Overheard on Facebook

[Rollin]

Foamy!

Yep, there's a big foam storm comin'

[Dr. A]

Out of respect for the foam police, new thread, in which I reply to PloddingInsight:

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/traditional-vs-modern-family-values-and-gender-roles/

First Google Image for "Foam Police":

[NoraLenderbee]

I want you people to understand how much I appreciate the Lolz.

I just went into my facebook feed settings and started re-following all 500+ friends.

I want you to understand, I'm doing this for you folks. For the lolz.

Thank you for your service.

[galliver]

Out of respect for the foam police, new thread, in which I reply to PloddingInsight:

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/traditional-vs-modern-family-values-and-gender-roles/

First Google Image for "Foam Police":

I would have been concerned about googling that ;)

[FunkyStickman]

Well, now there's this. How dare they limit how fast I can follow people???

The nerve!!!

But I got all except about 30.

[solon]

I miss the black/orange boxes and casino/counting cards foam. So much better than the family size foam.

[galliver]

I miss the black/orange boxes and casino/counting cards foam. So much better than the family size foam.

That was on a different thread. Keep up ;)

[SisterX]

Ugh, I have a friend who just started doing this too.  I unfriended the last person to start talking about her home business thingy (some sort of food based thing, can't remember what it was) and I'm seriously considering unfriending this person too.  Soooo sick of hearing about these things.

For some reason, I just can't look away this time, mainly because I've always found this woman to be a level headed sort of gal. My husband thinks she is pretending to get sales, but I tend to think she is just hoodwinked by a very successful sales machine. Can she really be making lots of money on this endeavor?

I'm in the same boat.  My friend is a freaking university professor!  I feel like she should know better.  Normally so level headed and has good things to say, but now she's just jamming up my newsfeed with stuff about her nails.  I'm wondering, do I really have all that much in common with her anymore?  I tend to limit my FB group to people I actually care to hear about and make time for in real life.  Is she worth it?  Hmmmm.

[farmstache]

I'm in the same boat.  My friend is a freaking university professor!  I feel like she should know better.  Normally so level headed and has good things to say, but now she's just jamming up my newsfeed with stuff about her nails.  I'm wondering, do I really have all that much in common with her anymore?  I tend to limit my FB group to people I actually care to hear about and make time for in real life.  Is she worth it?  Hmmmm.

Yeah, I have a friend who got into Herbalife. For about a year she was pretty obnoxious about it and I was a bit hesitant to invite her over, etc. She's a very close friend, though, so after a few times of turning conversations into the benefits of Herbalife we just agreed to disagree and that if I ever felt like trying I would be sure to contact her. She then set up a place where people walk-into to buy, so she's not so dependent on parties, etc, anymore. We're good friends again now.

Now on to my own newsfeed, the latest antimustachian thing is a cousin of mine who's expecting due March like me and keeps posting photos of her babymoon/shopping trip to Miami. I'd love a trip to Miami, make no mistake, but I'm really getting most of what I can used, including family cribs, clothes, toys, etc, and I don't know how much she's spending, but another cousin of ours spent around $15k in baby stuff in NY before she had her daughter. Judging from the photos, I'd bet this gal isn't coming too short of that either.

[justajane]

I have a 'real life' friend doing jamberry and she is making a buttload of dough. Over $20k a month at this point. I'm pretty sure that's not normal though, she got in early and has hundreds of people under her.

I still wouldn't want to become a spam machine to all of my friends, I'm sure the business will be over saturated and blow over soon enough.

I imagined that if you got in to the business early you could make a decent clip, but I had no idea it could be that much. Wow! I guess if I could make over $200,000 for a couple of years pestering my friends, I might run the risk of jeopardizing my friendships too. Yeah, probably not.

I wonder if my friend is in that category. She did get to go to their big conference for big sellers in Utah. I assumed that she had to pay out of pocket for that pleasure, but your intel has me thinking that this was an all expenses paid deal. Color me surprised!

Ugh, I have a friend who just started doing this too.  I unfriended the last person to start talking about her home business thingy (some sort of food based thing, can't remember what it was) and I'm seriously considering unfriending this person too.  Soooo sick of hearing about these things.

For some reason, I just can't look away this time, mainly because I've always found this woman to be a level headed sort of gal. My husband thinks she is pretending to get sales, but I tend to think she is just hoodwinked by a very successful sales machine. Can she really be making lots of money on this endeavor?

I'm in the same boat.  My friend is a freaking university professor!  I feel like she should know better.  Normally so level headed and has good things to say, but now she's just jamming up my newsfeed with stuff about her nails.  I'm wondering, do I really have all that much in common with her anymore?  I tend to limit my FB group to people I actually care to hear about and make time for in real life.  Is she worth it?  Hmmmm.

Yeah, that's the worse part about it. You begin to question the quality and even perhaps the overall sanity of the individual involved. I guess they don't care what people think or don't realize what is going on in other people's minds.

The new trend I've noticed with Jamberry are the online Facebook parties. In fact, I was just invited to one this evening. Now I don't even have to go to their house and be fed appetizers to listen to their sale pitch. I can just login in to Facebook and buy on there during a predetermined 30 minute period. The other appalling one I noticed was a Jamberry nails party for a 6 year old girl. The consultant did the party for free, and in exchange the parents spammed all of their Facebook contacts to ask them to buy the products. For each product purchased, the birthday girl got more and more nail sheets. Social media has been a boon for MLMs.

[Goldielocks]

I have a Jamberry nails Facebook friend,......

ARGH.   With all this Jamberry thread talk, I had to look to see what it was.  ( I knew nail wraps, but nothing else).  How the heck do they sell them for $15 a set when the drugstore has them for $5 on clearance to $10 regular price?     (I bought them for a birthday present last year, I have never tried them as I could be mocked if I show up to work in fancy nails)

[austin]

MLMs are popular with military wives. It is difficult to maintain a career when you have to move around the country and world when your spouse gets stationed elsewhere, so these things target them.

Anyways, I saw a car on post with the following bumper sticker - "Support your local Army wife's pyramid scheme"

Hehe

[justajane]

I have a Jamberry nails Facebook friend,......

ARGH.   With all this Jamberry thread talk, I had to look to see what it was.  ( I knew nail wraps, but nothing else).  How the heck do they sell them for $15 a set when the drugstore has them for $5 on clearance to $10 regular price?     (I bought them for a birthday present last year, I have never tried them as I could be mocked if I show up to work in fancy nails)

I think their niche is women who would otherwise be going to the salon to get their nails done for $30-$40 a pop. If you are prone to indulge regularly in that, being able to do your nails for $5 (I believe you can get three "manicures" per sheet) sounds like an absolute bargain.

But I am not their demographic. I personally find patterns on your nails to be tacky, and I haven't painted my nails more than 10 times in my entire life. I have had my nails done professionally once - the day before my wedding - and that was only because I thought it was what was expected, not because I was even that interested. It was a waste of time, IMO.

[Primm]

Checked my feed -

Apparently one person put a question out to FB about whether she should "trash the dress" or not.  So far there's about 10 comments supporting the idea and no one is recommending that she resell her wedding dress.  I really hope she has a less expensive dress if she does.

I know of more than one person who did a trash the dress session with a professional photographer and who bought a second trashable dress so they didn't ruin their actual wedding dress...

[gimp]

I know of more than one person who did a trash the dress session with a professional photographer and who bought a second trashable dress so they didn't ruin their actual wedding dress...

[dragoncar]

Ah, shit, a perpetually-broke family friend just announced via Facebook that she has become a Jamberry "sales consultant".

At least when her sister was selling that Pampered Chef crap we got some decent stoneware out of it.

I'm tired of seeing my friends turn to the ways of the consultant. (A lot of Scentsy and Thirty-One.) And, even worse, only hearing from them when they're having a sales party or offering new discounts. :/

The horror -- you made me google "Thirty one" and I can never take that back.
Seriously,  what is the point of those items and a whole company / sales line devoted to them?  I must have missed the memo, because "I DON'T GET IT".

"Through God's strength, we've built a family of individuals who feel women deserve to treat themselves and those around them to something special"

Omgwtf

I just wanted to know why it's called 31

[fantabulous]

I have a Jamberry nails Facebook friend,......

ARGH.   With all this Jamberry thread talk, I had to look to see what it was.  ( I knew nail wraps, but nothing else).  How the heck do they sell them for $15 a set when the drugstore has them for $5 on clearance to $10 regular price?     (I bought them for a birthday present last year, I have never tried them as I could be mocked if I show up to work in fancy nails)

I've done the nail wraps once, and enjoyed the pattern. My giant hands meant the thumbs weren't quite big enough, so if you looked close enough you could tell I had wraps on. Not something I really plan on bothering with ever again, though. I guess I'm not even in the demographic for jamberry.

[tofuchampion]

Ah, shit, a perpetually-broke family friend just announced via Facebook that she has become a Jamberry "sales consultant".

At least when her sister was selling that Pampered Chef crap we got some decent stoneware out of it.

I'm tired of seeing my friends turn to the ways of the consultant. (A lot of Scentsy and Thirty-One.) And, even worse, only hearing from them when they're having a sales party or offering new discounts. :/

The horror -- you made me google "Thirty one" and I can never take that back.
Seriously,  what is the point of those items and a whole company / sales line devoted to them?  I must have missed the memo, because "I DON'T GET IT".

"Through God's strength, we've built a family of individuals who feel women deserve to treat themselves and those around them to something special"

Omgwtf

I just wanted to know why it's called 31

Because of Proverbs 31 - a chapter in the Bible describing the perfect woman.

[rocksinmyhead]

Ah, shit, a perpetually-broke family friend just announced via Facebook that she has become a Jamberry "sales consultant".

At least when her sister was selling that Pampered Chef crap we got some decent stoneware out of it.

I'm tired of seeing my friends turn to the ways of the consultant. (A lot of Scentsy and Thirty-One.) And, even worse, only hearing from them when they're having a sales party or offering new discounts. :/

The horror -- you made me google "Thirty one" and I can never take that back.
Seriously,  what is the point of those items and a whole company / sales line devoted to them?  I must have missed the memo, because "I DON'T GET IT".

"Through God's strength, we've built a family of individuals who feel women deserve to treat themselves and those around them to something special"

Omgwtf

I just wanted to know why it's called 31

Because of Proverbs 31 - a chapter in the Bible describing the perfect woman.

OMGWTF is right.

I had seen one of my Facebook friends pushing it a while back, never realized it was a pseudo-religious thing. That stuff makes me so sad... preying on people's feelings that they "want to associate with other good Christian women" or whatever the fuck, just to push some low-quality stupid materialistic shit. Yikes. What Would Jesus Sell?

I think some of the Jamberry designs are tacky and some are cute, but all are irrelevant to my life since I am way too lazy/busy/cheap for that shit. :)

[Siobhan]

Austin, I am a "military wife", the whole you can't keep a career thing is a joke.  I've kept mine going for many a year now across 5 moves, people simply don't want to put in the effort and sacrifices it takes to do so.

But YES to the MLM schemes, I can't go to a single even without at least one spouse trying to sell me Scentsy (I'm an asthmatic, that crap makes me wheeze), Pampered Chef, or whatever the big jewelry one is now.  That crap drives me INSANE, every once in a while I have to buy something to be polite (usually to the hubz boss's wife) but I sit there and scream internally about how I am paying for something I don't need/want to help pay for someone else's life. 

[justajane]

rocksinmyhead - "What would Jesus sell?" is a sad but brilliant encapsulation of their method of manipulating people.

For those that are interested - there's a whole recent thread on MLMs:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/mlm-oh-my/

Someone on there rightly pointed out that they think that these MLMs target religious people. After all, the mother of all MLMs, Amway, is religious, isn't it?


Not the worst overheard on Facebook, but I still see this more often than I would like:
"Not a good day yesterday. So a little retail therapy will do me some good today."

[DeepEllumStache]

Checked my feed -

Apparently one person put a question out to FB about whether she should "trash the dress" or not.  So far there's about 10 comments supporting the idea and no one is recommending that she resell her wedding dress.  I really hope she has a less expensive dress if she does.

I know of more than one person who did a trash the dress session with a professional photographer and who bought a second trashable dress so they didn't ruin their actual wedding dress...

Start off that consumerist marriage correctly by buying 2 ridiculously priced dresses and then spending a ridiculous amount tailoring both just so you can destroy one and put the other in storage.

[dragoncar]

rocksinmyhead - "What would Jesus sell?" is a sad but brilliant encapsulation of their method of manipulating people.

For those that are interested - there's a whole recent thread on MLMs:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/mlm-oh-my/

Someone on there rightly pointed out that they think that these MLMs target religious people. After all, the mother of all MLMs, Amway, is religious, isn't it?


Not the worst overheard on Facebook, but I still see this more often than I would like:
"Not a good day yesterday. So a little retail therapy will do me some good today."

It's funny how retail therapy  (I hope) started out as an ironic saying, and is now used unironically

Austin, I am a "military wife", the whole you can't keep a career thing is a joke.  I've kept mine going for many a year now across 5 moves, people simply don't want to put in the effort and sacrifices it takes to do so.

But YES to the MLM schemes, I can't go to a single even without at least one spouse trying to sell me Scentsy (I'm an asthmatic, that crap makes me wheeze), Pampered Chef, or whatever the big jewelry one is now.  That crap drives me INSANE, every once in a while I have to buy something to be polite (usually to the hubz boss's wife) but I sit there and scream internally about how I am paying for something I don't need/want to help pay for someone else's life. 

For those politeness purchases, I'd be tempted to carry around some crap and try to sell it to them.  Not mlm crap, just normal crap, although this could work to get rid of the mlm crap you bout previously.  See how polite they are in return and maybe turn a profit

[resy]

7 kids with 5 fathers:  poor impulse control.

7 kids from 1 father:  alternative lifestyle.

OR... complete ignorance or lack of concern of their impact in the world. Planned or not planned in my very personal opinion so many kids is not ok. There are consequences for the enviroment, society, economy, etc. Wreckless and irresponsible.

[Siobhan]

HA...I love the idea of carrying around some crap to sell.

[grantmeaname]

Planned or not planned in my very personal opinion so many kids is not ok.

Perhaps they don't share your opinion.

[myteafix]

Ah, shit, a perpetually-broke family friend just announced via Facebook that she has become a Jamberry "sales consultant".

At least when her sister was selling that Pampered Chef crap we got some decent stoneware out of it.

I'm tired of seeing my friends turn to the ways of the consultant. (A lot of Scentsy and Thirty-One.) And, even worse, only hearing from them when they're having a sales party or offering new discounts. :/

The horror -- you made me google "Thirty one" and I can never take that back.
Seriously,  what is the point of those items and a whole company / sales line devoted to them?  I must have missed the memo, because "I DON'T GET IT".

Oh, I'm so sorry to have done that to you! D:

Having attended a super conservative Baptist college, I heard a lot about Thirty-One. I don't really see anything attractive or appealing about those bags at all.

@eyePod - Most of my Facebook friends who were consultants have been unfriended, but one or two of my "real friends" are consultants, still. One of them rarely uses Facebook anyway, but the other is obnoxious with her posts. (I think she's a consultant for 2-3 different places.)

[PloddingInsight]

7 kids with 5 fathers:  poor impulse control.

7 kids from 1 father:  alternative lifestyle.

OR... complete ignorance or lack of concern of their impact in the world. Planned or not planned in my very personal opinion so many kids is not ok. There are consequences for the enviroment, society, economy, etc. Wreckless and irresponsible.

Yeah if they keep it up there might be enough tax revenue to save social security.  How dare they!

[johnintaiwan]

Slightly paraphrased

"Does anyone know someone who can really talk to the dead? Like a medium or something? Willing to pay."

[resy]

7 kids with 5 fathers:  poor impulse control.

7 kids from 1 father:  alternative lifestyle.

OR... complete ignorance or lack of concern of their impact in the world. Planned or not planned in my very personal opinion so many kids is not ok. There are consequences for the enviroment, society, economy, etc. Wreckless and irresponsible.

Yeah if they keep it up there might be enough tax revenue to save social security.  How dare they!

OR they can learn about personal finance, responsible decisions and delayed gratification! Oh but no we NEED over population! Im sure MMM would agree, why stop at 1 or 2 when we need to fund the economy/social security/insert yours here ?!

[robotclown]

A bunch of girls I went to high school with fell into the MLM Arbonne thing.  Although one of them "earned" a Mercedes by doing it, although a little digging reveals it's just a discounted lease on a Mercedes.  Yay.

But I didn't block any of them because they're hot.

[tmac]

My friend, who lost her house this summer (underwater and forced relocation for work), has posted the following purchases in the past month:

* New leather jackets for herself and her son
* Entirely new wardrobe for her husband ("And all under $500!")
* 4 pictures of fancy meals out with requisite fancy cocktails
* New vanity car license plates
* 3 new not-cheap outfits for corporate dress-up days
* Branded work-out clothes to go with the expensive work-out systems she buys
* 2 expensive family outings

Last month, she posted about how she wished they could afford for her husband to be a SAHP because it made their lives so much easier, and yet how desperate she was for her husband to get a new job. So he did. It's a 2-hour commute in each direction.

I bite my tongue, but it's hard to watch.

Update: Her old car (which was actually pretty mustachian) now needs lots of work, so she's out test driving new cars. Not new-to-her. Just "new."

I'd bet a whole dollar that she'll decide now is a good time to take another withdrawal from her already decimated 401K. "My company keeps putting money in, and I keep taking it out! Ha ha ha!" So funny.

[CabinetGuy]

But I didn't block any of them because they're hot.

This is awesome.  My thinking would be the same.

Jon

[ms]

I understand that being a first time mom is pretty exciting but I just cannot believe the amounts of money that my new Facebook mommy friends are willing to spend.  Here are some separate postings:

Mom1: Hi Ladies! Deal Alert!! we got a great deal on our tripp trapp high chair. 20% off retail 349.99 for complete set at bed bath and beyond. Just sign up for their email alerts and you get a 20% off coupon for 1 item in store. However stokee tripp trapp is not available at store. So you have to go and place the order at the store and negotiate to waive shipping fee of 29.99. We ended up paying 280+tax for our complete set. Amazing deal. Have been doing research and couldn't find it cheaper anywhere. Happy shopping !!

Mom2: Not sure if it even ends up being worth it with the shipping, heres a swing that plugs in from Target.com for 119.99
http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-my-little-snugapuppy-cradle-n-swing/-/A-14583532#prodSlot=_1_19

And another mom bought a Boon Lawn which I had no idea what the heck it is.  Turns out it's a drying rack for $33 and you can buy accessories like twigs for $9 to stick in the lawn so that you can dry your baby bottles etc.

Consumerism at it's best. ;)

[robotclown]

And another mom bought a Boon Lawn which I had no idea what the heck it is.  Turns out it's a drying rack for $33 and you can buy accessories like twigs for $9 to stick in the lawn so that you can dry your baby bottles etc.

People will pay $9 for sticks?  Time to start up an $8 stick business.

[frugalnacho]

And another mom bought a Boon Lawn which I had no idea what the heck it is.  Turns out it's a drying rack for $33 and you can buy accessories like twigs for $9 to stick in the lawn so that you can dry your baby bottles etc.

People will pay $9 for sticks?  Time to start up an $8 stick business.

I'm already selling sticks for $7 if anyone's interested.

[AlanStache]

And another mom bought a Boon Lawn which I had no idea what the heck it is.  Turns out it's a drying rack for $33 and you can buy accessories like twigs for $9 to stick in the lawn so that you can dry your baby bottles etc.

People will pay $9 for sticks?  Time to start up an $8 stick business.

I'm already selling sticks for $7 if anyone's interested.

You guys are amatures, my sticks are organic & gluten free; they start at 12$, with 2% of profits going to rain forest restoration.  :-p

[Gin1984]

Until I got pregnant, I was unaware how much cr*p was marketed to new parents. Earbuds for my belly? REALLY?!?!

I have a kid, and I missed the earbuds.  WTF?

[justajane]

I understand that being a first time mom is pretty exciting but I just cannot believe the amounts of money that my new Facebook mommy friends are willing to spend.  Here are some separate postings:

Mom2: Not sure if it even ends up being worth it with the shipping, heres a swing that plugs in from Target.com for 119.99
http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-my-little-snugapuppy-cradle-n-swing/-/A-14583532#prodSlot=_1_19

I have to defend the swing. If your kid likes it, it can mean you actually get a break from holding your baby all day. But everyone knows you buy expensive contraptions like that used or borrow it from a friend. The plug in sounds genius to me - no batteries like the ones I'm using now on our ancient borrowed one.

[SpicyMcHaggus]

The secretary for my IT department recently purchased a $29,990 2014 Mercedes CLA-250 FWD.
Yes... an hourly employee (I estimate less than $18/hr ) who was already complaining that the loan on her 2012 Chevy Equinox was too high per month... purchased a 2014 Mercedes.  I can't face-punch hard enough.

I recently flew to CT from WI to buy a 2006 Audi that was exactly what I wanted. Paid cash. Under $7k. And I'm a salaried employee that makes a pretty good wage. 

Summary: 21 year old secretary buys $30k car, has $900/mo apartment, makes me facepunch myself so hard I can't comprehend how her life works.

[gimp]

My favorite part is how much a low-end mercedes sucks. A low-end beamer is still a nice car, a low-end mercedes is a piece of crap.

[vivophoenix]

The secretary for my IT department recently purchased a $29,990 2014 Mercedes CLA-250 FWD.
Yes... an hourly employee (I estimate less than $18/hr ) who was already complaining that the loan on her 2012 Chevy Equinox was too high per month... purchased a 2014 Mercedes.  I can't face-punch hard enough.

I recently flew to CT from WI to buy a 2006 Audi that was exactly what I wanted. Paid cash. Under $7k. And I'm a salaried employee that makes a pretty good wage. 

Summary: 21 year old secretary buys $30k car, has $900/mo apartment, makes me facepunch myself so hard I can't comprehend how her life works.

easy  to understand how, main question is why. i bet she did this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/get-there/when-it-comes-to-car-loans-it-pays-to-stay-in-the-fast-lane/2014/11/06/da5d5522-646f-11e4-9fdc-d43b053ecb4d_story.html?hpid=z6

 

i have a friend who is very similar:  she lies to stay in low income housing. she was also upside down on a super predatory car loan, the type that is illegal in my state thank god. basically it was for six years and you could not prepay.  her loan wasnt for the purchase price of the car,  it was for the car plus the financing. it turns out they also let you skip a month, when ever you feel like things are little tight budgetwise that month.

so she skipped many months. which they were more than willing to extend the life of the loan out for. and then this car gets engine knock or crack something or other.

she decides to ( as per recommendation of the used car salesmen) purchase a used BMW( i have no idea the model, it went straight over my head.) then once she begins making payments on the new car does a voluntary surrender ( repossession) of the old underwater car.

cause hey,  credit doesnt matter anymore, she has a new car.

she was super proud of the 12% APR, she was able to secure as she started giving me car loan advice. i didnt have the heart to tell her i got the 1.9%  financing.  of course the loan is for 60 months. but she went on and on about how bmws are such a great deal, and they retain their value. all i could think of was the students loans and plastic surgery loans she purposely either defaulted on or defers, because 'shes too poor.'

whoops went off on a tangent

[golden1]

7 kids from 1 father:  alternative lifestyle.

This is the situation with the mom I posted about.  They were strict catholic for awhile and just kept on having kids.   Then she decided she wasn't catholic and is now pagan.  After her 7th child was born with a severe birth defect, she got her tubes tied and decided to stop.  I don't care how many kids she had/has, but I was just surprised at the continuing lack of emergency savings.  I get maybe the first time, but after realizing that unexpected expenses come up, it's time to begin saving for the inevitable next time.  I just can't imagine living so close to the edge like that.  Even when I had consumer debt, I had resources to tap in case things ever got really bad. 

[CommonCents]

Read today on FB: My friends are generally not an issue, but I am on a couple of message boards.  This one...just made me shake my head:

"I am asking for everyone's help as a lot of you may know recently there was a power outage due to a lightening strike that caused major loss to several families on the block, including us.  We lost our OVEN / MICROWAVE / 2 X- BOXES / STEREO SYSTEM / ALL THREE HOME PHONES / AND THREE FLAT SCREEN TV'S !! Due to our situation we can't afford to buy what we lost. Electric company won't replace without receipts, and not even full amount!  So if you have any of the items above that you wish to donate or sell at reasonable price please help"

 
I can understand the micro and oven.

But the rest? I have one home phone and one TV.

This happened to my MIL.  After a huge fight with the power company, she was able to get reimbursed.  Although she was only seeking [eta: reimbursement for] a box TV I think.  Tell your friend to spend her time fighting the electric company and for any warranties and such instead.

[SisterX]

Until I got pregnant, I was unaware how much cr*p was marketed to new parents. Earbuds for my belly? REALLY?!?!

I have a kid, and I missed the earbuds.  WTF?

AS SEEN ON TV

http://www.amazon.com/Bellybuds-V2-BBDLX-Bellybuds%C2%AE-Baby-Bump-System/dp/B0097F3YES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415642506&sr=8-1&keywords=belly+buds

Things like that can actually cause hearing loss and other problems in babies: http://www.babycenter.com/0_music-and-your-unborn-child_6547.bc
"It's not a good idea to use headphones on your belly since the music is up close and may overstimulate the baby.  ...The American Academy of Pediatrics reported in the late 1990s that several studies showed that unborn babies exposed to loud noise over a long period of time are more likely to be born prematurely, have lower birth weights, and suffer some higher frequency hearing loss at birth." 

Even worse are all the anti-SIDS devices on the market which can actually cause death due to strangulation and smothering.

So glad my pregnant/mom friends are all actually somewhat frugal.  One friend just bragged about how, due to deals and consignment/thrift shops, she managed to get an entire maternity wardrobe for about $100.  Considering that those are work clothes and clothes to cover two seasons, that's not bad at all.

[tofuchampion]

Until I got pregnant, I was unaware how much cr*p was marketed to new parents. Earbuds for my belly? REALLY?!?!

My favorite is baby food makers. Literally a food processor with a smiley face on it.

When my first kid was at the age of starting solids, I used the regular food processor about twice, then got lazy and started just mashing up plain fruit/veg with a fork.

I don't understand the baby food industry at all.

[resy]

The secretary for my IT department recently purchased a $29,990 2014 Mercedes CLA-250 FWD.
Yes... an hourly employee (I estimate less than $18/hr ) who was already complaining that the loan on her 2012 Chevy Equinox was too high per month... purchased a 2014 Mercedes.  I can't face-punch hard enough.

I recently flew to CT from WI to buy a 2006 Audi that was exactly what I wanted. Paid cash. Under $7k. And I'm a salaried employee that makes a pretty good wage. 

Summary: 21 year old secretary buys $30k car, has $900/mo apartment, makes me facepunch myself so hard I can't comprehend how her life works.

sadly, thats how most people's life work. I live in an apartmeny and lots of my neighbors drive of cars over $24,000.

[homehandymum]

Speaking of dumb baby food stuff, this competition was in my news feed a while ago
http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/competitions/rollie-eggmaster/

wtaf?  A whole benchtop appliance devoted to cooking a single egg?

[flamingo25]

I understand that being a first time mom is pretty exciting but I just cannot believe the amounts of money that my new Facebook mommy friends are willing to spend.  Here are some separate postings:

Mom1: Hi Ladies! Deal Alert!! we got a great deal on our tripp trapp high chair. 20% off retail 349.99 for complete set at bed bath and beyond. Just sign up for their email alerts and you get a 20% off coupon for 1 item in store. However stokee tripp trapp is not available at store. So you have to go and place the order at the store and negotiate to waive shipping fee of 29.99. We ended up paying 280+tax for our complete set. Amazing deal. Have been doing research and couldn't find it cheaper anywhere. Happy shopping !!

Mom2: Not sure if it even ends up being worth it with the shipping, heres a swing that plugs in from Target.com for 119.99
http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-my-little-snugapuppy-cradle-n-swing/-/A-14583532#prodSlot=_1_19

And another mom bought a Boon Lawn which I had no idea what the heck it is.  Turns out it's a drying rack for $33 and you can buy accessories like twigs for $9 to stick in the lawn so that you can dry your baby bottles etc.

Consumerism at it's best. ;)

I see crap like this on FB all the time. Moms getting "great deals" which really means getting free shipping on overpriced useless clutter.

I'm infertile so I already get irritated by cheesy mom posts. Add consumerist mommy culture and let the eye-rolling begin.

[eyePod]

Speaking of dumb baby food stuff, this competition was in my news feed a while ago
http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/competitions/rollie-eggmaster/

wtaf?  A whole benchtop appliance devoted to cooking a single egg?

The most annoying thing about that post is that it uses the word "brekkie" instead of breakfast. I'm betting it's a NZ/Aussie thing but still pisses me off.