.

[Metta]

I had a job where HR was trying to figure out a way to give bonus without it all going to taxes. The CEO was talking about it. He wanted to give a small bonus that wasnt all eaten up with taxes. And specifically talked about how if your payroll check is "too big" you will lose most your money.

That seems a bit self-serving, doesn't it? Very convenient for the company if they can convince the average worker that they are better off financially receiving less money. Orwellian, one might say.

[Timmmy]

This withholding discussion is really dumb.  My company does payroll for about 60 small clients.  We can withhold at basically any rate that is specified to us.  Want a bonus check to have no withholding? Done.  Want a bonus check to have withholding to approximate the normal rate? Done.  Want a specific dollar or percentage withheld? Done.

Sounds more like lazy or incompetent payroll staff than anything else. 

[Le Barbu]

Guys, please, start a different thread about box colors, it's getting annoying now.

Mkay?

Please

Sure, whatchu wanna talk about instead?  Pyramid textures?  Sphere contrasts?  Cylinder brightnesses?

uhh...are you serious buddy ?

maybe "Overheard at work" stuff would be just fine ?

[frugalnacho]

...So one of my coworkers just started talking about black boxes in planes.  I had to inform him they were actually bright orange so they could be located easier.

[dragoncar]

...So one of my coworkers just started talking about black boxes in planes.  I had to inform him they were actually bright orange so they could be located easier.

All my coworkers at the black box factory already knew this.

[solon]

I'm laughing so hard... I was overheard at work!

[frugalnacho]

...So one of my coworkers just started talking about black boxes in planes.  I had to inform him they were actually bright orange so they could be located easier.

All my coworkers at the black box factory already knew this.

[Le Barbu]

Is a black box can be red or it's always bright orange ? It's still not clear to me. I have no choice but to read the 4 last pages of this thread again I guess...

Now I'm off for a walk, my co-worker keep talking about buying 3-5 sets (90$/set) of LEGO for their 4 years old (Chistmas is comming soon)

[frugalnacho]

Is a black box can be red or it's always bright orange ? It's still not clear to me. I have no choice but to read the 4 last pages of this thread again I guess...

Now I'm off for a walk, my co-worker keep talking about buying 3-5 sets (90$/set) of LEGO for their 4 years old (Chistmas is comming soon)

You can put oranges in any color box. 

[BlueHouse]

This withholding discussion is really dumb.  My company does payroll for about 60 small clients.  We can withhold at basically any rate that is specified to us.  Want a bonus check to have no withholding? Done.  Want a bonus check to have withholding to approximate the normal rate? Done.  Want a specific dollar or percentage withheld? Done.

Sounds more like lazy or incompetent payroll staff than anything else. 

I worked for a company many years ago that paid (smallish) bonuses in Amex travelers cheques to avoid all taxes.  Those "cash" bonuses were never reported, I think.  I think they were usually around $1k or $2k.  I remember they used to distribute them in denominations of $500.  Not sure if that was to get around reporting guidelines or what. 
Yeah, they almost went to jail for other things but they got off.  I wish I had remembered this during the investigation.  I would have reported them because they deserved jail time and if I could have put a nail in the coffin, I might have tried.    I was just a small-fry though.  never benefited from any of the slimy practices. But I did learn a good lesson about people.

[GGNoob]

I've heard a lot lately...I'll share a few stories here.

One guy at work has a personal iPhone and his work iPhone. Work allows us to use our work iPhone as a personal with unlimited data for just $25 a month and $10 more for a wifi hotspot with unlimited data. When the iPhone 6 came out, he upgraded his personal iPhone to the iPhone 6 Plus with 128GB. He wanted a full price phone because he didn't want a contract. So total cost is $950. Then work allows us to upgrade our work phones from the "basic" free iPhone to a newer one. We pay the contract price and get to keep the phone to sell when we upgrade next time or leave the employer. He upgraded his work phone to the iPhone 6 128GB for $400. So he spent $1,350 on iPhones within a month! Now he's complaining he doesn't have money for winter tires to put on his brand new (earlier this year) Mazda Miata.

On the same track with iPhones...I upgraded my work phone to the iPhone 6 16GB for $200. I just sold my iPhone 5S on eBay today for $400. I bought that iPhone 5S for $200 last December. After fees I'll make a profit of around $140. I told one of the guys at work (different from the guy above) that I sold it for $400. His first reaction was that I could have gotten a more expensive iPhone. He seemed shocked that I wanted to make a profit and not just break even.

Now back to the first guy...Yesterday somebody asked him about his sunglasses and he kept going off how they were $400 and all of his sunglasses cost more than $350 and that he won't buy cheap sunglasses ever. Then he started to list off all of the other things that he pays more for and how much he pays because he prefers nicer things.

[gimp]

That seems a bit self-serving, doesn't it? Very convenient for the company if they can convince the average worker that they are better off financially receiving less money. Orwellian, one might say.

I don't agree with "Orwellian." (Also, Orwell wrote a lot, so I assume you're directly referencing 1984?) This isn't the government rewriting history, it's just a company trying to pay less money. Are they spying on you? Torturing you? Monitoring your thoughts?

Also, Hanlon's Razor might suggest that they're just stupid, not actively malicious.

So he spent $1,350 on iPhones within a month!

Yayyyyy

Yesterday somebody asked him about his sunglasses and he kept going off how they were $400 and all of his sunglasses cost more than $350 and that he won't buy cheap sunglasses ever.

$400 sunglasses sound like a "buy it for life" kind of thing. I went through quite a few pairs of $5-15 ones (sat on, dropped, sat on, broken, sat on... girls) and for my last road trip went all out and paid $50. Totally worth it, now I can drive from sunup to sundown without getting uncomfortable. (I haven't tried this in an area with a polar never-ending day, though!)

But multiple? What do you need more than one pair for?

[seanc0x0]

That seems a bit self-serving, doesn't it? Very convenient for the company if they can convince the average worker that they are better off financially receiving less money. Orwellian, one might say.

I don't agree with "Orwellian." (Also, Orwell wrote a lot, so I assume you're directly referencing 1984?) This isn't the government rewriting history, it's just a company trying to pay less money. Are they spying on you? Torturing you? Monitoring your thoughts?

Peel it back a bit and it fits, I think. "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, small bonus is big bonus".

[frugalnacho]

I don't agree with "Orwellian." (Also, Orwell wrote a lot, so I assume you're directly referencing 1984?) This isn't the government rewriting history, it's just a company trying to pay less money. Are they spying on you? Torturing you? Monitoring your thoughts?

Also, Hanlon's Razor might suggest that they're just stupid, not actively malicious.

I also don't agree that it's orwellian, but the term is a real thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orwellian

[Metta]

That seems a bit self-serving, doesn't it? Very convenient for the company if they can convince the average worker that they are better off financially receiving less money. Orwellian, one might say.

I don't agree with "Orwellian." (Also, Orwell wrote a lot, so I assume you're directly referencing 1984?) This isn't the government rewriting history, it's just a company trying to pay less money. Are they spying on you? Torturing you? Monitoring your thoughts?

Peel it back a bit and it fits, I think. "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, small bonus is big bonus".

Yes. This is precisely how i was using the term.

[HairyUpperLip]

$400 sunglasses sound like a "buy it for life" kind of thing. I went through quite a few pairs of $5-15 ones (sat on, dropped, sat on, broken, sat on... girls) and for my last road trip went all out and paid $50. Totally worth it, now I can drive from sunup to sundown without getting uncomfortable. (I haven't tried this in an area with a polar never-ending day, though!)

But multiple? What do you need more than one pair for?

I used to buy $1 sunglasses from the dollar store.

Then I got a $450 MSRP pair of Burberry sunglasses. Paid like $200 with coupons, sale, and taxes. WOW. They were super light on my face. Super super comfortable. The quality of the lens and the tint on it were definitely far superior to the dollar shades I usually wore. I took care of these glasses much more than any of my previous pairs and I truly loved them.  Unfortunately I lost them during a vacation.   :(

I was then gifted a pair of Ray Ban polarized glasses and they are pretty damn good too. The lens quality and tint is amazing. The comfort and fitment aren't as good as the Burberry but Ray Ban aviators will probably always be a classic look.

That all being said, I do think it's worth buying and owning a nicer, higher quality pair of sunglasses but I see absolutely no point in owning more than a couple pairs at one time.

[GGNoob]

Yesterday somebody asked him about his sunglasses and he kept going off how they were $400 and all of his sunglasses cost more than $350 and that he won't buy cheap sunglasses ever.

$400 sunglasses sound like a "buy it for life" kind of thing. I went through quite a few pairs of $5-15 ones (sat on, dropped, sat on, broken, sat on... girls) and for my last road trip went all out and paid $50. Totally worth it, now I can drive from sunup to sundown without getting uncomfortable. (I haven't tried this in an area with a polar never-ending day, though!)

But multiple? What do you need more than one pair for?

I completely agree about owning a nice pair. When I was in the army I got a pair of Oakley's issued to me during my deployment. I wore those for the next 7-8 years. I finally bought myself a new pair of Oakley's last year. They were $300 sunglasses and I found them for $200. This same co-worker has a similar pair that he said he paid $350 for. I'm all for nice things that will last, but just shop around! No point in paying full price. I also bought some Ray Ban's this year to have a pair that wasn't so "sporty" looking. They were $190 at Macy's and Sunglass Hut. I found them for $90 on Amazon.

[gimp]

"War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, small bonus is big bonus".

This is hilarious, and apparently fitting. I love it. Thanks, guys.

I used to buy $1 sunglasses from the dollar store.

Then I got a $450 MSRP pair of Burberry sunglasses. Paid like $200 with coupons, sale, and taxes. WOW. They were super light on my face. Super super comfortable. The quality of the lens and the tint on it were definitely far superior to the dollar shades I usually wore. I took care of these glasses much more than any of my previous pairs and I truly loved them.  Unfortunately I lost them during a vacation.   :(

I was then gifted a pair of Ray Ban polarized glasses and they are pretty damn good too. The lens quality and tint is amazing. The comfort and fitment aren't as good as the Burberry but Ray Ban aviators will probably always be a classic look.

That all being said, I do think it's worth buying and owning a nicer, higher quality pair of sunglasses but I see absolutely no point in owning more than a couple pairs at one time.

I completely agree about owning a nice pair. When I was in the army I got a pair of Oakley's issued to me during my deployment. I wore those for the next 7-8 years. I finally bought myself a new pair of Oakley's last year. They were $300 sunglasses and I found them for $200. This same co-worker has a similar pair that he said he paid $350 for. I'm all for nice things that will last, but just shop around! No point in paying full price. I also bought some Ray Ban's this year to have a pair that wasn't so "sporty" looking. They were $190 at Macy's and Sunglass Hut. I found them for $90 on Amazon.

Yep. Like with a lot of things, the ridiculous difference in quality isn't apparent until you actually try it. You go, "woah, amazing." And then you use it for years and years and end up paying less than it costs to replace shittier versions.

My requirements are light, polarizing, and look okay. I opted to go for the cheap route and not add tough to the list, and instead got a $4 case. My pair paid for themselves as far as I'm concerned over a 10k mile trip, and I figure they'll last for several years before someone sits on them.

I'm a big believer in buy-it-for-life.

[RyanAtTanagra]

$400 sunglasses sound like a "buy it for life" kind of thing.

Man, I don't know how you guys consider sun glasses a BIFL item.  The average life span of my sunglasses is about 6 months before I lose or break them.

But multiple? What do you need more than one pair for?

Because I get the 3rd for free ;-)

At <$10/pair I'd have to buy at least 30 before I hit the price of one pair of expensive sunglasses.  Even if they only last me 6 months I doubt the $300 pair would last me 15 years and be worth it.  Plus at that point you have to factor in opportunity cost on the $300 up-front cost compared small increments over the 15 years.  Heck, if I invested the $300 I could buy a new pair of $12 sunglasses every year forever ;-)

I'm all for spending more on nice stuff that lasts, that was a big part of Jacobs lifestyle and one of the more attractive aspects, but sunglasses?  Maybe I'm more of a klutz than average...

[arebelspy]

Yep. Like with a lot of things, the ridiculous difference in quality isn't apparent until you actually try it. You go, "woah, amazing." And then you use it for years and years and end up paying less than it costs to replace shittier versions.

I can't see how that's true.

Dollar store sunglasses last me about a year (maybe six months if I lose them or they break early, but typically closer to a year).  So if yours last forever, you will come out ahead in approximately.. 200-400 years.

But I clearly don't care that much about sunglasses - my last pair was held together by a paperclip (after one of the screws fell out) for about six months before I stopped being lazy and bought a new $1 pair.  :)