Overheard on Facebook

[renata ricotta]

I have a friend who keeps posting these travel memes. As far as I'm aware, travel 'experience' is not an accepted currency in our society, but I'm too polite to mention it.

Argh. Sure, yes. Travel while you're young and able. But do it while planning for it monetarily, instead of just assuming the universe will "make it work" Tim Gunn-style.

Sort of related, I grew up in a religious culture where people are urged to have as many kids as possible as early as possible (usually when the new couple is still broke and in college). Any resistance on the score of wanting to be financially stable first was met with a never-ending mantra of "things will work out" and "the Lord will provide."

[MgoSam]

Sort of related, I grew up in a religious culture where people are urged to have as many kids as possible as early as possible (usually when the new couple is still broke and in college). Any resistance on the score of wanting to be financially stable first was met with a never-ending mantra of "things will work out" and "the Lord will provide."

Yeah, the last time someone said something like that I laughed out loud, nearly spilling my drink. I received a death glare from the lady that was talking...apparently she's getting married and they are going to be living in her parent's basement, but "The Lord will provide."

[renata ricotta]

Sort of related, I grew up in a religious culture where people are urged to have as many kids as possible as early as possible (usually when the new couple is still broke and in college). Any resistance on the score of wanting to be financially stable first was met with a never-ending mantra of "things will work out" and "the Lord will provide."

Yeah, the last time someone said something like that I laughed out loud, nearly spilling my drink. I received a death glare from the lady that was talking...apparently she's getting married and they are going to be living in her parent's basement, but "The Lord will provide."

A huge portion of single family homes in SLC have basement apartments for precisely this purpose :) both my parents and in-laws have one (which was actually great, because we lived there while I was in law school so I didn't have to take out student loans). Next time someone tells me that I'll ask them how to submit my direct deposit information to God.

[Warlord1986]

Hold up now. The Lord does provide. He provided us with brains and bodies to work to get ourselves to stable financial positions so we don't have to bring up our children in squalor, or by mooching off our parents.

[MgoSam]

Hold up now. The Lord does provide. He provided us with brains and bodies to work to get ourselves to stable financial positions so we don't have to bring up our children in squalor, or by mooching off our parents.

Yup! This reminds me of a scene in "Kingdom of Heaven"

Mullah: [the mullah pays a visit to Saladin in his tent after the battle at Kerak] Why did we retire? Why? God did not favor them. God alone determines the results of battles.
Saladin: The results of battles ARE determined by God, but also by preparation, numbers, the absence of disease, and the availability of water. One cannot maintain a siege with the enemy behind. How many battles did God win for the Muslims before I came... that is, before God determined that I should come?

[Sibley]

Unfortunately our laundry room is only wide enough for a single appliance because the washer and dryer are stacked. So we don't have a choice - has to be a front-loader. I hope they figure out how to improve those things.

My parents have a stacked W/D, and the washer is top-load.  It's a pain, because the door only opens about 45 degrees, but it works.  It's also really old, predating modern front-loaders, I think.  But they still exist! (Sort of.  It appears Kenmore has recently discontinued* this model, since I could only find it a the Sears outlet.)  It's all one unit, so if either washer or dryer breaks irreparably, the whole thing must be replaced.

Had one of those. It's horrible. Don't get it. Tiny loads, and mine went out of balance ALL THE TIME.

[onlykelsey]

Unfortunately our laundry room is only wide enough for a single appliance because the washer and dryer are stacked. So we don't have a choice - has to be a front-loader. I hope they figure out how to improve those things.

My parents have a stacked W/D, and the washer is top-load.  It's a pain, because the door only opens about 45 degrees, but it works.  It's also really old, predating modern front-loaders, I think.  But they still exist! (Sort of.  It appears Kenmore has recently discontinued* this model, since I could only find it a the Sears outlet.)  It's all one unit, so if either washer or dryer breaks irreparably, the whole thing must be replaced.

Had one of those. It's horrible. Don't get it. Tiny loads, and mine went out of balance ALL THE TIME.

But if the alternative is a front loader, I'd take the tiny stacked machines.

[Tjat]

Also good: do a bleach or vinegar rinse every so often (and a second rinse to remove all bleach so it doesn't wreck your clothes). Scrub the rubber gasket around the edges. And, most important (and easily forgotten): EMPTY THE LINT TRAP OF THE WASHER. Most people don't, and it's where a lot of the smell comes from.

Barring that: front loaders suck and I HIGHLY regret our decision to have one. Thank god we got it on sale (1100 for washer AND dryer) years ago... when it gives out, top-loading machine for us.

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

[frugalnacho]

Also good: do a bleach or vinegar rinse every so often (and a second rinse to remove all bleach so it doesn't wreck your clothes). Scrub the rubber gasket around the edges. And, most important (and easily forgotten): EMPTY THE LINT TRAP OF THE WASHER. Most people don't, and it's where a lot of the smell comes from.

Barring that: front loaders suck and I HIGHLY regret our decision to have one. Thank god we got it on sale (1100 for washer AND dryer) years ago... when it gives out, top-loading machine for us.

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

A metal mesh sock that you put over the washing machine discharge to trap lint.  Looks like this:

[Kitsune]

Also good: do a bleach or vinegar rinse every so often (and a second rinse to remove all bleach so it doesn't wreck your clothes). Scrub the rubber gasket around the edges. And, most important (and easily forgotten): EMPTY THE LINT TRAP OF THE WASHER. Most people don't, and it's where a lot of the smell comes from.

Barring that: front loaders suck and I HIGHLY regret our decision to have one. Thank god we got it on sale (1100 for washer AND dryer) years ago... when it gives out, top-loading machine for us.

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

On our Samsung washer, under the front door and to the left, there's a little door (look at the image here for illustration: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-4-2-cu-ft-8-cycle-high-efficiency-front-loading-washer-white/3452002.p?skuId=3452002) Open it, unscrew what basically looks like a mesh/cheese grater cylinder, and wash the rotting soggy lint out of it. Thoroughly disgusting. Our manual says to do that every 6 months; most people don't know it exists.

That plus scrubbing the rubber gasket that's around the door to the machine Daly with the machine being smelly, but we do leave the door open now to stop it from happening again.

[LeRainDrop]

And, most important (and easily forgotten): EMPTY THE LINT TRAP OF THE WASHER. Most people don't, and it's where a lot of the smell comes from.

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

On our Samsung washer, under the front door and to the left, there's a little door . . . . Open it, unscrew what basically looks like a mesh/cheese grater cylinder, and wash the rotting soggy lint out of it. Thoroughly disgusting. Our manual says to do that every 6 months; most people don't know it exists.

I had never heard of the washer's lint trap before, but Kitsune's description for cleaning it didn't sound all that hard, so tonight I went off to DIY on this thing.

Please learn from my experience.  To start, this thing inside the little door is not actually called the lint trap; it is called the drain pump.  I did not realize that until I started opening it and a whole bunch of water started pouring out.  Closed it up and then found the owner's manual.  It turns out that you are supposed to slowly drain all the water into a pan, dump it out, and repeat until all the water has been drained -- which, on my model, could be up to 4.4 gallons!  Okay, once you realize that tons-of-water step in the process, the cleaning step is easy.

Thanks, Kitsune, for teaching me something new, even though it meant I had a serious Lucille Ball moment on my hands!  :-)

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Yeah, I got water all over the place the first time I did it too. The little drain tube takes a while, but it is the better way...

[marty998]

Facebook feed a few days ago... lovely young couple I know posted up their brand new high end car. (I won't be specific or nasty because they're otherwise nice people).

Very long list of likes and people saying congratulations... interesting how many others wanted one too...

[markpst]

A friend of a friend chimed in on a Facebook post/discussion about which internet service to use (in Cincinnati, there really are only two players, Time Warner Cable and Cincinnati Bell):

We actually have BOTH TWC and CB!!! We are hoarders of ISPs!!! We switched over to TWC about a year ago for multiple reasons. Intended to stop the CB Internet and landline, but have not gotten around to it because we barely get our jobs done every day. TWC is Much faster internet than CB. Have had no problems with TWC internet. We pay a ridiculous amount for each.

[Tjat]

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

On our Samsung washer, under the front door and to the left, there's a little door (look at the image here for illustration: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-4-2-cu-ft-8-cycle-high-efficiency-front-loading-washer-white/3452002.p?skuId=3452002) Open it, unscrew what basically looks like a mesh/cheese grater cylinder, and wash the rotting soggy lint out of it. Thoroughly disgusting. Our manual says to do that every 6 months; most people don't know it exists.

That plus scrubbing the rubber gasket that's around the door to the machine Daly with the machine being smelly, but we do leave the door open now to stop it from happening again.

Wow. That sounds like waaay too much work. And there's a chance some water will leak out? No way! I'm just going to buy a new one. My town also has a service where they will haul away the old one from 2011 for only $75.

[Playing with Fire UK]

I have a feeling I'm going to feel foolish...but what is a washer lint trap? I'm only aware of the one for the dryer

On our Samsung washer, under the front door and to the left, there's a little door (look at the image here for illustration: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-4-2-cu-ft-8-cycle-high-efficiency-front-loading-washer-white/3452002.p?skuId=3452002) Open it, unscrew what basically looks like a mesh/cheese grater cylinder, and wash the rotting soggy lint out of it. Thoroughly disgusting. Our manual says to do that every 6 months; most people don't know it exists.

That plus scrubbing the rubber gasket that's around the door to the machine Daly with the machine being smelly, but we do leave the door open now to stop it from happening again.

Wow. That sounds like waaay too much work. And there's a chance some water will leak out? No way! I'm just going to buy a new one. My town also has a service where they will haul away the old one from 2011 for only $75.

Shit, better get two in case one breaks and you have to live without a washing machine. Probably gonna need a bigger house too.

[Tjat]

Sorry I didn't clarify. That one is my second washer. We have one upstairs and downstairs. It's super convenient not to have to carry things up and down. This way we can wash all our clothes upstairs and use the downstairs set to do beach towels from our pool, dish clothes, etc. We also restrict our maid and au pair to only using the downstairs machine...it just seems kind of gross and too personal for someone else to use the same machine we wash our unmentionables in.

[Playing with Fire UK]

My mistake, so sorry to have suggested that you'd ever let the maid near your personal washing machine.

[Travis]

Didn't even try to diagnose the problem. Granted, the appliances she had were used when she got them, but the dryer is fine, yet they replaced it, too, so the appliances matched. *facepalm*

Every now and then I'll see quick discussions on FB about someone wanting to buy a new replacement and someone offhandedly asks about repair. Usually the person needing the replacement/fix says "I just don't want to bother with it."  Rarely does the person say "I priced out the repair and it's not worth it."  If it wasn't for the geographic distance between us I'd jump on that every time and say "If you're just going to toss it I'll buy it off you."  Quite often repairing an appliance that isn't TOO old is worth it if you're patient enough to get it fixed and Craigslist it for the right price.  I did this recently with my sister's law firm furniture.  They had a storage rental space packed with older but still in decent condition law office desks and bookshelves.  The space was supposed to be for files and they needed the space for more paperwork.  Their original plan was to send it all to the dump.  They would have been looking at a few hundred dollars worth of dump fees and it would have been a waste of quality furniture.  I offered to Craigslist it for a couple months for a cut of the profit and either sold 3/4s of it or other employees just took it home.

[mustachepungoeshere]

Not Facebook but I had to post it somewhere.

I asked my mum for gift ideas for my nephew's upcoming birthday and she suggested a particular insulated drink bottle for him to take to daycare.

Pricing it online, one website has the following option:

Make four interest-free payments of $4.24 fortnightly and receive your order now

Apart from the question of who the hell needs to make payments on a $16.95 drink bottle, who has that kind of time? My goal is to streamline purchases like this, not increase the number of transactions involved.

[Playing with Fire UK]

Yep, if you don't have $16.95 you shouldn't be spending more than all your money on a drinks bottle.

[firelight]

Yep, if you don't have $16.95 you shouldn't be spending more than all your money on a drinks bottle.

You'd be surprised how many parents that want their kids to 'have only the best' would disagree with you. #nothingbutthebestforkid

[Mesmoiselle]

Not Facebook but I had to post it somewhere.

I asked my mum for gift ideas for my nephew's upcoming birthday and she suggested a particular insulated drink bottle for him to take to daycare.

Pricing it online, one website has the following option:

Make four interest-free payments of $4.24 fortnightly and receive your order now

Apart from the question of who the hell needs to make payments on a $16.95 drink bottle, who has that kind of time? My goal is to streamline purchases like this, not increase the number of transactions involved.

Maybe the website has auto programming for offering payment plans regardless of price of item.

At least, I hope so....

[Papa Mustache]

We actually have BOTH TWC and CB!!! We are hoarders of ISPs!!! We switched over to TWC about a year ago for multiple reasons. Intended to stop the CB Internet and landline, but have not gotten around to it because we barely get our jobs done every day. TWC is Much faster internet than CB. Have had no problems with TWC internet. We pay a ridiculous amount for each.

I envisioned the wireless internet delivered by Citizen's Band radio. Channel 19 gets you Topix forum discussions. Channel 7 gets you discussions about police activity...

Would it be faster or slower than a 56K modem? ;)

[druth]

Not facebook but today somebody on Reddit was wrong.

Stranger A: I had to get a car when I got a house, I didn't have one before but house living just requires one.
Me: I moved CLOSER to the city when I bought my house and then I sold my car.  Would recommend.
Other Strangers: where is this mythical place?
Me: My house was less than 200k in St Paul, but any neighborhood that is slightly worse than yours, or a house that is smaller, or needs more work, but is closer will work.  Here is an example of a house near me: *redfin link*
Stranger who is wrong on the internet: That house needs at least 40k in new windows, you would waste so much heating a 1911 house that the savings isn't even worth it.  So much for your made up awesome house.

My house was built in 1914, has old windows, and all our heat and electricity is always under 150.  Wonder how long those 40k in REQUIRED updates would take to pay off?  Also our neighborhood has houses that are redone top to bottom for 200k.

I told him if he wants to live in a suburban palace with a long commute he is welcome to do so, but it's only him holding him back, not that all affordable city housing is uninhabitable.

[dragoncar]

Not facebook but today somebody on Reddit was wrong.

Stranger A: I had to get a car when I got a house, I didn't have one before but house living just requires one.
Me: I moved CLOSER to the city when I bought my house and then I sold my car.  Would recommend.
Other Strangers: where is this mythical place?
Me: My house was less than 200k in St Paul, but any neighborhood that is slightly worse than yours, or a house that is smaller, or needs more work, but is closer will work.  Here is an example of a house near me: *redfin link*
Stranger who is wrong on the internet: That house needs at least 40k in new windows, you would waste so much heating a 1911 house that the savings isn't even worth it.  So much for your made up awesome house.

My house was built in 1914, has old windows, and all our heat and electricity is always under 150.  Wonder how long those 40k in REQUIRED updates would take to pay off?  Also our neighborhood has houses that are redone top to bottom for 200k.

I told him if he wants to live in a suburban palace with a long commute he is welcome to do so, but it's only him holding him back, not that all affordable city housing is uninhabitable.

LOL, I think I saw that thread, close but not verbatim.  Don't you hate it when people on the internet are WRONG?

P.S. took a look at the redfin link.  That house needs at least $300k in new door handles

[johnny847]

Not facebook but today somebody on Reddit was wrong.

Stranger A: I had to get a car when I got a house, I didn't have one before but house living just requires one.
Me: I moved CLOSER to the city when I bought my house and then I sold my car.  Would recommend.
Other Strangers: where is this mythical place?
Me: My house was less than 200k in St Paul, but any neighborhood that is slightly worse than yours, or a house that is smaller, or needs more work, but is closer will work.  Here is an example of a house near me: *redfin link*
Stranger who is wrong on the internet: That house needs at least 40k in new windows, you would waste so much heating a 1911 house that the savings isn't even worth it.  So much for your made up awesome house.

My house was built in 1914, has old windows, and all our heat and electricity is always under 150.  Wonder how long those 40k in REQUIRED updates would take to pay off?  Also our neighborhood has houses that are redone top to bottom for 200k.

I told him if he wants to live in a suburban palace with a long commute he is welcome to do so, but it's only him holding him back, not that all affordable city housing is uninhabitable.

LOL, I think I saw that thread, close but not verbatim.  Don't you hate it when people on the internet are WRONG?

P.S. took a look at the redfin link.  That house needs at least $300k in new door handles

https://xkcd.com/386/

[RWD]

Not facebook but today somebody on Reddit was wrong.

Stranger A: I had to get a car when I got a house, I didn't have one before but house living just requires one.
Me: I moved CLOSER to the city when I bought my house and then I sold my car.  Would recommend.
Other Strangers: where is this mythical place?
Me: My house was less than 200k in St Paul, but any neighborhood that is slightly worse than yours, or a house that is smaller, or needs more work, but is closer will work.  Here is an example of a house near me: *redfin link*
Stranger who is wrong on the internet: That house needs at least 40k in new windows, you would waste so much heating a 1911 house that the savings isn't even worth it.  So much for your made up awesome house.

My house was built in 1914, has old windows, and all our heat and electricity is always under 150.  Wonder how long those 40k in REQUIRED updates would take to pay off?  Also our neighborhood has houses that are redone top to bottom for 200k.

I told him if he wants to live in a suburban palace with a long commute he is welcome to do so, but it's only him holding him back, not that all affordable city housing is uninhabitable.

LOL, I think I saw that thread, close but not verbatim.  Don't you hate it when people on the internet are WRONG?

P.S. took a look at the redfin link.  That house needs at least $300k in new door handles

https://xkcd.com/386/

Beat me to it...

[druth]

Not facebook but today somebody on Reddit was wrong.

Stranger A: I had to get a car when I got a house, I didn't have one before but house living just requires one.
Me: I moved CLOSER to the city when I bought my house and then I sold my car.  Would recommend.
Other Strangers: where is this mythical place?
Me: My house was less than 200k in St Paul, but any neighborhood that is slightly worse than yours, or a house that is smaller, or needs more work, but is closer will work.  Here is an example of a house near me: *redfin link*
Stranger who is wrong on the internet: That house needs at least 40k in new windows, you would waste so much heating a 1911 house that the savings isn't even worth it.  So much for your made up awesome house.

My house was built in 1914, has old windows, and all our heat and electricity is always under 150.  Wonder how long those 40k in REQUIRED updates would take to pay off?  Also our neighborhood has houses that are redone top to bottom for 200k.

I told him if he wants to live in a suburban palace with a long commute he is welcome to do so, but it's only him holding him back, not that all affordable city housing is uninhabitable.

LOL, I think I saw that thread, close but not verbatim.  Don't you hate it when people on the internet are WRONG?

P.S. took a look at the redfin link.  That house needs at least $300k in new door handles

Yeah, direct quotes would have been too wordy.

It also requires another 700k in buying the lot next door to demo and then replacing the house with an entirely new 4000 sq.ft. house.  City living just isn't affordable these days.

[Undefined]

On my facebook feed:

"I paid off my car loan today AND I'm celebrating by getting a nicer, newer car. I'm such an adult."

Well, the first half was laudable...

[The Guru]

On my facebook feed:

"I paid off my car loan today AND I'm celebrating by getting a nicer, newer car. I'm such an adult.idiot"

Well, the first half was laudable...

Fixed.

[Hedge_87]

If your appliances are, say, in the middle of your kitchen (mine were, at my last apartment), I can understand caring about the aesthetics of it. So you either get matching ones that are 'nice-looking', or you build a cupboard to put them in to hide them, or put them behind a curtain or something.

If they're in the basement or laundry closet, like in most houses? Seriously, you only see them when they're supposed to be functional. As long as they're functional, WHO CARES?

Yea i don't  get it either. Along those same lines I have a friend who owns an HVAC company. Our water heater was starting to leak and it was only a matter of time before it quit on us so I asked hime to source a new one for me. He found a new fancy on demand one his supplier wanted to get rid of because it has a scratch on the front of it. I got a couple hundred off due to the scratch. Do people seriously need their water heaters to look nice? Mine sits in a little mechanical room in my basement that I see once a month when I change the filter furnace.

[Papa Mustache]

Its a great way to buy appliances. Our fridge has a small dent down low that the cabinet beside it hides. Took several hundred dollars off of the price.

[MgoSam]

Do people seriously need their water heaters to look nice? Mine sits in a little mechanical room in my basement that I see once a month when I change the filter furnace.

It isn't about looking nice. I imagine too many consumers want assurance that the part or appliance they are receiving is fully-functional. So anything that comes with a noticeable scratch or dent in it loses a lot of value in the consumer's eye because they think it might be a lemon.

[kina]

Many (most? all?) water heaters are glass-lined. A significant dent might give me pause.

[Hedge_87]

Many (most? all?) water heaters are glass-lined. A significant dent might give me pause.

I agree however this was a tankless water heater and its scratched like somebody got a little too carried away with the box cutter opening it or something.

[moof]

Many (most? all?) water heaters are glass-lined. A significant dent might give me pause.

None that I have seen.  All the ones I have come across are a steel tank, urethane foam insulation, then a thin steel shell.  Maybe I am missing something?

[Papa Mustache]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofSyXUW0TY

There is the process but likely different for fancier water heaters.

[runningthroughFIRE]

*Photo of new 2016 Jeep Wrangler*
"Carla the Saturn.  It's bee real and it's been fun, but let's be honest it hasn't been real fun.  You have weathered the storms with me, and have always been there for the late night trips to [city 150 miles away] and the early commutes to work.  I miss you already, but I'm ready for your upgrade.  If anyone needs me I'll be working overtime to make these payments.  #JeepSquad"

Posted by a single woman I know from highschool making maybe ~25K working at Target. All of the comments are praising her for her upgrade, and saying she deserves it.  Her old car wasn't anything fancy, sure, but it got reasonable mileage, was paid off, and had almost nothing functionally wrong with it.

[tomatops]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

He also does not mention he is currently unemployed and living at home, yet, for whatever reason, every day there is an Instagrammed shot of the latest Starbucks machiato, images of him flying first class to Europe "for the weekend", and dining at expensive restaurants.

He did not win the lottery. His past job was not particularly high-paying.

He then wrote a post about how he was enjoying "early retirement", which I don't think he understands fully what that ought to entail...

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

[LeRainDrop]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

Here's the link to the MMM thread about that article:  http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/antimustachian-wall-of-shame-and-comedy/31-year-old-man-child-lives-with-mommy-and-daddy-and-thinks-he's-awesome-sauce/

[BDWW]

Many (most? all?) water heaters are glass-lined. A significant dent might give me pause.

None that I have seen*.  All the ones I have come across are a steel tank, urethane foam insulation, then a thin steel shell.  Maybe I am missing something?

Most lower-midgrade water heaters are made from non-stainless steel. They are glass/enamel lined to prevent corrosion in the tank. Some expensive/high end tank heaters are made with stainless steel, but they're pretty rare. *You must not have looked inside the actual steel tank.

[MgoSam]

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

Now if only he can monetize this!

This also reminds me of a story I once heard. Two colleagues hate their job and their boss, one is a man and the other is a women. The man fancies the women. One day the man decides to quit and makes a scene about it and could tell that his colleague is impressed. As he's packing up his things he asks her out, she looks at him and says, "No, you're unemployed!"

Moral of the story, someone may applaud you for something while knowing that you are a fucking dumbass for doing it.

[jinga nation]

I don't have a FB account; cold turkey quit 2 years ago. Recently I was helping my dad with his FB account regarding the constantly changing privacy and notification options. I told him that I noticed his FB wall/feed/whatchamacallit was full of sad stories or brag stories, nothing truly of substance. He said because it is human nature to make fun of other's plight while clapping for the braggadocios, and that hardly anyone posts a positive story.

I thought about that and realized it is shame stories that bring eyeballs to FB; that's how FB monetizes, by matching advertisements to the feed content. No wonder it is a cesspool of human nature with ads for retail therapy.

My current FB is my face 1 ft away from a dog-eared book (Ellison's Paingod).

[MrRealEstate]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

He also does not mention he is currently unemployed and living at home, yet, for whatever reason, every day there is an Instagrammed shot of the latest Starbucks machiato, images of him flying first class to Europe "for the weekend", and dining at expensive restaurants.

He did not win the lottery. His past job was not particularly high-paying.

He then wrote a post about how he was enjoying "early retirement", which I don't think he understands fully what that ought to entail...

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

It really isn't 100% his fault. His parents are letting their 31 and 33 year old sons live at home for free and the mom does all the house work... Also isn't really a shocker that he's single.

I know if I hadn't found a place after a year or two out of college my parents would have started charging me rent.

Some people just don't have any urge to be self-reliant.

[Metric Mouse]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

He also does not mention he is currently unemployed and living at home, yet, for whatever reason, every day there is an Instagrammed shot of the latest Starbucks machiato, images of him flying first class to Europe "for the weekend", and dining at expensive restaurants.

He did not win the lottery. His past job was not particularly high-paying.

He then wrote a post about how he was enjoying "early retirement", which I don't think he understands fully what that ought to entail...

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

Sounds like he doesn't have to punch a clock and is spending his money consciously on things that bring joy to his life. How is that not early retirement?  Winning the lottery or having a super high-paying job is not a requirement for FIRE. Just some straight-up badassity.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

[shelivesthedream]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

He also does not mention he is currently unemployed and living at home, yet, for whatever reason, every day there is an Instagrammed shot of the latest Starbucks machiato, images of him flying first class to Europe "for the weekend", and dining at expensive restaurants.

He did not win the lottery. His past job was not particularly high-paying.

He then wrote a post about how he was enjoying "early retirement", which I don't think he understands fully what that ought to entail...

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

Sounds like he doesn't have to punch a clock and is spending his money consciously on things that bring joy to his life. How is that not early retirement?  Winning the lottery or having a super high-paying job is not a requirement for FIRE. Just some straight-up badassity.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

i

His entire strategy is based on mooching off his parents. You're only retired if it's your own money. I know they don't give him actual money, but free rent, food and laundry services has a financial value.

[Goldielocks]

A former classmate on FB posted this article with the comment: "This guy is my hero!"

http://torontolife.com/city/life/spend-generation-manifesto/

He also does not mention he is currently unemployed and living at home, yet, for whatever reason, every day there is an Instagrammed shot of the latest Starbucks machiato, images of him flying first class to Europe "for the weekend", and dining at expensive restaurants.

He did not win the lottery. His past job was not particularly high-paying.

He then wrote a post about how he was enjoying "early retirement", which I don't think he understands fully what that ought to entail...

And the saddest part: he gets TONS of likes on FB that validate his expenses.

Sounds like he doesn't have to punch a clock and is spending his money consciously on things that bring joy to his life. How is that not early retirement?  Winning the lottery or having a super high-paying job is not a requirement for FIRE. Just some straight-up badassity.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

i

His entire strategy is based on mooching off his parents. You're only retired if it's your own money. I know they don't give him actual money, but free rent, food and laundry services has a financial value.

It's more than just the money saved by not moving out though...  his parents continue to allow him to have immature behaviours and not the opportunity to take care of himself. 

I do think that if he were renting (maybe a shared apartment with a cousin), that he would still spend all his money....   so the key difference is having bills to pay, and living / accomodation  / decisions to make.

[Tjat]

Sounds like he doesn't have to punch a clock and is spending his money consciously on things that bring joy to his life. How is that not early retirement?  Winning the lottery or having a super high-paying job is not a requirement for FIRE. Just some straight-up badassity.
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/

I'm assuming sarcasm, but I don't think we need the Internet Retirement Police to point out that the FIRE acronym stands for Financially Independent, Retiring Early. Some deadbeat that can't support himself spending what little money he has on frivolous expenditures is not FIRE

[Chris22]

If your appliances are, say, in the middle of your kitchen (mine were, at my last apartment), I can understand caring about the aesthetics of it. So you either get matching ones that are 'nice-looking', or you build a cupboard to put them in to hide them, or put them behind a curtain or something.

If they're in the basement or laundry closet, like in most houses? Seriously, you only see them when they're supposed to be functional. As long as they're functional, WHO CARES?

Yea i don't  get it either. Along those same lines I have a friend who owns an HVAC company. Our water heater was starting to leak and it was only a matter of time before it quit on us so I asked hime to source a new one for me. He found a new fancy on demand one his supplier wanted to get rid of because it has a scratch on the front of it. I got a couple hundred off due to the scratch. Do people seriously need their water heaters to look nice? Mine sits in a little mechanical room in my basement that I see once a month when I change the filter furnace.

I guess I don't get the problem.  I don't need my water heater to look perfect, and I'd be happy to pay a discounted price for something with superficial damage, but if I'm paying full price I don't want any cosmetic damage.  So are you saying everyone should buy scratch and dent?  Because obviously that's not possible.  Are you wondering why more people don't seek scratch and dent out?  I dunno, I'm not even sure where to shop for a S&D water heater; last one I bought was off the shelf at Home Depot.