Author Topic: Overheard in public traffic  (Read 11261 times)

Imma

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Overheard in public traffic
« on: November 20, 2018, 05:33:04 AM »
There seems to be no thread for this yet, but the bus/train is where I overhear the best anti-mustachian stories.

I'm sitting in front of three people in the train right now. Three ladies in their 40s, married with children, sound middle class. They are sharing money-saving tips right now. They include planning a kid's party with the kid's school friends to the cinema at Black Friday and bringing their own popcorn (which is reasonable in itself) then the next day she's planned another birthday party for the same kid at a trampoline jumping venue with the parents' adult friends and their kids. They needed to invite X amount of people so their own entry fee is waived and the birthday kid gets a gift and a cake from the venue. To get the maximum amount of gifts for the lowest total price, only kids and mothers are invited, not dads. And then there's the party at home for the grandparents and they'll have to spend at least €200 on groceries and the kid needs a gift too. And she has three. Life is so expensive these days. She's just sorry she can't take advantage of the other Black Friday deals because she's stuck in the cinema with a bunch of kids.

It was very difficult for me to keep my mouth shut instead of giving them some real tips about saving money on kids parties! :)

Another lady in the group recently returned from a holiday. At the airport she received an e-mail from their insurance company that they owned €385. She decided not to tell her husband until their return to make sure their holiday wasn't ruined. Then she called the insurance company to ask to pay on installments, quote: "it's not that I can't afford it, but it's such a waste of money to completely empty your savings account for something like this".

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2018, 06:09:02 AM »
Thanks for a new thread of this kind.

AMandM

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2018, 10:05:52 AM »
Yeah, it's such a waste of money to use your savings for anticipated costs instead of paying interest and fees.

marty998

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2018, 01:41:49 PM »
I am going to have to stop sitting in the quiet carriages on trains where you are not allowed to talk if I want to start contributing here!

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2018, 06:20:23 PM »
@Imma I thought Black Friday doesn't exist in Europe (as in the USA Black Friday after Thanksgiving where the crazies go to buy crap with money they don't have to store in a house they can't afford (with apologies to his highness George Carlin)).

I think retail businesses in the UK have tried to push Black Friday sales but they flopped, as Boxing Day sales are the big thing. Any UK Mustachians, please clarify.

SansSkill

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2018, 11:05:20 PM »
@Imma I thought Black Friday doesn't exist in Europe (as in the USA Black Friday after Thanksgiving where the crazies go to buy crap with money they don't have to store in a house they can't afford (with apologies to his highness George Carlin)).

I think retail businesses in the UK have tried to push Black Friday sales but they flopped, as Boxing Day sales are the big thing. Any UK Mustachians, please clarify.

Netherlands here, it's starting to become a thing here, it's without the context just a day with a lot of discounts.
So far it's mostly online deals and especially electronics related but it's starting to creep in, recent article I read talked about how retailers are making less money on a certain holiday and one of the reasons mentioned is that black friday is starting to take a cut.

Fig

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2018, 11:16:42 PM »
@Imma I thought Black Friday doesn't exist in Europe (as in the USA Black Friday after Thanksgiving where the crazies go to buy crap with money they don't have to store in a house they can't afford (with apologies to his highness George Carlin)).

I think retail businesses in the UK have tried to push Black Friday sales but they flopped, as Boxing Day sales are the big thing. Any UK Mustachians, please clarify.

Black Friday (a week of it) is very much a thing in the UK now, even if Thanksgiving doesn't matter to us. I was rather grateful for it when I moved house this time last year and bought my appliances at a good discount. Boxing Day/post-Christmas sales aren't as big as they used to be since retailers starting cutting prices before Christmas to drive sales in the last few years.

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2018, 11:41:29 PM »
@Imma I thought Black Friday doesn't exist in Europe (as in the USA Black Friday after Thanksgiving where the crazies go to buy crap with money they don't have to store in a house they can't afford (with apologies to his highness George Carlin)).

I think retail businesses in the UK have tried to push Black Friday sales but they flopped, as Boxing Day sales are the big thing. Any UK Mustachians, please clarify.

Netherlands here, it's starting to become a thing here, it's without the context just a day with a lot of discounts.
So far it's mostly online deals and especially electronics related but it's starting to creep in, recent article I read talked about how retailers are making less money on a certain holiday and one of the reasons mentioned is that black friday is starting to take a cut.

One of the reasons I expect black friday (as a random day of online discounts, nothing compared to the US craze) to take off here is because it's right before two of our largest gift-giving holidays, sinterklaas and christmas. End of november is the time where people are buying their presents so it's a perfect moment to have a sale going.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #8 on: November 21, 2018, 12:18:32 AM »
@Imma I thought Black Friday doesn't exist in Europe (as in the USA Black Friday after Thanksgiving where the crazies go to buy crap with money they don't have to store in a house they can't afford (with apologies to his highness George Carlin)).

I think retail businesses in the UK have tried to push Black Friday sales but they flopped, as Boxing Day sales are the big thing. Any UK Mustachians, please clarify.

Netherlands here, it's starting to become a thing here, it's without the context just a day with a lot of discounts.
So far it's mostly online deals and especially electronics related but it's starting to creep in, recent article I read talked about how retailers are making less money on a certain holiday and one of the reasons mentioned is that black friday is starting to take a cut.

One of the reasons I expect black friday (as a random day of online discounts, nothing compared to the US craze) to take off here is because it's right before two of our largest gift-giving holidays, sinterklaas and christmas. End of november is the time where people are buying their presents so it's a perfect moment to have a sale going.

In Norway Black Friday has become a big sales boost. As I have planned to buy a new cell phone, I will do this on Black Friday, as I expect a significant price drop.

mjdh1957

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2018, 11:21:08 AM »
In Ireland too. Though again US Thanksgiving doesn't register. I can never remember when it is until I start seeing Black Friday signs up everywhere.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2018, 11:43:33 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

mjdh1957

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2018, 03:18:49 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

In Ireland no-one gets trampled to death. The shops are busy but not THAT busy. And a lot of people hate the idea as well.

MrOnyx

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2018, 03:28:52 AM »
Same in the UK. There are people who suddenly herd themselves like cattle to buy fight over the newest craze toy for their children, but there are plenty of us rolling our eyes at work, watching the headlines pop up on our news feeds.

I did laugh when the GAME website forced everyone to queue up - like, I had to wait for a time window within which I could access their site and have a bit of a nosey round at the discounts (which were actually disappointingly modest). Even then, I quickly understood why they did this when the website was chugging like hell. Bet the servers almost collapsed.

Hirondelle

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2018, 05:09:18 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

In Ireland no-one gets trampled to death. The shops are busy but not THAT busy. And a lot of people hate the idea as well.

I don't feel like the actual shops get busier (it's not a day off anyway). In my experience it's mostly online sales?

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2018, 05:27:53 AM »
There seems to be no thread for this yet, but the bus/train is where I overhear the best anti-mustachian stories.

I'm sitting in front of three people in the train right now. Three ladies in their 40s, married with children, sound middle class. They are sharing money-saving tips right now. They include planning a kid's party with the kid's school friends to the cinema at Black Friday and bringing their own popcorn (which is reasonable in itself) then the next day she's planned another birthday party for the same kid at a trampoline jumping venue with the parents' adult friends and their kids. They needed to invite X amount of people so their own entry fee is waived and the birthday kid gets a gift and a cake from the venue. To get the maximum amount of gifts for the lowest total price, only kids and mothers are invited, not dads. And then there's the party at home for the grandparents and they'll have to spend at least €200 on groceries and the kid needs a gift too. And she has three. Life is so expensive these days. She's just sorry she can't take advantage of the other Black Friday deals because she's stuck in the cinema with a bunch of kids.

It was very difficult for me to keep my mouth shut instead of giving them some real tips about saving money on kids parties! :)

Another lady in the group recently returned from a holiday. At the airport she received an e-mail from their insurance company that they owned €385. She decided not to tell her husband until their return to make sure their holiday wasn't ruined. Then she called the insurance company to ask to pay on installments, quote: "it's not that I can't afford it, but it's such a waste of money to completely empty your savings account for something like this".

My kiddo is lucky enough to have a summer birthday, so every other year we try to either be on vacation or plan a long weekend around his birthday and skip the party altogether.  It's probably more expensive to take a trip (especially this year when he spent a week in dolphin trainer camp), but it keeps me from going insane planning the stupid party. 

Barbaebigode

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #15 on: November 27, 2018, 06:04:09 AM »
In Brazil Black Friday it's also a thing. Prices start to rise slowly shortly before BF and then there's a big discount on BF. Everything for half the double! In the last few years there was government action against those kind of practices and things are a little less outrageous.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #16 on: November 27, 2018, 07:20:37 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

Why be surprised?  Canada has Black Friday, and we celebrate Thanksgiving in October.  Isn't there a Harvest Festival in the UK and many European countries?  Same thing.

MrOnyx

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #17 on: November 27, 2018, 07:35:52 AM »
I'm not aware of any national holiday to celebrate the harvest, but I know of one or two local Fayres and festivals that do. I believe they do have a Thanksgiving of sorts in Germany.

Any celebrations that do happen here don't manifest as a psuedo-Christmas where you invite the whole family round for roast turkey, though. Particularly, in the East Anglia, there is usually Dwile Flonking at any harvest festival.

I am aware that we're veering off topic now, though...

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #18 on: November 27, 2018, 07:52:03 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

American Cultural Hegemony for the win!

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #19 on: November 27, 2018, 08:12:27 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

In Ireland no-one gets trampled to death. The shops are busy but not THAT busy. And a lot of people hate the idea as well.

I don't feel like the actual shops get busier (it's not a day off anyway). In my experience it's mostly online sales?

It's not really Black Friday if people aren't being trampled to death.

UnleashHell

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2018, 11:30:03 AM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

The Uk can't afford thanksgiving. If the UK took a day off for every country they'd invaded and fucked over the natives they'd never bloody work.

clearly a quick scuffle over a 5% discount is worth it.


Just Joe

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #21 on: November 27, 2018, 12:34:07 PM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

In Ireland no-one gets trampled to death. The shops are busy but not THAT busy. And a lot of people hate the idea as well.

I don't feel like the actual shops get busier (it's not a day off anyway). In my experience it's mostly online sales?

It's not really Black Friday if people aren't being trampled to death.

...and lately bringing their guns with them...

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #22 on: November 27, 2018, 01:22:43 PM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

In Ireland no-one gets trampled to death. The shops are busy but not THAT busy. And a lot of people hate the idea as well.

I don't feel like the actual shops get busier (it's not a day off anyway). In my experience it's mostly online sales?

It's not really Black Friday if people aren't being trampled to death.

...and lately bringing their guns with them...

Gotta be safe while trampling people to death.

faithless

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2018, 01:45:49 PM »
I love that people in Europe decided to skip the message of thankfulness, but jumped right on board with the message of trampling other people to death to save 5% on a new toaster.  :P

The Uk can't afford thanksgiving. If the UK took a day off for every country they'd invaded and fucked over the natives they'd never bloody work.



That made me chuckle, thanks

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #24 on: November 27, 2018, 10:20:04 PM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #25 on: November 28, 2018, 05:51:51 AM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.

DeedlesSci

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #26 on: November 28, 2018, 02:43:36 PM »
Oh, boy, do I have a great one for this.

I was taking the bus home one day, and two people get on. Apparently, they both worked for a traveling carnival. The sort with rides and games but not shows. One has been traveling with the group for a while and the other just got hired. It sounded like the "season" was just about to start. N will be the new employee and O will be the seasoned employee. A synopsis of the conversation.

N: What should I do with my money with all the traveling?

O: There is this guy who will take your money, you tell him how much to give you each month, and then he will give you the rest at the end of the season.

N: My aunt told me to get a bank account somewhere I can access the money around the country.

O: Banks are a scam and you should trust this guy with your money.

So, this guy was advocating trusting some random guy this person hadn't met rather than their aunt. I hope they were just humoring them, but it looked like the new employee was being swayed into giving their money to some random guy.

MrOnyx

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #27 on: November 29, 2018, 01:55:03 AM »
Oh lord... I always imagined the "don't trust banks" thing to be quite old fashioned, because an older relative of mine (who died before I was born) was very much of the same opinion. They discovered a lot of cash stashed away in their house after they died!

It's a shame that some people never received the basic advice about what inflation does to cash.

markbike528CBX

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #28 on: November 29, 2018, 02:33:22 AM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.
Can verify Croatia has Black Friday, spelled as Black Friday.


AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #29 on: November 29, 2018, 10:06:23 PM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.

Yes, we have Boxing Day sales, again not that big. The kiwi xmas involves a great deal of beer and a great deal of laying around in the sun. If it goes well, you're asleep for Boxing Day

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #30 on: November 30, 2018, 10:49:22 AM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.

Yes, we have Boxing Day sales, again not that big. The kiwi xmas involves a great deal of beer and a great deal of laying around in the sun. If it goes well, you're asleep for Boxing Day

That sounds like such a nice way to spend Christmas.  And Boxing Day.  As opposed to worrying about the weather and if there will be snow and if it is safe to drive and and . . . . . .

OtherJen

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #31 on: November 30, 2018, 12:02:03 PM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.

Yes, we have Boxing Day sales, again not that big. The kiwi xmas involves a great deal of beer and a great deal of laying around in the sun. If it goes well, you're asleep for Boxing Day

That sounds like such a nice way to spend Christmas.  And Boxing Day.  As opposed to worrying about the weather and if there will be snow and if it is safe to drive and and . . . . . .

Ugh, right? We were stuck at home by a winter storm last Christmas Eve.

I find it fascinating that so many other countries have adopted Black Friday. Fortunately, they all sound relatively calm and sane, compared to the US version.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #32 on: November 30, 2018, 01:35:46 PM »
New Zealand also has Black Friday sales. It's absolute bullshit. We don't get trampling and stuff. For a start, the discounts aren't that great, but mostly because trampling someone takes more effort than the average kiwi is willing to expend on a disagreement. We're a laid back lot.

Do you have Boxing Day sales?  They are a much bigger thing here (Canada) than Black Friday, although Black Friday is becoming popular because it is before Christmas, so makes Christmas shopping a bit less expensive.  Of course Boxing Day is great when your Christmas present was $ to go buy the perfect coffee table, or whatever.

Yes, we have Boxing Day sales, again not that big. The kiwi xmas involves a great deal of beer and a great deal of laying around in the sun. If it goes well, you're asleep for Boxing Day

That sounds like such a nice way to spend Christmas.  And Boxing Day.  As opposed to worrying about the weather and if there will be snow and if it is safe to drive and and . . . . . .

Ugh, right? We were stuck at home by a winter storm last Christmas Eve.

I find it fascinating that so many other countries have adopted Black Friday. Fortunately, they all sound relatively calm and sane, compared to the US version.

My outsider take on the US is that it's weirdly driven to HAVE. This whole mustachian movement is pretty anti-culture in the US but it's ordinary here. Everyone has a small vege patch or at least some herbs in the kitchen. Some people might not buy second hand but if someone else gets a great second deal, that's an admirable thing and not something weird.

kelvin

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #33 on: December 06, 2018, 04:05:43 AM »
Oh, boy, do I have a great one for this.

I was taking the bus home one day, and two people get on. Apparently, they both worked for a traveling carnival. The sort with rides and games but not shows. One has been traveling with the group for a while and the other just got hired. It sounded like the "season" was just about to start. N will be the new employee and O will be the seasoned employee. A synopsis of the conversation.

N: What should I do with my money with all the traveling?

O: There is this guy who will take your money, you tell him how much to give you each month, and then he will give you the rest at the end of the season.

N: My aunt told me to get a bank account somewhere I can access the money around the country.

O: Banks are a scam and you should trust this guy with your money.

So, this guy was advocating trusting some random guy this person hadn't met rather than their aunt. I hope they were just humoring them, but it looked like the new employee was being swayed into giving their money to some random guy.

Was this in the US?

https://www.npr.org/2017/01/10/509126878/what-is-driving-the-unbanking-of-america

Might be they don't make enough to keep the bank service fees reasonable. Sounds like the carnival folk have a workaround. I hope the job works out for the guy. I know some very mustachian folk in similar jobs, but it's hard to find them, they tend to be much quieter than the folks with major life problems.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #34 on: December 06, 2018, 08:04:03 AM »
Question - are credit unions not everywhere? We use a credit union and I think the only requirement is a minimum balance of $25. There are low fees if you move money around often with a sub $50 balance or write alot of checks while keeping a low balance. Keep a few hundred dollars in there and there are no fees to worry about.

Banking seems to be unattainable for low income people in other parts of the country? 

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #35 on: December 06, 2018, 08:56:45 AM »
It may not be the fees.  It may be that some people can't get a bank account because they are in Chexsystems.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #36 on: December 06, 2018, 12:30:28 PM »
It may not be the fees.  It may be that some people can't get a bank account because they are in Chexsystems.

Indeed. I once knew a young woman who decided to open a checking account along with a savings account, set up overdraft protection, and give herself several hundred dollars' worth of "withdrawals" for money she didn't have and didn't expect to have. One of those withdrawals was big enough to put her in felony territory. But she was too clever for her own good: she signed up for some form of welfare or another and had the benefits tied to that account, so that when a deposit occurred, the bank naturally repaid itself electronically. Her benefit apparently wasn't enough to cover what she'd stolen so her account was still negative. But now she didn't have whatever benefit it was she'd signed up for.

I LOL'ed.

This is an example of someone who can't get a checking account until such time as she settles up with the Loss Prevention department of the bank. It isn't because she's poor (although she does happen to have that status because she can't be bothered to hold down a job). It's because she did a feloniously dishonest thing and hasn't cleaned up the mess she made.

ambimammular

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #37 on: December 06, 2018, 03:23:56 PM »
We just recently joined a Credit Union to take advantage of a 7% CD that a fellow mustachian mentioned on another thread. We had no affiliations, regional or professional, but we do have ass-kicking FICO scores.

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #38 on: December 06, 2018, 03:46:42 PM »
Our credit union used to have professional requirements (work in a certain field of work) but these days the only requirement is that new members have money. Just a little. $50 is the minimum required to open an account.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #39 on: February 17, 2019, 05:34:29 PM »
I was at the grocery store earlier today. Somehow managed to be withing hearing distance of one man for about 15 minutes total. Clothing: consistent with what the low income, can't hold down a job because they just don't get to work on time (or work) demographic is wearing in my area. This is distinct from the low income, have a job and just can't catch a break demographic. (Yes, there's a real distinction.) And he needed a shower.

Conversation started with his new speakers, new phone, new headset, and he wanted to get something that sounded like stereo related for his vehicle. Moved to he wasn't able to pay the electric bill, and wasn't sure if the landlord was going to start eviction processes in March. Ended with his girlfriend left him, his words were "she has crazy expectations. Like, wanted me to pick up all the time". So, I'm thinking he's a slob and his gf got tired of it?

Yeah, it's probably hard for him to find a decently paying job. His choices aren't helping much. I'd be more sympathetic if he hadn't been assaulting my nose.

PDXTabs

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #40 on: February 28, 2019, 04:27:36 PM »
Canada has Black Friday, and we celebrate Thanksgiving in October.

But Canadian Thanksgiving isn't on a Thursday, because you aren't insane.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard in public traffic
« Reply #41 on: February 28, 2019, 07:08:07 PM »
Canada has Black Friday, and we celebrate Thanksgiving in October.

But Canadian Thanksgiving isn't on a Thursday, because you aren't insane.

Monday, because of course then you have a 3 day weekend.  We aren't stupid.   ;-)