Overheard at Work

[music lover]

My work busses most of the employees in from the surrounding region. Anyways, I was at the bus stop last week and two guys in front of me were talking:

CW1: I just sold my truck so I'll be looking for a new vehicle soon.
CW2: Ya, there's lots of good deals out now.
CW1: I'm 60 now so I just applied for CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) and it'll be $800/month so I'm gonna look for a car that is a year or two old.

CW1 is going to a job that probably pays close to 100k/year and is 60 years old! That how he's getting his Canadian pension early. So he's going to continue working so he can afford a one year old car that his pension will pay for! Facepalm.

Assuming he is realitively healthy , taking his CPP pension at 60 while making 100K is a huge mistake.

The break even point for CPP is 76 if one starts collecting at 60. I wouldn't call it a "huge" mistake. You can be healthy today but no one knows how long they will live or what their health will be like in later years, and virtually no one will be healthier at 76 than they were at 60. For me, I'd rather have the money now than later...even if I'm alive at 76, I may not be in a position to enjoy the extra money.

[lostamonkey]

My work busses most of the employees in from the surrounding region. Anyways, I was at the bus stop last week and two guys in front of me were talking:

CW1: I just sold my truck so I'll be looking for a new vehicle soon.
CW2: Ya, there's lots of good deals out now.
CW1: I'm 60 now so I just applied for CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) and it'll be $800/month so I'm gonna look for a car that is a year or two old.

CW1 is going to a job that probably pays close to 100k/year and is 60 years old! That how he's getting his Canadian pension early. So he's going to continue working so he can afford a one year old car that his pension will pay for! Facepalm.

Assuming he is realitively healthy , taking his CPP pension at 60 while making 100K is a huge mistake.

The break even point for CPP is 76 if one starts collecting at 60. I wouldn't call it a "huge" mistake. You can be healthy today but no one knows how long they will live or what their health will be like in later years, and virtually no one will be healthier at 76 than they were at 60. For me, I'd rather have the money now than later...even if I'm alive at 76, I may not be in a position to enjoy the extra money.

Yes, but if you have $100K worth of other income, you are in the 26% federal tax bracket, while if you take it when you retire you will be in a much lower bracket.

[mm1970]

Well, sure.  But I don't have the details. I mean, I work for a company where we have several commuters.
One guy literally flies in every day.  And flies home every night.  And this is cheaper than renting an apartment.
...
One of my coworkers told me that I could probably make $50k more if I got a job in the Bay Area (I think that's being conservative).  "But I have kids!" I say.  He said - that's fine, just work there Mon/Fri and come home on the weekends, your son is old enough, you can do it.

Um, my kids are 9 and 3, are you effing CRAZY??  Only see them on the weekend?

Please tell me that guy owns his own airplane.  That's the only way it would be cheaper to fly.

I had an assignment a few years ago that required commuting every week from Houston to LA for about 4 months.  Flew out on Monday, flew back Thursday or Friday.  Had young kids at the time.  Wasn't fun.

Nope.  There's a group here that started a private travel club:

"Our Story
Meet Surf Air, the nation’s first private air travel club offering unlimited monthly flights. We provide our members—frequent regional business and leisure travelers—with a revolutionary, hassle-free flying experience that saves valuable time and money, all at an exceptional level of service. Operating executive Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, we fly to and from convenient airports in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles Metro Area, Santa Barbara, Carlsbad/San Diego, Truckee/Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas* with additional destinations to follow."

So, it's now about $1750 a month.  But he was one of the first members, so he's locked in at $1250/month.  One hour flight.  Many choices now for going back and forth. Cheaper than a one-bedroom apartment AND his wife is happier because he's home every night, instead of only on the weekends.

[MoonShadow]

So, it's now about $1750 a month.  But he was one of the first members, so he's locked in at $1250/month.  One hour flight.  Many choices now for going back and forth. Cheaper than a one-bedroom apartment AND his wife is happier because he's home every night, instead of only on the weekends.

In my area of the country, $1250 per month will typically get you a 3 bedroom home in a quiet suburb.

[music lover]

My work busses most of the employees in from the surrounding region. Anyways, I was at the bus stop last week and two guys in front of me were talking:

CW1: I just sold my truck so I'll be looking for a new vehicle soon.
CW2: Ya, there's lots of good deals out now.
CW1: I'm 60 now so I just applied for CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) and it'll be $800/month so I'm gonna look for a car that is a year or two old.

CW1 is going to a job that probably pays close to 100k/year and is 60 years old! That how he's getting his Canadian pension early. So he's going to continue working so he can afford a one year old car that his pension will pay for! Facepalm.

Assuming he is realitively healthy , taking his CPP pension at 60 while making 100K is a huge mistake.

The break even point for CPP is 76 if one starts collecting at 60. I wouldn't call it a "huge" mistake. You can be healthy today but no one knows how long they will live or what their health will be like in later years, and virtually no one will be healthier at 76 than they were at 60. For me, I'd rather have the money now than later...even if I'm alive at 76, I may not be in a position to enjoy the extra money.

Yes, but if you have $100K worth of other income, you are in the 26% federal tax bracket, while if you take it when you retire you will be in a much lower bracket.

Good point.

That being said, if someone needs to take early CPP to buy a vehicle when they already earn $100k a year, the extra tax paid is the least of their problems.

[gimp]

Flying an hour each way in a personal plane... I would estimate that to be $100/day on the low end. At that point, $1250/month is legitimately cheaper. Ain't that something. Anyone got a better estimate? I'm going off my coworker's plane(s) which are something like 10-15 gph, so 20-30 gallons of fuel, plus about $10-20/hr maintenance costs, plus likely transportation to and from an air field on both ends as well as storage for the plane (and often a car, for the transportation to and from the airfield, possibly x2 if commuting.)

[dunny]

I have never understood those who get upset by the automatic credit limit increases. As others have said, my credit limit has no bearing on how much I spend. I am curious to hear the reasons of those who called to get their limits lowered again. Is it because of the impact to your credit score? Or maybe just the principle of a change being made to your account without you consent?

I have one card with a very low limit that I use for online purchases/bookings. I don't want the limit increased because I don't want to limit potential fraud.  When this card's limit is increased, I call to have it decreased.

[MgoSam]

I told my coworker who also has a newborn about the Prime Day diaper and wipes deal.

"Oh, we use Honest diapers. They aren't that expensive."

I looked them up. $80/month. Diapering my daughter costs less than half that.

What do diapers normally cost? I have no clue.

[LennStar]

My husband flies every day to work and back. He leaves home at 8 and is back before 6 pm. His company owns the flights and his flying time is 40 minutes one way. Driving would be 2.5 hours one way. We chose this because of my work and lesser options at his work area.
His commute is similar to any other place he'd be at (30-50 minutes by car) and he'd be paying for fuel and car wear and tear. Now he bikes to the airport. This works out way better than him working in the same city as me and commuting by car.

One added advantage: he has to leave work on time every day. He can't stay late unless it's absolutely necessary. Compared to my friends whose husbands come home late due to work, we'll take this commute option any day for this perk :)

On the other ends of the world even Chinese try to emit less CO2. m(

[Papa Mustache]

My favorite is when people have worked really hard to rid themselves of a "hick" accent, and then this slips out when they aren't paying attention. The mortification is epic!

I moved to Europe for several years while I was dating a girl from here in the south on and off. She came to vacation with me in Europe and when she arrived she sounded to my ears like one of the TV Clampetts. I wondered what I sounded like at that point. Other people heard her strong southern accent too where I had never before noticed one. My sister, a friend and my parents came to visit during that time and everyone had an accent. It was hard not to laugh at them and I didn't want to make them subconscious. Finally told them. We had fun with it.

I love accents and those oddball little regional phrases we all have. It makes life interesting.

My wife tells me my accent gets stronger occasionally when I'm talking to someone here that is REALLY country. Guess I'm just trying hard to relate to my audience.

I love living here in the south. I like visiting all the other parts of the country but always love coming back home.

[Papa Mustache]

Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Yep. Mind blown. We had a fellow interview for "welder" at a factory I worked at. He interviewed well but when the lead welder went back into the shop later that afternoon - this guy was back there trying to weld and WITHOUT A HELMET!!! Didn't seem to think there was any need for a helmet didn't seem to know what a helmet did for you except perhaps th sparks off of your face. Fired on the spot.

I assume everyone here knows what welding is. If not I recommend watching any of the You Tube videos from a user called "WeldingTips and Tricks".

[Papa Mustache]

Well, sure.  But I don't have the details. I mean, I work for a company where we have several commuters.
One guy literally flies in every day.  And flies home every night.  And this is cheaper than renting an apartment.
...
One of my coworkers told me that I could probably make $50k more if I got a job in the Bay Area (I think that's being conservative).  "But I have kids!" I say.  He said - that's fine, just work there Mon/Fri and come home on the weekends, your son is old enough, you can do it.

Um, my kids are 9 and 3, are you effing CRAZY??  Only see them on the weekend?

But if they are divorced and depending on who got custody - they might only see their kids on the weekends anyhow. For me that would be the worst part of being divorced - not getting to seemy kids morning and night 7 days a week. That said I'm working all weekend - one of those hand full of weekend where I have to do this.

[music lover]

On the other ends of the world even Chinese try to emit less CO2. m(

Are you serious?

[MoonShadow]

Cloth isn't allowed in my building

How is cloth not allowed?

, but when I priced it out, I figured it would be about a wash for the first child and you'd start coming out ahead with your second and any subsequent children.

Yes, fitted cloth diapers only win with the second child, because they cost a whole lot more than you would expect.

[MoonShadow]

Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Yep. Mind blown. We had a fellow interview for "welder" at a factory I worked at. He interviewed well but when the lead welder went back into the shop later that afternoon - this guy was back there trying to weld and WITHOUT A HELMET!!! Didn't seem to think there was any need for a helmet didn't seem to know what a helmet did for you except perhaps th sparks off of your face. Fired on the spot.

I assume everyone here knows what welding is. If not I recommend watching any of the You Tube videos from a user called "WeldingTips and Tricks".

My mother was semi-famous in her ability to 'interview well'.  She would do one thing for a while, decide she wanted to do something completely different, and try to interview for the job.  This was before the Internet, so there wasn't really any searching for stuff online.  She once interviewed at a company for a welding position on a Friday.  She got the offer on the spot, starting on Monday.  Now, my dad was a true, "Jack of all Trades" and a master of several.  When she got home and told my dad at dinner, I literally heard him say, "Okay then, I have till Sunday night to teach you how to weld."  She had that job for 5 or 6 months, and they even offered her a lower management position, but she was already tired of the hot work; so she next got a job as a nurse at a retirement home.  She was never fired from any job, and her resume is a dozen pages long.

[MgoSam]

Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Yep. Mind blown. We had a fellow interview for "welder" at a factory I worked at. He interviewed well but when the lead welder went back into the shop later that afternoon - this guy was back there trying to weld and WITHOUT A HELMET!!! Didn't seem to think there was any need for a helmet didn't seem to know what a helmet did for you except perhaps th sparks off of your face. Fired on the spot.

I assume everyone here knows what welding is. If not I recommend watching any of the You Tube videos from a user called "WeldingTips and Tricks".

My mother was semi-famous in her ability to 'interview well'.  She would do one thing for a while, decide she wanted to do something completely different, and try to interview for the job.  This was before the Internet, so there wasn't really any searching for stuff online.  She once interviewed at a company for a welding position on a Friday.  She got the offer on the spot, starting on Monday.  Now, my dad was a true, "Jack of all Trades" and a master of several.  When she got home and told my dad at dinner, I literally heard him say, "Okay then, I have till Sunday night to teach you how to weld."  She had that job for 5 or 6 months, and they even offered her a lower management position, but she was already tired of the hot work; so she next got a job as a nurse at a retirement home.  She was never fired from any job, and her resume is a dozen pages long.

Your parents seem like fun people to learn from.

[cripzychiken]

I told my coworker who also has a newborn about the Prime Day diaper and wipes deal.

"Oh, we use Honest diapers. They aren't that expensive."

I looked them up. $80/month. Diapering my daughter costs less than half that.

What do diapers normally cost? I have no clue.

It varies. Preemie diapers are 45 cents each, which was so expensive that i resorted to just folding down newborn diapers for the first month of my daughter's life. When I was using newborn Pampers, they cost me about 22 cents each and I had no good alternative because they made the tiniest newborn diapers on the market.

If you go buy a full-priced "jumbo" of Pampers (one of the premium brands) at CVS it'll run you about $11 for 25 diapers and a single package of wipes runs you $3-4. My daughter uses about 250 diapers a month, but she also flips her lid if she's wet or dirty, so I change her more than average. Drugstore diapers bought at retail are about the most expensive way to diaper. Personally, I am for a penny and a half per wipe or less, and under 15 cents a diaper. That's pretty easy to manage without going nuts. I usually use Amazon's house brand of wipes, which they are constantly putting on sale, but I used some Pampers ones when they were closing those out too. Luvs (made by Pampers, it's their cheapie line) purchased via Amazon Mom by the case are the cheapest way to buy diapers retail normally. The Huggies Prime Day deal was very good, and I know some people do well couponing. I buy a lot of my diapers via the community list serv, because people will sell partial cases when their child outgrows the size.

It costs me about $35/month to keep my daughter in diapers and wipes, all told. Cloth isn't allowed in my building, but when I priced it out, I figured it would be about a wash for the first child and you'd start coming out ahead with your second and any subsequent children.

I buy a box of ~150 pampers from Sam's, runs about .22-27cents per diaper (depending on size).  Wipes - I tend to wait until there is a sale and buy 2-3 cases of wipes (each case is usually 8 packages of 150-200).  Last wipes sale was 3 cases from Target @ $15/each, plus $10 gift card back.  I guess a penny a wipe, but probably a bit less since I sale shop for those.

[Chris22]

I told my coworker who also has a newborn about the Prime Day diaper and wipes deal.

"Oh, we use Honest diapers. They aren't that expensive."

I looked them up. $80/month. Diapering my daughter costs less than half that.

What do diapers normally cost? I have no clue.

It varies. Preemie diapers are 45 cents each, which was so expensive that i resorted to just folding down newborn diapers for the first month of my daughter's life. When I was using newborn Pampers, they cost me about 22 cents each and I had no good alternative because they made the tiniest newborn diapers on the market.

If you go buy a full-priced "jumbo" of Pampers (one of the premium brands) at CVS it'll run you about $11 for 25 diapers and a single package of wipes runs you $3-4. My daughter uses about 250 diapers a month, but she also flips her lid if she's wet or dirty, so I change her more than average. Drugstore diapers bought at retail are about the most expensive way to diaper. Personally, I am for a penny and a half per wipe or less, and under 15 cents a diaper. That's pretty easy to manage without going nuts. I usually use Amazon's house brand of wipes, which they are constantly putting on sale, but I used some Pampers ones when they were closing those out too. Luvs (made by Pampers, it's their cheapie line) purchased via Amazon Mom by the case are the cheapest way to buy diapers retail normally. The Huggies Prime Day deal was very good, and I know some people do well couponing. I buy a lot of my diapers via the community list serv, because people will sell partial cases when their child outgrows the size.

It costs me about $35/month to keep my daughter in diapers and wipes, all told. Cloth isn't allowed in my building, but when I priced it out, I figured it would be about a wash for the first child and you'd start coming out ahead with your second and any subsequent children.

I buy a box of ~150 pampers from Sam's, runs about .22-27cents per diaper (depending on size).  Wipes - I tend to wait until there is a sale and buy 2-3 cases of wipes (each case is usually 8 packages of 150-200).  Last wipes sale was 3 cases from Target @ $15/each, plus $10 gift card back.  I guess a penny a wipe, but probably a bit less since I sale shop for those.

I thought diapers were about the most overstated cost thing in having a kid.  Bought a box at Sams every 3-6 weeks over the first 18 months of my daughter's life (goes down after that) and a box was ~$36. 

What was expensive was formula (my daughter was big, and we needed to supplement what my wife could produce) at ~$35 a can that last about a week (target brand, I think?) and daycare, which started at about $1500/mo and goes down from there (we're down to about ~$900-1k/mo), before the tax savings (writeoff and dependant care savings account).

[klystomane]

I told my coworker who also has a newborn about the Prime Day diaper and wipes deal.

"Oh, we use Honest diapers. They aren't that expensive."

I looked them up. $80/month. Diapering my daughter costs less than half that.

What do diapers normally cost? I have no clue.

It varies. Preemie diapers are 45 cents each, which was so expensive that i resorted to just folding down newborn diapers for the first month of my daughter's life. When I was using newborn Pampers, they cost me about 22 cents each and I had no good alternative because they made the tiniest newborn diapers on the market.

If you go buy a full-priced "jumbo" of Pampers (one of the premium brands) at CVS it'll run you about $11 for 25 diapers and a single package of wipes runs you $3-4. My daughter uses about 250 diapers a month, but she also flips her lid if she's wet or dirty, so I change her more than average. Drugstore diapers bought at retail are about the most expensive way to diaper. Personally, I am for a penny and a half per wipe or less, and under 15 cents a diaper. That's pretty easy to manage without going nuts. I usually use Amazon's house brand of wipes, which they are constantly putting on sale, but I used some Pampers ones when they were closing those out too. Luvs (made by Pampers, it's their cheapie line) purchased via Amazon Mom by the case are the cheapest way to buy diapers retail normally. The Huggies Prime Day deal was very good, and I know some people do well couponing. I buy a lot of my diapers via the community list serv, because people will sell partial cases when their child outgrows the size.

It costs me about $35/month to keep my daughter in diapers and wipes, all told. Cloth isn't allowed in my building, but when I priced it out, I figured it would be about a wash for the first child and you'd start coming out ahead with your second and any subsequent children.

I buy a box of ~150 pampers from Sam's, runs about .22-27cents per diaper (depending on size).  Wipes - I tend to wait until there is a sale and buy 2-3 cases of wipes (each case is usually 8 packages of 150-200).  Last wipes sale was 3 cases from Target @ $15/each, plus $10 gift card back.  I guess a penny a wipe, but probably a bit less since I sale shop for those.

Daughter has severe allergies so we've been going with the "natural" stuff. Tried cloth diapering but when the baby goes nuclear, we have no idea how to clean the diaper....

Honest Diapers and Waterwipes. After taxes...about 53cents/diaper and 7cents/wipe.

Minimum two wipes per shit, so 67 cents everytime she goes #2.

About 4 shits a day, and another 4 changes on top of that...so...$4.8/day in diapers+wipes....about $150/month.

FML.

[zephyr911]

On the other ends of the world even Chinese try to emit less CO2. m(

Are you serious?

Are you?

How about now?

But wait, there's more.

[klystomane]

Yeah, that happens. Have you tried Swaddlers sensitive? They're much cheaper. The preemie ones they sell to hospitals are the Swaddlers sensitive and we used them. They are really nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Swaddlers-Sensitive-Diapers-Economy/dp/B00DFFT9S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437408080&sr=8-1&keywords=swaddlers+sensitive

http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Sensitive-Wipes-Box-Count/dp/B005DLCJX2/ref=pd_sim_121_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0X36QBCPFYXXJ0V04EWR

These might work too:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Elements-Wipes-Unscented-Flip-Top/dp/B00OPH8HYA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437408161&sr=1-3&keywords=amazon+elements+baby+wipes
[/quote]

Thanks for the recommendations; I'll do some research.

We recently tried regular Swaddlers as our daughter seems to be outgrowing the allergies a little bit and we wanted something thinner (Honest diapers are pretty thick)...no noticeable rashes or anything have developed...so far so good.

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.

[DeepEllumStache]

Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Yep. Mind blown. We had a fellow interview for "welder" at a factory I worked at. He interviewed well but when the lead welder went back into the shop later that afternoon - this guy was back there trying to weld and WITHOUT A HELMET!!! Didn't seem to think there was any need for a helmet didn't seem to know what a helmet did for you except perhaps th sparks off of your face. Fired on the spot.

I assume everyone here knows what welding is. If not I recommend watching any of the You Tube videos from a user called "WeldingTips and Tricks".

My mother was semi-famous in her ability to 'interview well'.  She would do one thing for a while, decide she wanted to do something completely different, and try to interview for the job.  This was before the Internet, so there wasn't really any searching for stuff online.  She once interviewed at a company for a welding position on a Friday.  She got the offer on the spot, starting on Monday.  Now, my dad was a true, "Jack of all Trades" and a master of several.  When she got home and told my dad at dinner, I literally heard him say, "Okay then, I have till Sunday night to teach you how to weld."  She had that job for 5 or 6 months, and they even offered her a lower management position, but she was already tired of the hot work; so she next got a job as a nurse at a retirement home.  She was never fired from any job, and her resume is a dozen pages long.

Can she write a book? She probably has some awesome stories.

[mlejw6]

On the other ends of the world even Chinese try to emit less CO2. m(

Are you serious?

Are you?

How about now?

But wait, there's more.

Dang. I had no idea. Thanks for the links!

[MgoSam]

On the other ends of the world even Chinese try to emit less CO2. m(

Are you serious?

Are you?

How about now?

But wait, there's more.

Dang. I had no idea. Thanks for the links!

When China wants to get something done, just stand out of their way and watch with awe. I had a professor tell about Shanghai wanting to add more greenery to the city. So instead of just planting some trees, the city leaders went to another region and bought an entire forest, chopped down the trees, and transported them to Shanghai and replanted them. BOOM!

[Apostrophe]

A 26 year old co-worker just "bought" a new car, financed 100% with negative equity rolled into it from her trade-in.

She was proud of the way she handled the salesman when they started to "get confusing" about her trade-in amount. She described her conversation as "Look, I don't care what you do with the trade-in value or the price of the car, do whatever you have to do, but my payment needs to be less than what I'm paying now."

Oy.

[MoonShadow]

Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Yep. Mind blown. We had a fellow interview for "welder" at a factory I worked at. He interviewed well but when the lead welder went back into the shop later that afternoon - this guy was back there trying to weld and WITHOUT A HELMET!!! Didn't seem to think there was any need for a helmet didn't seem to know what a helmet did for you except perhaps th sparks off of your face. Fired on the spot.

I assume everyone here knows what welding is. If not I recommend watching any of the You Tube videos from a user called "WeldingTips and Tricks".

My mother was semi-famous in her ability to 'interview well'.  She would do one thing for a while, decide she wanted to do something completely different, and try to interview for the job.  This was before the Internet, so there wasn't really any searching for stuff online.  She once interviewed at a company for a welding position on a Friday.  She got the offer on the spot, starting on Monday.  Now, my dad was a true, "Jack of all Trades" and a master of several.  When she got home and told my dad at dinner, I literally heard him say, "Okay then, I have till Sunday night to teach you how to weld."  She had that job for 5 or 6 months, and they even offered her a lower management position, but she was already tired of the hot work; so she next got a job as a nurse at a retirement home.  She was never fired from any job, and her resume is a dozen pages long.

Can she write a book? She probably has some awesome stories.

As noted above, she is unlikely to finish the book.

[Tallgirl1204]

Yeah, that happens. Have you tried Swaddlers sensitive? They're much cheaper. The preemie ones they sell to hospitals are the Swaddlers sensitive and we used them. They are really nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Swaddlers-Sensitive-Diapers-Economy/dp/B00DFFT9S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437408080&sr=8-1&keywords=swaddlers+sensitive

http://www.amazon.com/Pampers-Sensitive-Wipes-Box-Count/dp/B005DLCJX2/ref=pd_sim_121_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0X36QBCPFYXXJ0V04EWR

These might work too:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Elements-Wipes-Unscented-Flip-Top/dp/B00OPH8HYA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1437408161&sr=1-3&keywords=amazon+elements+baby+wipes

Thanks for the recommendations; I'll do some research.

We recently tried regular Swaddlers as our daughter seems to be outgrowing the allergies a little bit and we wanted something thinner (Honest diapers are pretty thick)...no noticeable rashes or anything have developed...so far so good.

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.
[/quote]

You can make your own wipes and choose your ingredients.  Saw a roll of nice thick paper towels in half (so you have two halves about the size of a roll of toilet paper each).  In the meantime, take a large container with a lid (rubber maid makes nice ones) and stir together two cups of water, and two tablespoons each of baby shampoo and lotion (you choose the brand, whatever works for your baby's bum).  Don't shake it, just stir!   Push the half paper towel roll down into the liquid, put the lid on, and let it sit for a couple of hours.  Pull out the center cardboard tube and pull the wipes from the center.  Leave the lid on when not using. 

Fast, cheap and good.  We did this initially to save money, but found that our son had far fewer skin problems than some of our friends' kids, and I preferred the smell of our lotion of choice to the chemically smell of commercial wipes.   

[zephyr911]

When China wants to get something done, just stand out of their way and watch with awe. I had a professor tell about Shanghai wanting to add more greenery to the city. So instead of just planting some trees, the city leaders went to another region and bought an entire forest, chopped down the trees, and transported them to Shanghai and replanted them. BOOM!

How do you replant a tree that was chopped down? Dug up maybe?

Anyway... yeah, they're impressive as hell. The downside is, that great power for focused action can just as easily be used for disastrous ends. Pros and cons, as always.

[MgoSam]

When China wants to get something done, just stand out of their way and watch with awe. I had a professor tell about Shanghai wanting to add more greenery to the city. So instead of just planting some trees, the city leaders went to another region and bought an entire forest, chopped down the trees, and transported them to Shanghai and replanted them. BOOM!

How do you replant a tree that was chopped down? Dug up maybe?

Anyway... yeah, they're impressive as hell. The downside is, that great power for focused action can just as easily be used for disastrous ends. Pros and cons, as always.

Yeah, my professor didn't know anything about trees, I assume that he meant dug up.

[crazy jane]

I make my own wipes to use after biking to work. I made a mixture of shampoo and lotion and keep it at work. I also have another container that I fill with two cups of hot water and two tablespoons of the lotion mixture. I then press one paper towel at a time into the container until it is full. Use the good paper towels. I only need one per day and have gotten years out of the original mixture.

[mustachepungoeshere]

A superannuation company hosted a free lunch and Q&A (i.e. recruiting drive) at my office last week.

I had to bite my tongue when my boss asked: "So, ballpark figure, how much do we need to have in super for retirement?"

He's 54 with two young children.

After the presentation I sent him a link to MMM's Getting Rich: from Zero to Hero in One Blog Post.

[mustachepungoeshere]

Forgot to add above:

One of my husband's colleagues recently moved in with his girlfriend. For the colleague's 30th, the girlfriend gave him an all-expenses-paid island holiday.

(At the time I felt a bit inferior. We don't spend that kind of money on birthdays. Does that make me a bad wife???)

Found out last night she just admitted to $30k in credit card debt.

I just ran some numbers on an online calculator and texted my husband to say if she busts her arse to pay it off in two years, she will still be paying more in CC payments than we pay in rent. At minimum payments of $490/month, it would take 22 years...

So that birthday present doesn't look so hot after all.

[MgoSam]

So that birthday present doesn't look so hot after all.

Yeah, I wonder how often that happens. I think this happens to quite a few people that seem to have more fun than I do.

[mustachepungoeshere]

So that birthday present doesn't look so hot after all.

Yeah, I wonder how often that happens. I think this happens to quite a few people that seem to have more fun than I do.

Makes it awkward for him, too. He had been raving about how much she earns, how they were going to buy a house... not with that hanging over her head.

[theadvicist]

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.

Genuine question about all these 'homemade wipes' recipes - why can't you just use soap and water? I can understand wipes when out and about, but surely people are at home for many many changes a day.

[dragoncar]

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.

Genuine question about all these 'homemade wipes' recipes - why can't you just use soap and water? I can understand wipes when out and about, but surely people are at home for many many changes a day.

Just use a baby bidet.  You'll never go back.

[CabinetGuy]

So that birthday present doesn't look so hot after all.

Yeah, I wonder how often that happens. I think this happens to quite a few people that seem to have more fun than I do.

Yeah, we have a young couple in our neighborhood that are always travelling to some Caribbean island.  They both make decent salaries, but I'm convinced they're living paycheck to paycheck.  That or they come from money.  Either way, they're having more fun than me!?

[11ducks]

You can use a flannel with water/baby shampoo mix (soap may be too harsh for baby skin). Wipes are good as the skin dries pretty quick (so the baby doesn't get a rash). With a flannel you would either need a drying flannel, or to wait/wave the baby around until it was dry for powder/cream as needed. Then you have a lot of dirty flannels to wash. Wipes are super convenient.

[HydroJim]

I'm interning at a fortune 500 company for the summer.

When I first started, I'd get invited to go out to lunch every Friday. I politely declined but probably alienated myself a little bit from the other young engineers. In the cafeteria where I eat my packed lunch, there are a couple people that I see every day. I wonder if they are also mustachians. About 170 people work at my location so someone else has to know about this forum right?

Here is one from today:

Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of the conversation so I only caught the end.

Coworker 1: "Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to rely on my 401L"
Coworker 2: "What's a 401L?"
Coworker 1: "401 lottery"

Other things that make me irk:
-Going out to lunch every day
-hour long commutes
-fancy pants cars in the parking lot
-nobody bikes to work even though we have shower and are centered in a low cost of living nice middle class community

To be fair, I have a 30 minute commute but that's only because I'm temporarily staying with family for my 12 week internship. My rent costs are $0.

[MgoSam]

I'm interning at a fortune 500 company for the summer.

I dislike being "that guy," but I applaud you having a good idea about your finances at your age. I totally don't mean to be patronizing.

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

Let me give you an example, I was in Chicago for work a few months ago. I didn't want to go out for drinks with another exhibitor, but did so, and while over drinks I mentioned wanting to move a particular product line. That exhibitor lit up because she had a customer looking for the exact thing. Due to paying $10 for drinks (after tax and tip), I got a business source that bought about $3000 the next day, not a bad ROI. Of course, this is just one an example that worked out. If I always got this return, I would live in that bar.

[theadvicist]

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.

Genuine question about all these 'homemade wipes' recipes - why can't you just use soap and water? I can understand wipes when out and about, but surely people are at home for many many changes a day.

You probably could, but babies are small, wiggly and slippery when wet. I would rather not hold one over a sink or tub for cleaning. I used to shower with my baby and I've had to stop as she gets more mobile because I'm concerned about dropping her.

But you clean the baby with wipes whilst they are lying down - why not use cotton wool and water or a flannel in a similar way? Surely you wouldn't have to give them a bath everytime, or wipes wouldn't work? (I'm clueless about babies though, so thanks for your responses)

[theadvicist]

Oh, I misunderstood. When you said soap and water, I assumed you meant holding the baby under a faucet, which is just asking for trouble. You can absolutely moisten flannel with soapy water and clean the baby that way. My coop rules forbid washing diapers in the communal laundry machines, so I assume that goes for wipes as well. As it is, wipes cost us about a dollar a week, and I'm really okay with spending the money.

Ah ha, I get you. Sounds like your rules wouldn't allow it, that's so annoying. I know from having friends with kids that wipes are surprisingly useful to have around though.

[zephyr911]

I dislike being "that guy," but I applaud you having a good idea about your finances at your age. I totally don't mean to be patronizing.

I second that. Good job.

Let me give you an example, I was in Chicago for work a few months ago. I didn't want to go out for drinks with another exhibitor, but did so, and while over drinks I mentioned wanting to move a particular product line. That exhibitor lit up because she had a customer looking for the exact thing. Due to paying $10 for drinks (after tax and tip), I got a business source that bought about $3000 the next day, not a bad ROI. Of course, this is just one an example that worked out. If I always got this return, I would live in that bar.

I've drastically reduced spontaneously eating/drinking out for my own sake; DW and I maybe go 1-2x a month at this point. However, I still average once per week with a certain group of friends, which is easily justified by the pace of real estate leads I get from that group. Sadly, I haven't been able to execute a deal yet as a result, but even one small house a year would return several times what I spend, and I genuinely enjoy their company too.

[nobody123]

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

+1000

The whole point of an internship is to get a (better) job when you graduate.  You don't want to be labeled the "weird loner".  Every company loves the "team player" buzzword when they go to hire people, and I guarantee the young engineers you're working with will be asked at the end of the summer which interns are potential hires.  Who do you think they are going to recommend, assuming all of the interns are equally qualified?  Spend the $10 a week on the group lunch and consider it an investment in your future.  Even if this place doesn't pan out long term, these other young engineers will have friends at other places looking for entry level employees.

[mtn]

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

+1000

The whole point of an internship is to get a (better) job when you graduate.  You don't want to be labeled the "weird loner".  Every company loves the "team player" buzzword when they go to hire people, and I guarantee the young engineers you're working with will be asked at the end of the summer which interns are potential hires.  Who do you think they are going to recommend, assuming all of the interns are equally qualified?  Spend the $10 a week on the group lunch and consider it an investment in your future.  Even if this place doesn't pan out long term, these other young engineers will have friends at other places looking for entry level employees.

This.

And remember, it isn't a permanent thing. When you get a full time gig, every time for the first month or so that someone asks if you want to go to lunch, join them. Especially if they're a higher level than you. After a month, pull back on that to about once a month, or whatever you deem is the correct amount.

[northernlights]

A 26 year old co-worker just "bought" a new car, financed 100% with negative equity rolled into it from her trade-in.

She was proud of the way she handled the salesman when they started to "get confusing" about her trade-in amount. She described her conversation as "Look, I don't care what you do with the trade-in value or the price of the car, do whatever you have to do, but my payment needs to be less than what I'm paying now."

Oy.

I think we have similar coworkers. I didn't even know you could roll negative equity into a new loan, that was a weird conversation to have.

[mm1970]

My issue with the alternatives for the wipes is how many chemicals they put in them, but 7 cents/wipe does hurt.

Genuine question about all these 'homemade wipes' recipes - why can't you just use soap and water? I can understand wipes when out and about, but surely people are at home for many many changes a day.

You probably could, but babies are small, wiggly and slippery when wet. I would rather not hold one over a sink or tub for cleaning. I used to shower with my baby and I've had to stop as she gets more mobile because I'm concerned about dropping her.

But you clean the baby with wipes whilst they are lying down - why not use cotton wool and water or a flannel in a similar way? Surely you wouldn't have to give them a bath everytime, or wipes wouldn't work? (I'm clueless about babies though, so thanks for your responses)

Oh, I misunderstood. When you said soap and water, I assumed you meant holding the baby under a faucet, which is just asking for trouble. You can absolutely moisten flannel with soapy water and clean the baby that way. My coop rules forbid washing diapers in the communal laundry machines, so I assume that goes for wipes as well. As it is, wipes cost us about a dollar a week, and I'm really okay with spending the money.

My older son's daycare did that, actually.  Has for 30-40 years.  Big industrial sink.  She just tucks the babies in her arm and runs them under the faucet.  Very "green" before green was a thing.

[bludreamin]

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

+1000

The whole point of an internship is to get a (better) job when you graduate.  You don't want to be labeled the "weird loner".  Every company loves the "team player" buzzword when they go to hire people, and I guarantee the young engineers you're working with will be asked at the end of the summer which interns are potential hires.  Who do you think they are going to recommend, assuming all of the interns are equally qualified?  Spend the $10 a week on the group lunch and consider it an investment in your future.  Even if this place doesn't pan out long term, these other young engineers will have friends at other places looking for entry level employees.

This.

And remember, it isn't a permanent thing. When you get a full time gig, every time for the first month or so that someone asks if you want to go to lunch, join them. Especially if they're a higher level than you. After a month, pull back on that to about once a month, or whatever you deem is the correct amount.

I'll have to agree with this as well. The importance of network (especially at temp position) is too important to miss. And once you have a few lunches under your belt you can always suggest lower cost place. As an intern you have a great excuse to say "oh you're going to X? Don't think my budget will fit that - what about Y?" Plus you never know when your CW will cover your lunch.  I've done unofficial lunches when interns just start where the junior engineers will split the bill to cover the interns (although this usually only occcurs the first time or two).

[Frugal_NYC]

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

+1000

The whole point of an internship is to get a (better) job when you graduate.  You don't want to be labeled the "weird loner".  Every company loves the "team player" buzzword when they go to hire people, and I guarantee the young engineers you're working with will be asked at the end of the summer which interns are potential hires.  Who do you think they are going to recommend, assuming all of the interns are equally qualified?  Spend the $10 a week on the group lunch and consider it an investment in your future.  Even if this place doesn't pan out long term, these other young engineers will have friends at other places looking for entry level employees.

This.

And remember, it isn't a permanent thing. When you get a full time gig, every time for the first month or so that someone asks if you want to go to lunch, join them. Especially if they're a higher level than you. After a month, pull back on that to about once a month, or whatever you deem is the correct amount.

A trick that's worked for me is "Oh, I don't do Mexican, (Or whatever the most expensive place is) my stomach always reacts poorly to it let me know when you hit that Greek place (Or whatever the cheap place is), I just love it!" Using this technique, you are snubbing the restaurant, not the invitee and you are only going to the cheapest places. I have one boss who I have only ever seen join the guys for lunch at Subway - everywhere else "takes too long for his packed schedule."

"Casa Bonita? - I can't spend the whole afternoon on the can"......problem solved

[MgoSam]

One thing about going out for lunches on Fridays, it may be an expense worth it. Occasionally I'll eat out even though I don't want to because the socializing and networking helps.

+1000

The whole point of an internship is to get a (better) job when you graduate.  You don't want to be labeled the "weird loner".  Every company loves the "team player" buzzword when they go to hire people, and I guarantee the young engineers you're working with will be asked at the end of the summer which interns are potential hires.  Who do you think they are going to recommend, assuming all of the interns are equally qualified?  Spend the $10 a week on the group lunch and consider it an investment in your future.  Even if this place doesn't pan out long term, these other young engineers will have friends at other places looking for entry level employees.

This.

And remember, it isn't a permanent thing. When you get a full time gig, every time for the first month or so that someone asks if you want to go to lunch, join them. Especially if they're a higher level than you. After a month, pull back on that to about once a month, or whatever you deem is the correct amount.

A trick that's worked for me is "Oh, I don't do Mexican, (Or whatever the most expensive place is) my stomach always reacts poorly to it let me know when you hit that Greek place (Or whatever the cheap place is), I just love it!" Using this technique, you are snubbing the restaurant, not the invitee and you are only going to the cheapest places. I have one boss who I have only ever seen join the guys for lunch at Subway - everywhere else "takes too long for his packed schedule."

"Casa Bonita? - I can't spend the whole afternoon on the can"......problem solved

I'm going to disagree on this. If you don't like a place or can't tolerate it, that's one thing, but I wouldn't say that you can't stomach Mexican. One lie leads to another and it's just too hard for me to keep up with them. You don't want to say that you can't handle Mexican and then a week later your supervisor sees you at a Mexican restaurant.

Also, no one likes that person that shoots down most places. If you find that people around you are sighing and saying, "Fine, where do you want to go," because you've shot down the places they've recommended, you can lose friends that way, or at least look bad to your colleagues.