Overheard on Facebook

[mustachepungoeshere]

I'm a member of some parenting groups which is where I learned about "after pay," a product for people so bad with money they can't get a credit card. People will mention things they have, always unnecessary and someone will comment asking if the retailer has "after pay." Things like $70 "bento" lunch boxes, 2k prams and the like.

the people I know of who use afterpay often use it because they think its a better option than a credit card, as its interest free. they see it more as layby that you get instantly

And that's the problem.

They see it as an instant layby, not debt.

I know people in their early 20s who, for moral/ethical reasons, avoid consumer debt like the plague. Would never get a credit card. But they have revolving Afterpay balances.

The marketing has worked.

[nnls]

I'm a member of some parenting groups which is where I learned about "after pay," a product for people so bad with money they can't get a credit card. People will mention things they have, always unnecessary and someone will comment asking if the retailer has "after pay." Things like $70 "bento" lunch boxes, 2k prams and the like.

the people I know of who use afterpay often use it because they think its a better option than a credit card, as its interest free. they see it more as layby that you get instantly

And that's the problem.

They see it as an instant layby, not debt.

I know people in their early 20s who, for moral/ethical reasons, avoid consumer debt like the plague. Would never get a credit card. But they have revolving Afterpay balances.

The marketing has worked.

yes it really has, I know people who have a rolling balance of $1000 on afterpay and see nothing wrong with it, but judge me for having a credit card (that is paid in full each month and i use for reward points)

[mustachepungoeshere]

A friend of mine with a serious spending problem from eating out*, who is definitely old enough to know better, has made a staggering discovery.

His new girlfriend just moved in and introduced him to this amazing concept of going to the supermarket and buying food.

Groundbreaking.

He's calling all his friends to share this breakthrough.

"You can just buy the food you like, and then cook it the way you like it. I'm saving $300 a week!"

He's 45.

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

[I'm a red panda]

A friend of mine with a serious spending problem from eating out*, who is definitely old enough to know better, has made a staggering discovery.

His new girlfriend just moved in and introduced him to this amazing concept of going to the supermarket and buying food.

Groundbreaking.

He's calling all his friends to share this breakthrough.

"You can just buy the food you like, and then cook it the way you like it. I'm saving $300 a week!"

He's 45.

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

WOW. That is truly an amazing discovery. 

But can you tell me more about the Maccas? Do they make them different?  I don't even understand?
Is the guy really lonely and craves regularly seeing the servers or something?

[RWD]

"You can just buy the food you like, and then cook it the way you like it. I'm saving $300 a week!"

He's 45.

Wow... If he had started that habit when he was 20 and invested the difference he'd have a million bucks from just that.

[iGz]

Not really on facebook, but similar local social network.

I was chatting with a girl and after saw her photo I noticed quite big watches on her wrist so I asked what type it is. She replied that it is Garmin Fenix 5S and bought it directly from the Garmin store for 599 € . This is huge price in my country compared to median month salary (around 950 € before taxes, net will be around 720 €).  After some time she told me, that she lives with her mother and can't afford to buy small apartment (I mean with mortgage - she wouldn't be able to pay monthly payments and bank wouldn't approve mortgage ).

Well... I know people like to buy expensive gadgets, but it always surprise me why... Does this Garmin watches give you so much more compared to running, swimming, etc, without them ?

[mm1970]

A friend of mine with a serious spending problem from eating out*, who is definitely old enough to know better, has made a staggering discovery.

His new girlfriend just moved in and introduced him to this amazing concept of going to the supermarket and buying food.

Groundbreaking.

He's calling all his friends to share this breakthrough.

"You can just buy the food you like, and then cook it the way you like it. I'm saving $300 a week!"

He's 45.

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

whoa

[slugline]

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

Is he literally travelling to three different outlets to buy one item (at the a la carte price) at each to assemble one meal? Driving among them all, of course? That's truly anti-mustachian hall of shame worthy. Wow!

And I just realized this means he must eat at McDonald's frequently enough to actually notice the differences between locations. Double wow!

[chouchouu]

I'm a member of some parenting groups which is where I learned about "after pay," a product for people so bad with money they can't get a credit card. People will mention things they have, always unnecessary and someone will comment asking if the retailer has "after pay." Things like $70 "bento" lunch boxes, 2k prams and the like.

the people I know of who use afterpay often use it because they think its a better option than a credit card, as its interest free. they see it more as layby that you get instantly

And that's the problem.

They see it as an instant layby, not debt.

I know people in their early 20s who, for moral/ethical reasons, avoid consumer debt like the plague. Would never get a credit card. But they have revolving Afterpay balances.

The marketing has worked.

yes it really has, I know people who have a rolling balance of $1000 on afterpay and see nothing wrong with it, but judge me for having a credit card (that is paid in full each month and i use for reward points)

Pretty much all the comments I see mention something about being unable to "afford" the product without after pay.  People who live paycheck to paycheck but want a 2k pram so they buy it on after pay otherwise they would never be able to save up that amount of money. There was an interesting thread about Chrisco,  where people said they used it even though they knew they were paying a premium because otherwise they couldn't "afford" Christmas.

I think a lot of these women feel that the material things they provide their kids are a reflection of their parenting. Which is why they are happy to buy a $60 lunch box because they think it insulates them from criticism. Then there are the comments about how it saves them money because they're not buying packaged food. As if they never noticed the regular lunch boxes at the supermarket. I have pointed out you can actually buy a real bento box for $2.80 at Daiso, which is compact and lightweight unlike these American bento boxes which are huge and weigh a ton and look nothing like a real bento. They're actually pretty awful designs for something so expensive. Lots of small corners that would be tricky to clean.

[nnls]

I think a lot of these women feel that the material things they provide their kids are a reflection of their parenting.

My sister commented that someone on her facebook must not really love their kids cause of how little they got them for Christmas, I wasnt too sure how to respond.

[nnls]

I think a lot of these women feel that the material things they provide their kids are a reflection of their parenting.

My sister commented that someone on her facebook must not really love their kids cause of how little they got them for Christmas, I wasnt too sure how to respond.

Wow, your sister sounds like an materialistic ass.

yeah we have different views on things

[dragoncar]

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

Is he literally travelling to three different outlets to buy one item (at the a la carte price) at each to assemble one meal? Driving among them all, of course? That's truly anti-mustachian hall of shame worthy. Wow!

And I just realized this means he must eat at McDonald's frequently enough to actually notice the differences between locations. Double wow!

Of course not, he’s actually buying a full value meal from each store and growing away the portions he doesn’t like from each.  That way he saves money on each value meal

[chouchouu]

I think a lot of these women feel that the material things they provide their kids are a reflection of their parenting.

My sister commented that someone on her facebook must not really love their kids cause of how little they got them for Christmas, I wasnt too sure how to respond.

Isn't it funny how two people from the same family can be so different!

I've seen people comment that books shouldn't be given as presents because they're not fun. It's amazing how someone can illustrate how stupid, ignorant and materialistic they are in just one sentence.

[nnls]

I think a lot of these women feel that the material things they provide their kids are a reflection of their parenting.

My sister commented that someone on her facebook must not really love their kids cause of how little they got them for Christmas, I wasnt too sure how to respond.

Isn't it funny how two people from the same family can be so different!

I've seen people comment that books shouldn't be given as presents because they're not fun. It's amazing how someone can illustrate how stupid, ignorant and materialistic they are in just one sentence.

I give my sisters kids books every birthday and Christmas, I wonder if she thinks that I shouldnt be giving them. She hasnt said anything

[shelivesthedream]

I wonder if the comments are different depending on people's general attitude to material possessions. For example, there's a difference between parents who buy themselves all the things and buy nothing for their children, and parents who don't do consumerism at all. The former does seem kind of mean to me because the children can see their parents general lives and how they fit in.

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Our children will get way more on their birthdays (once they are old enough to realise what they are) than we do for ourselves: a cake, their choice of dinner, no chores, and between one and three presents. This is a fountain of luxury compared to "Hey, it's your birthday." "Yep." So...in the context of our general life, are we mean and unloving or kind and generous?

[chicwhitesox1]

my friends electricity bill shoot up to $500 he's mining coins

[Barbaebigode]

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

I've heard this type of thing with popular beers made by huge breweries. "X beer is better in Y region because the water there is better". I wonder if those perceptions will survive a blind test.

[Dragonswan]

A friend of mine with a serious spending problem from eating out*, who is definitely old enough to know better, has made a staggering discovery.

His new girlfriend just moved in and introduced him to this amazing concept of going to the supermarket and buying food.

Groundbreaking.

He's calling all his friends to share this breakthrough.

"You can just buy the food you like, and then cook it the way you like it. I'm saving $300 a week!"

He's 45.

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

This level of ignorance can only be blamed on his parents spectacular failure to give their child any domestic skills.  Or in the vernacular: No home training.

[I'm a red panda]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Someone asked my husband what he got me for Mother's Day this year.  He actually did reply "Nothing, she's not my mother."

I spent the day cleaning our mudroom. It gets so yucky over winter, I might make that a tradition.

[jinga nation]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Someone asked my husband what he got me for Mother's Day this year.  He actually did reply "Nothing, she's not my mother."

I spent the day cleaning our mudroom. It gets so yucky over winter, I might make that a tradition.

@iowajes Tell your husband, random internet guy gives him fist bump. I've been saying that since 2006.

@shelivesthedream Looks like we Mustachians behave similarly for kids birthdays, continents apart.

[shelivesthedream]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Someone asked my husband what he got me for Mother's Day this year.  He actually did reply "Nothing, she's not my mother."

I spent the day cleaning our mudroom. It gets so yucky over winter, I might make that a tradition.

Brilliant. I had a conversation with someone recently married about whether one is obliged to get something for one's mother-in-law. As in, whether she should receive a card from the child and another card from the child-in-law. My response was "Are you kidding?? She's not my mother! Let me know when they invent mother-in-law's day. I think Mr SLTD can deal with being an ambassador on behalf of both of us, and I can do the same for my mother." I only even get my mother anything at all because she'd be upset if I didn't.

I got given a small flowering pot plant at church. All the women did, not just mothers. I was just glad it wasn't cut flowers. Apparently on Father's Day last year the men got American muffins. I am waiting for a moment to suggest that this year they get cacti in a bid for gender parity while still allowing them to feel butch and manly.

[shelivesthedream]

@shelivesthedream Looks like we Mustachians behave similarly for kids birthdays, continents apart.

This is another one of those things where we say "We are going to do this thing" and everyone says "Ha ha no you're not" and will then act surprised when we do the exact thing we said we were going to do. Glad I have this forum to reassure me that we are not crazy idealists who will suddenly become different people and be utterly unable to resist the consumer onslaught once we have an actual child to deal with.

We also have plans for birthday parties, which are basically the parties my brother and I had as a child: held at home; new outfit (which will be their "good" outfit for that year, or until they grow out of it) or fancy dress; party games (pass the parcel and the like if rainy, tag and water pistols and the like if sunny) or just playing depending on age and preference; homemade finger food like sandwiches and little sausages with lemonade (which the birthday person helps to make that morning), then cake, jelly (in multiple artificial colours! such treats!), and ice cream. Possibly also paper plates, plastic cups and napkins (choosing the paper plate design for my party was a huge deal when I was little as it was the only time we ever had them - and it seems prudent to not have to worry about crockery breakages with a dozen eight-year-olds rampaging around.) One year I had a commercially-organised birthday party at a swimming pool, and it just wasn't as good. There was also the year I had a bought cake - and again, it just wasn't as good.

[jinga nation]

@shelivesthedream Looks like we Mustachians behave similarly for kids birthdays, continents apart.

This is another one of those things where we say "We are going to do this thing" and everyone says "Ha ha no you're not" and will then act surprised when we do the exact thing we said we were going to do. Glad I have this forum to reassure me that we are not crazy idealists who will suddenly become different people and be utterly unable to resist the consumer onslaught once we have an actual child to deal with.

We also have plans for birthday parties, which are basically the parties my brother and I had as a child: held at home; new outfit (which will be their "good" outfit for that year, or until they grow out of it) or fancy dress; party games (pass the parcel and the like if rainy, tag and water pistols and the like if sunny) or just playing depending on age and preference; homemade finger food like sandwiches and little sausages with lemonade (which the birthday person helps to make that morning), then cake, jelly (in multiple artificial colours! such treats!), and ice cream. Possibly also paper plates, plastic cups and napkins (choosing the paper plate design for my party was a huge deal when I was little as it was the only time we ever had them - and it seems prudent to not have to worry about crockery breakages with a dozen eight-year-olds rampaging around.) One year I had a commercially-organised birthday party at a swimming pool, and it just wasn't as good. There was also the year I had a bought cake - and again, it just wasn't as good.

That's what we've been doing for 5 years. Wife and I loved the birthday parties just as you described, we grew up in East Africa (except the paper and plastic products, it was all steel for us). Commercial parties have no appeal for us, they're too structured. The kids don't need that, they have enough of that bollocking in school. Cue Pink Floyd... We don't need no...

Once we had a party in a huge public park for dirt cheap. Alcohol not allowed, plus the occasional gator in the lake that one can canoe/kayak on, for a low cheap price. Ordered pizza from a local place (2 for 1 XXL pies), had finger foods (samosas), and watermelon and pineapples we cut up on site. Invited over 60-70 people, over 90% showed up. Still getting asked 3 years later when we're doing it again.

My wife makes excellent plain chocolate cake, we don't like the icing BS. My younger kid doesn't like cakes, she prefers chocolate strawberries, apples, pretzels. So we let her make her own. My mother made a simple dessert using Marie biscuits and fresh cream and fruit.

[Just Joe]

This is a man who would go to three different Maccas for dinner, because he preferred the burger from store A, the fries from store B, and the thickshake from store C. I wish I was kidding.

I've heard this type of thing with popular beers made by huge breweries. "X beer is better in Y region because the water there is better". I wonder if those perceptions will survive a blind test.

When I lived in Italy there was a belief that the coffee tasted different region to region b/c of factors like this. After a while I thought I could tell a difference too but maybe that was my imagination.

[I'm a red panda]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

[zolotiyeruki]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Birthday parties for 1-year-olds are all about the parents bowing to social pressure.  The kid has no idea what's going on.  You should feel no guilt or shame about not throwing your baby a party.

[markbike528CBX]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Not necessarily. 

Birthdays of very small children and funerals are about everything and everybody _except_ the "guest of honor", who typically could care less.

[Warlord1986]

I mean, you could bake a cake, get her a new stuffed animal or picture book to read to her, and take her picture a lot because babies apparently like having their picture taken. That's what I would do. And not a damn thing more.

[jinga nation]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Not necessarily. 

Birthdays of very small children and funerals are about everything and everybody _except_ the "guest of honor", who typically could care less.

Hear, hear!

If you want to have a party, make it low key for family and close friends, just as an excuse to get together, especially when you have a child your social circle may drift apart, so use this an an opportunity for long-time-no-see fun.

[remizidae]

I've seen people comment that books shouldn't be given as presents because they're not fun. It's amazing how someone can illustrate how stupid, ignorant and materialistic they are in just one sentence.

For Christmas, I gave a guy I was dating two books--the most romantic books I knew of, so high sentimental value. Yes, they were used books, but that didn't really occur to me. You can still read it, so who cares if a book is used? Anyway, he got me some fancy alcohol and lingerie. Fast forward a few months, when we were arguing, and he demanded his presents back on the grounds that he had spent more money!

...I gave him the presents back. We are no longer together.

[HappierAtHome]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

You should be doing exactly what you want to do (though of course we will mock you if it's ridiculous...). Turns out I want to have a family afternoon tea and a rainbow birthday cake, so that's what I'm doing for my baby's first birthday. He won't care, but I'll enjoy the decorating and eating of cake ;-)

[one piece at a time]

And that's the problem.

They see it as an instant layby, not debt.

I know people in their early 20s who, for moral/ethical reasons, avoid consumer debt like the plague. Would never get a credit card. But they have revolving Afterpay balances.

The marketing has worked.

Growing up, I always assumed lay-buy was where you paid for stuff now but collected it later simply because it wasn't available in the store that day. So "these size 12 jeans don't sit right, do you have a 10"
"nope, sorry"
"no worries, I'll lay-buy some 10s. Let me know when you get them in"

It never occurred to me that people would want to buy clothes at all, yet alone if they were short of money.

[Goldielocks]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Yes, you throw a boozy party for you, the parents, to congratulate yourselves on surviving the first year, and to prepare for the second year which is 50x harder than the first year.

Just think what the next year will bring -- Toilet training (and a peed on sofa, carrying three changes of clothing everywhere, middle of the night waking up, daytime kid is constantly in motion,  but wants to be held simultaneously yet is strong and heavy writhing in your arms, starts to be independent and very stubborn and occasionally mischievous, still won't let you pee alone, may stop taking one of their naps and be cranky a lot, learns to run and to smear sticky hands over every surface and your clothing, cracks head or mouth on -- choose one-- front concrete step, park bench, coffee table, fireplace mantle... leaps off swing when you are only half holding them, makes you end eating in a table service restaurant until they turn three because the price just is not worth 15 minutes of agitation and 5 minutes of eating....)

Oh, and always, always adorable and like your own heart is running around on two legs.

[ruffles]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

[Sibley]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

You can get rid of said mountain of crap you know...

[mm1970]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Ha, when kid #1 turned 1, we didn't do anything.  Actually, I think we had our best friends over for dinner?  Their kid was 9 months older.  We had dinner and cake.  It wasn't a party.

Got sucked into parties from age 2 to 7.   A lot of this ended up being our social interactions with our friends.  They were "family parties" with food and wine and beer and such.

Kid #2, 6.5 years younger.  Born in summer, thank you very much!  First birthday, got invited to LOTS of his baby friends' parties.  My kid?  Oh, so sorry, we are going to be on the other coast visiting family!  (MIL made a cake, had the family over).  He's never had a party.  He's 5.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I have friends who must have spent $10,000 on their child's first birthday. Can't say I begrudge them - they had 16 years of continual  miscarriages and a cot death before their little girl now. The child is their miracle.

[Uturn]

My first birthday party was thrown by a girlfriend when I turned 18.  I had another at 21 and one at 30.  That might be why birthdays don't mean anything to me. 

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I'm getting so much "what are you doing for her birthday?"

My daughter is turning 1.  We literally are not planning on doing ANYTHING.

Should we be doing something?

Ha, when kid #1 turned 1, we didn't do anything.  Actually, I think we had our best friends over for dinner?  Their kid was 9 months older.  We had dinner and cake.  It wasn't a party.

Got sucked into parties from age 2 to 7.   A lot of this ended up being our social interactions with our friends.  They were "family parties" with food and wine and beer and such.

Kid #2, 6.5 years younger.  Born in summer, thank you very much!  First birthday, got invited to LOTS of his baby friends' parties.  My kid?  Oh, so sorry, we are going to be on the other coast visiting family!  (MIL made a cake, had the family over).  He's never had a party.  He's 5.

My personal belief is that it's important for small kids to feel the same as their friends. That probably includes birthday parties and being able to invite their friends. Doesn't mean it has to be expensive. One of my son's bdays when he was small was on the beach in late autumn. It was a castaway pirate theme. We had fish and chips, hot cocoa, a homemade cake and a whole lot of chasing games, and ended up a treasure hunt. The boys loved it. Presents were asked to be restricted to books and vouchers. All boys sent home fed, exhausted and with a party favour of a wee individual homemade paper mache treasure chest filled with chocolate gold coins and candy jewels - this was the 'treasure' that they had to work together and find. Probably cost me $50 all up back in the day, and a bit of my time.

[firelight]

Growing up, my birthdays had a cake my mom baked and iced based on what I wanted, friends coming home for a simple party with finger food and some small gifts from friends. My parents got the bday dress. We were in charge of the games to play. As we grew, my mom cut out the games part and let us off our chores that one day (which sounded heavenly especially when all the siblings were doing theirs). My dad also let us pick the movie we wanted to see for that Friday. So even if Monday was bday, we celebrated till Friday and that was even more fun! And my mom did a special hike/trip with the bday kid (ice cream when we were younger, special spots when we were older). Best bdays ever!

[Fomerly known as something]

Not really on facebook, but similar local social network.

I was chatting with a girl and after saw her photo I noticed quite big watches on her wrist so I asked what type it is. She replied that it is Garmin Fenix 5S and bought it directly from the Garmin store for 599 € . This is huge price in my country compared to median month salary (around 950 € before taxes, net will be around 720 €).  After some time she told me, that she lives with her mother and can't afford to buy small apartment (I mean with mortgage - she wouldn't be able to pay monthly payments and bank wouldn't approve mortgage ).

Well... I know people like to buy expensive gadgets, but it always surprise me why... Does this Garmin watches give you so much more compared to running, swimming, etc, without them ?

I'm not quite sure what your question is.

I have a Garmin for running and biking mostly.  I also wear it as a watch.  But I don't live with my parents and it wasn't a months worth of salary.  It interfaces with the Garmin app on my phone and gives me a ton of data about my runs that I use.  I can preset speed workouts into it.  I bought my first one in 2010 so I could track the distance I ran no matter where I was and since I was in SW Georgia at the time it allowed me to get my distance in via the route with the most shade where I didn't have to remember where I turned.  For me it is worthwhile.

[Nudelkopf]

We had very Mustachian birthdays growing up!

One year I had a "bike party!" (Everyone brought their bikes to my place & we put streamers on them & rode around).
Another year, we had a "rock" theme... we made pet rocks.

[marty998]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

You can get rid of said mountain of crap you know...

I love that post from ruffles... and no, the mountain of crap can't be gotten rid of, because everytime the outlaws visit they'll got to know the bub is happily playing with said pile of crap.

My (now grown up) cousins got a whole pile of toys for christmas when they were tots. On Christmas Day they decided to play with the wrapping paper instead.

[meridian]

Nothing crazy from me, but a girl I knew from online dating posted about how she got fined on public transport - her smartrider ( RFID payment card) failed, wasn't sure why, got on the train regardless. Unfortunately the ticket inspectors were on her train and she got fined. Turns out the direct debit linked to the card bounced/insufficient funds.

Only worth mentioning because I'd seen this before on our "date" at a casual restaurant - one of her cards was declined so she had to check her apps to see which card had funds. Turns out she eats out all the time, and doesn't cook. I found that out by mentioning how I've mastered a few dishes myself and asked if she knew any good recipes.

[Freedomin5]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

You can get rid of said mountain of crap you know...

I love that post from ruffles... and no, the mountain of crap can't be gotten rid of, because everytime the outlaws visit they'll got to know the bub is happily playing with said pile of crap.

My (now grown up) cousins got a whole pile of toys for christmas when they were tots. On Christmas Day they decided to play with the wrapping paper instead.

So interesting. In my part of the world, an “outlaw” is a career criminal. An IN-law is the parent of your spouse. Not sure if you wrote it that way on purpose...I mean, after all, mountains of crap should be outlawed.

[I'm a red panda]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

You can get rid of said mountain of crap you know...

I love that post from ruffles... and no, the mountain of crap can't be gotten rid of, because everytime the outlaws visit they'll got to know the bub is happily playing with said pile of crap.

My (now grown up) cousins got a whole pile of toys for christmas when they were tots. On Christmas Day they decided to play with the wrapping paper instead.

So interesting. In my part of the world, an “outlaw” is a career criminal. An IN-law is the parent of your spouse. Not sure if you wrote it that way on purpose...I mean, after all, mountains of crap should be outlawed.

The difference between inlaws and outlaws is outlaws are wanted.

;)

(My friends have a sign over their bar "Outlaws Welcome. Inlaws call first."

[bluebelle]

I'm 7.5 months pregnant. Someone said to my husband on Sunday (Mother's Day), "Oh, next year you'll be shopping for a card and present too!" He very politely did not say, "Why? My wife doesn't need stupid crap that we pretend our one-year-old child has magically earned money for and picked out himself. What's the point?"

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Our first child was born in April last year and despite me insisting many times that I really didn't want anything at all for Father's Day last June, my girlfriend bought me a few things. I understand why she did, but I still politely refused them. I then got told by her mother that I was extremely ungrateful.

I also got a lot of stick from the outlaws at Christmas because I didn't buy our child any presents. They of course spent hundreds on a mountain of crap. What they don't know is that for Christmas I got her £100 worth of Vanguard LS100. And every day she climbs over the said mountain of crap to get her favourite toy, which is a drum that I made out of an old salad bowl and some packing tape!

You can get rid of said mountain of crap you know...

I love that post from ruffles... and no, the mountain of crap can't be gotten rid of, because everytime the outlaws visit they'll got to know the bub is happily playing with said pile of crap.

My (now grown up) cousins got a whole pile of toys for christmas when they were tots. On Christmas Day they decided to play with the wrapping paper instead.

So interesting. In my part of the world, an “outlaw” is a career criminal. An IN-law is the parent of your spouse. Not sure if you wrote it that way on purpose...I mean, after all, mountains of crap should be outlawed.

The difference between inlaws and outlaws is outlaws are wanted.

;)

(My friends have a sign over their bar "Outlaws Welcome. Inlaws call first."

really?  In my neck of the woods, folks call their in-laws "outlaws" if there's any bad blood, or just as a joke in passing.....as in 'the outlaws are visiting', generally, you don't want outlaws in your home.....never heard of anyone 'wanting' outlaws.

[Dollar Slice]

really?  In my neck of the woods, folks call their in-laws "outlaws" if there's any bad blood, or just as a joke in passing.....as in 'the outlaws are visiting', generally, you don't want outlaws in your home.....never heard of anyone 'wanting' outlaws.

I think you're missing the joke... think about, for example, the "wanted: dead or alive" posters printed by the sheriff's department in the old west.

[honeybbq]

Not really on facebook, but similar local social network.


Well... I know people like to buy expensive gadgets, but it always surprise me why... Does this Garmin watches give you so much more compared to running, swimming, etc, without them ?

It's the top of the line triathlon watch. It does open water GPS (on top of all the satellite feed with running, biking), has a built in race mode for triathlons, syncs with garmin cadence for bike, syncs with strava, the garmin heart rate monitor for heart rate based training, etc. It's really, really cool.

I actually have the older version and yes, I did spend a lot of money for it. But I love it and triathlon is one of my hobbies and love in life. My watch was actually one of the most expensive things I bought for racing (but I don't live with my mother...).

[dragoncar]

Not really on facebook, but similar local social network.


Well... I know people like to buy expensive gadgets, but it always surprise me why... Does this Garmin watches give you so much more compared to running, swimming, etc, without them ?

It's the top of the line triathlon watch. It does open water GPS (on top of all the satellite feed with running, biking), has a built in race mode for triathlons, syncs with garmin cadence for bike, syncs with strava, the garmin heart rate monitor for heart rate based training, etc. It's really, really cool.

I actually have the older version and yes, I did spend a lot of money for it. But I love it and triathlon is one of my hobbies and love in life. My watch was actually one of the most expensive things I bought for racing (but I don't live with my mother...).

Call me when it wipes yer butt