Overheard on Facebook

[Imma]

Friend of mine is a lawyer and I happen to know she doesn't have student debt. Tuition is low in our country and she lived at home as a student. My educated guess is that she makes around €50k/year - certainly not less than 45k. She lives in a small studio apartment in a LCOL area (rent probably lower than 500/month) and she has great benefits.

Friend is constantly complaining she has no money, talking about how broke she is and can't wait until payday. She claims she has no money left over for 'adult stuff' like buying a house. I want to punch her everytime I read it.

[limeandpepper]

Not actually on Facebook but someone I know was saying that a 2 bed, 2 bath place was too small for her and her boyfriend. It's not like they have a home office or recording studio or anything like that. I just don't understand how that can be too small? That's literally one bedroom and one bathroom per person which is basically the definition of sufficient. I wanted to ask her but didn't know how to phrase it in a way that didn't seem judgemental haha.

[Raenia]

Not actually on Facebook but someone I know was saying that a 2 bed, 2 bath place was too small for her and her boyfriend. It's not like they have a home office or recording studio or anything like that. I just don't understand how that can be too small? That's literally one bedroom and one bathroom per person which is basically the definition of sufficient. I wanted to ask her but didn't know how to phrase it in a way that didn't seem judgemental haha.

Was she talking about a specific place that was too small, or saying that they need more bedrooms?  I'm half of a couple in a 2 bed, 1 bath place, and it is way too small - my kitchen is smaller than some people's walk-in closets, the living space is horribly laid out for maximum inefficiency, and there's no storage space at all.  It would be nice to have space to actually set up my computer on a desk, instead of using the dining table and having to move everything so we can eat, for instance.

If she was saying they need 3+ bedrooms for a single couple, then yes, that's crazy.

[limeandpepper]

^We were just talking about bedrooms and didn't mention overall size at all so I think she really did mean the number of rooms? And generally I would say in Australia, 2 bed, 2 bath places are not too tiny - it's the studios and 1 bedrooms that are more likely to be very small. I live in a 40sqm place with my partner (and he's got a home office set up in here too) and I can understand that might be too little for many people, but I would have thought with an extra bedroom and bathroom on top of that, it should surely be enough for a typical couple.

[Imma]

We managed perfectly as a couple living in a flat with 2 bedrooms. The largest room was our study and we divided it into two - I worked from home back then. The kitchen was absolutely tiny (built in the space underneath the stairs) but we just put the fridge and a large cupboard for tools in the living room.

We now have 3 bedrooms and it feels like a palace. We have a study each. What more do you want? And only one bathroom - I don't get why a couple would need more than one.

[ysette9]

We lived with one bathroom for 5 years and now having two toilets is SUCH a luxury. I just love being able to pee when I need to and not wait for the 4 year-old to decide that she is finally finished with her business. Having a separate bath for guests is also a wonderful treat that I very much appreciate.

[marcela]

We managed perfectly as a couple living in a flat with 2 bedrooms. The largest room was our study and we divided it into two - I worked from home back then. The kitchen was absolutely tiny (built in the space underneath the stairs) but we just put the fridge and a large cupboard for tools in the living room.

We now have 3 bedrooms and it feels like a palace. We have a study each. What more do you want? And only one bathroom - I don't get why a couple would need more than one.

We didn't think we needed more than one bathroom until both of us got food poisoning at the same time. My poor husband had to knock on the neighbor's door at 10pm to ask for their bathroom. It was the first thing we'd spoken to the neighbors.

[dragoncar]

We managed perfectly as a couple living in a flat with 2 bedrooms. The largest room was our study and we divided it into two - I worked from home back then. The kitchen was absolutely tiny (built in the space underneath the stairs) but we just put the fridge and a large cupboard for tools in the living room.

We now have 3 bedrooms and it feels like a palace. We have a study each. What more do you want? And only one bathroom - I don't get why a couple would need more than one.

We didn't think we needed more than one bathroom until both of us got food poisoning at the same time. My poor husband had to knock on the neighbor's door at 10pm to ask for their bathroom. It was the first thing we'd spoken to the neighbors.

What, you don’t have a spare bucket?  Too good for the sink?  Pipes is pipes.  They all go to the same place.  I’m gonna call a plumber

[Imma]

We managed perfectly as a couple living in a flat with 2 bedrooms. The largest room was our study and we divided it into two - I worked from home back then. The kitchen was absolutely tiny (built in the space underneath the stairs) but we just put the fridge and a large cupboard for tools in the living room.

We now have 3 bedrooms and it feels like a palace. We have a study each. What more do you want? And only one bathroom - I don't get why a couple would need more than one.

We didn't think we needed more than one bathroom until both of us got food poisoning at the same time. My poor husband had to knock on the neighbor's door at 10pm to ask for their bathroom. It was the first thing we'd spoken to the neighbors.

What, you don’t have a spare bucket?  Too good for the sink?  Pipes is pipes.  They all go to the same place.  I’m gonna call a plumber

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

Technically, we have one bathroom and two toilets, but once we built the second toilet (in the upstairs bathroom) we stopped using the first. We live in an old home built before the age of indoors toilets, so the first bathroom is built in an annex off the kitchen that is very cold in winter, very hot in summer and doesn't have a window or ventilation.

The only reason why we haven't turned the old toilet into a large cupboard yet is because we've been told it's "strange" to not have a toilet downstairs. We rarely have guests we don't know well enough that we wouldn't want to direct them to the upstairs bathroom.

It might be useful in case of joint food poisoning though. We haven't hit that relationship milestone yet.

[jinga nation]

It might be useful in case of joint food poisoning though. We haven't hit that relationship milestone yet.

When your spouse and your kids get it first, and in the spirit of generosity you help them clean up each time, and then you get it too, and there's no one to help you, that's quite the experience. It's also quite the bonding experience.

[sherr]

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

In American English "bathroom" is the name of the room that the "toilet" is in. A bathroom does not have to have a shower / bathtub in it, it can just be a toilet and sink. Also in homes bathrooms are almost always designed for single occupancy, so it would be understood that if one bathroom was in use and there were no others then there was no available toilet.

[Davnasty]

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

In American English "bathroom" is the name of the room that the "toilet" is in. A bathroom does not have to have a shower / bathtub in it, it can just be a toilet and sink. Also in homes bathrooms are almost always designed for single occupancy, so it would be understood that if one bathroom was in use and there were no others then there was no available toilet.

And the ones with only a toilet & sink are known as "half baths". Makes perfect sense, right?

[merula]

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

In American English "bathroom" is the name of the room that the "toilet" is in. A bathroom does not have to have a shower / bathtub in it, it can just be a toilet and sink. Also in homes bathrooms are almost always designed for single occupancy, so it would be understood that if one bathroom was in use and there were no others then there was no available toilet.

Also, in many languages including British English, the word for the actual porcelain throne is the same as the word for the whole room. This is not the case in American English; toilet ONLY refers to the throne; the room (elsewhere WC) is a bathroom, restroom, powder room, etc.

[Sibley]

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

In American English "bathroom" is the name of the room that the "toilet" is in. A bathroom does not have to have a shower / bathtub in it, it can just be a toilet and sink. Also in homes bathrooms are almost always designed for single occupancy, so it would be understood that if one bathroom was in use and there were no others then there was no available toilet.

To expand on that, in the US, if you ask for the "bathroom", "toilet", "restroom", "John", "head", "little girls room", "little boys room", "ladies' room", "men's room", "porcelain throne" and probably others, you will get directed to a place that contains a toilet. John and head may not be universally understood. If you're using the little girl's or boy's phrase, there needs to be a young child involved otherwise you're probably coming off as creepy. Some people are weird about what phrase you use, ie bathroom vs restroom, they'll understand but may judge.

Adding - I've heard toilet used to refer to the room as well as the actual toilet in the room. YMMV.

[zolotiyeruki]

To expand on that, in the US, if you ask for the "bathroom", "toilet", "restroom", "John", "head", "little girls room", "little boys room", "ladies' room", "men's room", "porcelain throne" and probably others, you will get directed to a place that contains a toilet. John and head may not be universally understood. If you're using the little girl's or boy's phrase, there needs to be a young child involved otherwise you're probably coming off as creepy. Some people are weird about what phrase you use, ie bathroom vs restroom, they'll understand but may judge.

Adding - I've heard toilet used to refer to the room as well as the actual toilet in the room. YMMV.

Heh, it seems like American English has an unusual wealth of colorful euphemisms/synonyms surrounding bodily waste.  "Worshiping the porcelain goddess," and "see a man about a horse" come to mind as well.  Although "loo" and "bog" don't seem to have emigrated from the old country.

It'd be interesting to explore this further--you never hear about a restroom in a residence, unless maybe it's a shared (dormitory-style) one.  And a public restroom is never a powder room.  And a powder room never contains anything more than a toilet and a sink.

[I'm a red panda]

As a non-native speaker of English I'm always confused with the use of the word bathroom, which sometimes means actual bathroom and sometimes is just a euphemism for toilet.

In American English "bathroom" is the name of the room that the "toilet" is in. A bathroom does not have to have a shower / bathtub in it, it can just be a toilet and sink. Also in homes bathrooms are almost always designed for single occupancy, so it would be understood that if one bathroom was in use and there were no others then there was no available toilet.

And the ones with only a toilet & sink are known as "half baths". Makes perfect sense, right?

I have a 3/4 bath in my house: toilet, sink, shower  (no bath).

It'd be interesting to explore this further--you never hear about a restroom in a residence, unless maybe it's a shared (dormitory-style) one.  And a public restroom is never a powder room.  And a powder room never contains anything more than a toilet and a sink.

We always often refer to our bathroom as a restroom even within our house.  The words are identical as far as I'm concerned.

I agree a "powder room" is the same as a real estate listing would call a "half-bath"; but a powder room might also just be called a bathroom or restroom.

Some public restrooms have couches or sitting areas. But they don't have to to be a restroom. Just toilets.

[MrMoogle]

Not on facebook, but close enough.

On another forum I frequent (very much not finance related), there's a poster talking about needing to move. They want to buy a house, but need $5k for a downpayment. They've been trying to save up for 5 years. They think that they can save $50 a month. Other posters were suggesting ways to lock down the budget, not extreme suggestions at all. The OP thinking they couldn't do some of it (buying store brand foods, downgrading the cable channels, etc). Facepunches would really not be appropriate there, so I said nothing.

And at $50 a month it only takes 8.5 years to save up $5k.

[ixtap]

This is family, but I found out on FB: the least stable family subunit just bought an RV the same size as my husband and I think we need to live in, but this is just for the vacations whose gas bills stress their budget when they camp in a tent...Last I knew, they had stopped making payments to my parents for money owed.

[Imma]

To expand on that, in the US, if you ask for the "bathroom", "toilet", "restroom", "John", "head", "little girls room", "little boys room", "ladies' room", "men's room", "porcelain throne" and probably others, you will get directed to a place that contains a toilet. John and head may not be universally understood. If you're using the little girl's or boy's phrase, there needs to be a young child involved otherwise you're probably coming off as creepy. Some people are weird about what phrase you use, ie bathroom vs restroom, they'll understand but may judge.

Adding - I've heard toilet used to refer to the room as well as the actual toilet in the room. YMMV.

Heh, it seems like American English has an unusual wealth of colorful euphemisms/synonyms surrounding bodily waste.  "Worshiping the porcelain goddess," and "see a man about a horse" come to mind as well.  Although "loo" and "bog" don't seem to have emigrated from the old country.

It'd be interesting to explore this further--you never hear about a restroom in a residence, unless maybe it's a shared (dormitory-style) one.  And a public restroom is never a powder room.  And a powder room never contains anything more than a toilet and a sink.

I once heard this story about someone who had a foreign visitor at work - I'm not sure if she was American or British, but she was a posh looking lady. At some point, the visitor asked where she could wash her hands, only to be sent to the office kitchen instead of the bathroom ...

In my country we are very forthcoming, so euphemisms confuse us.

[dragoncar]

To expand on that, in the US, if you ask for the "bathroom", "toilet", "restroom", "John", "head", "little girls room", "little boys room", "ladies' room", "men's room", "porcelain throne" and probably others, you will get directed to a place that contains a toilet. John and head may not be universally understood. If you're using the little girl's or boy's phrase, there needs to be a young child involved otherwise you're probably coming off as creepy. Some people are weird about what phrase you use, ie bathroom vs restroom, they'll understand but may judge.

Adding - I've heard toilet used to refer to the room as well as the actual toilet in the room. YMMV.

Heh, it seems like American English has an unusual wealth of colorful euphemisms/synonyms surrounding bodily waste.  "Worshiping the porcelain goddess," and "see a man about a horse" come to mind as well.  Although "loo" and "bog" don't seem to have emigrated from the old country.

It'd be interesting to explore this further--you never hear about a restroom in a residence, unless maybe it's a shared (dormitory-style) one.  And a public restroom is never a powder room.  And a powder room never contains anything more than a toilet and a sink.

I once heard this story about someone who had a foreign visitor at work - I'm not sure if she was American or British, but she was a posh looking lady. At some point, the visitor asked where she could wash her hands, only to be sent to the office kitchen instead of the bathroom ...

In my country we are very forthcoming, so euphemisms confuse us.

Where can I drop a deuce?  Sent to the poker room.

[ketchup]

To expand on that, in the US, if you ask for the "bathroom", "toilet", "restroom", "John", "head", "little girls room", "little boys room", "ladies' room", "men's room", "porcelain throne" and probably others, you will get directed to a place that contains a toilet. John and head may not be universally understood. If you're using the little girl's or boy's phrase, there needs to be a young child involved otherwise you're probably coming off as creepy. Some people are weird about what phrase you use, ie bathroom vs restroom, they'll understand but may judge.

Adding - I've heard toilet used to refer to the room as well as the actual toilet in the room. YMMV.

Heh, it seems like American English has an unusual wealth of colorful euphemisms/synonyms surrounding bodily waste.  "Worshiping the porcelain goddess," and "see a man about a horse" come to mind as well.  Although "loo" and "bog" don't seem to have emigrated from the old country.

It'd be interesting to explore this further--you never hear about a restroom in a residence, unless maybe it's a shared (dormitory-style) one.  And a public restroom is never a powder room.  And a powder room never contains anything more than a toilet and a sink.

I once heard this story about someone who had a foreign visitor at work - I'm not sure if she was American or British, but she was a posh looking lady. At some point, the visitor asked where she could wash her hands, only to be sent to the office kitchen instead of the bathroom ...

In my country we are very forthcoming, so euphemisms confuse us.

Where can I drop a deuce?  Sent to the poker room.

In case anyone else would like to giggle inappropriately at work like a 12 year old boy: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_toilet_slang#Defecation

[ysette9]

I remember a boss of mine early in my career mentioned he was going to go powder his nose. Maybe in part because he is gay, but I found that endearing.

I have thought before that the long list of ways you can describe going to the bathroom to be amusing, and likely challenging for someone learning English. In French you just need to learn « aller aux toilettes » and that will serve you in almost all situations. « Aller au petit coin » (“go to the little corner”) is definitely more slang-y and not something a tourist is likely to encounter.

On the other hand, to where to go in English you may need to know “bathroom, toilet, restroom, loo, WC, washroom, little girls’/boys’ room, ladies’ room” depending on where you are.

[woopwoop]

I remember a boss of mine early in my career mentioned he was going to go powder his nose. Maybe in part because he is gay, but I found that endearing.

See now, this always makes me think they're going to go take a hit of coke off of the toilet lid. 

[barbaz]

n French you just need to learn « aller aux toilettes » and that will serve you in almost all situations. « Aller au petit coin » (“go to the little corner”) is definitely more slang-y and not something a tourist is likely to encounter.

On the other hand, to where to go in English you may need to know “bathroom, toilet, restroom, loo, WC, washroom, little girls’/boys’ room, ladies’ room” depending on where you are.

Funny to see similarities between languages even in this. In German you “go for little boys/girls” (really creepy if you think about it) or go “around the corner” (but “bringing someone around the corner” means to murder them)

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I’ll be extremely careful with how I ask to be directed to the bathroom if I’m ever in Germany.

[Imma]

n French you just need to learn « aller aux toilettes » and that will serve you in almost all situations. « Aller au petit coin » (“go to the little corner”) is definitely more slang-y and not something a tourist is likely to encounter.

On the other hand, to where to go in English you may need to know “bathroom, toilet, restroom, loo, WC, washroom, little girls’/boys’ room, ladies’ room” depending on where you are.

Funny to see similarities between languages even in this. In German you “go for little boys/girls” (really creepy if you think about it) or go “around the corner” (but “bringing someone around the corner” means to murder them)

In Dutch, "around the conrer" means dead. I have been told in Turkish that means someone was very lucky....

We simply ask for the toilet/WC or in more informal company just announce that we're going to pee. In Belgium, you'll want to be extra clear about what you're going to do, because in private residences bathrooms often don't have a lock. Door closed means don't enter.

[I'm a red panda]

My cousins who were expats just taught their kids to ask for the toilet.

They are the only American's I've ever heard do that. (Like at a restaurant ask the hostess "Excuse me, where is the toilet." Uh? In the bathroom" :))

Of course there are adults who still ask for the potty.

[ysette9]

So interesting. I just love languages. I never understand the narrow-minded Americans who go off about only speaking English. They miss out on so much.

[MgoSam]

So interesting. I just love languages. I never understand the narrow-minded Americans who go off about only speaking English. They miss out on so much.

Yup, gotta love people that haven't left their own state much less the country but know for a fact that "America is the best country in the world! USA USA USA!"

[elliha]

We lived in a one bedroom one bathroom apartment my husband and I until our daughter was 2 years old. It really wasn't that crowded but it was nice to get a three bedroom after that. Two bedrooms are the most popular size and the hardest to get in our town so we avoided that size and went for the bigger one since we were hoping to have two kids which we have now and we are pretty satisfied with the size we have now. We now have two bathrooms and I never want to live with more than one person having just one bathroom.

(There are several things that I find odd with American houses. First, why do some have so many bathrooms? In Sweden most people have two bathrooms even if they live in a bigger house. I don't think I have ever even visited a house with more than three and that was quite a big and fancy house with more than three bedrooms so they did not have one bathroom per bedroom. Also, in Sweden you never say how many bathrooms you have when you describe the house, it is a little "too much information". I find it strange to write how many bathrooms I have here. I also find it weird that you only count the bedrooms when you describe your house. We live in what Swedes call a four room apartment meaning we have three bedrooms and a living room. We don't count the kitchen, hallway or bathroom/s. We also call any place you have a toilet in a toilet but a room that can be used to wash yourself in is also a bathroom. Sometimes people have a shower or shower/sauna with no toilet often in the basement and that might be called a shower room or just a shower. If you have that set up you usually have a half bath somewhere in the house and a regular bathroom with "everything" on either the first or second floor.)

[I'm a red panda]

So interesting. I just love languages. I never understand the narrow-minded Americans who go off about only speaking English. They miss out on so much.

I've tried to learn other languages, but am just so bad at it. I took a lot of Latin, so I can read basic text in many romance languages, but that's it.

As our daughter has learned words (and to sign), my husband has started speaking to me in either Spanish or French if he doesn't want her to hear. Which generally leaves me saying que/quelle until he says it really really slowly.  I wish he'd just spell it!  He has an incredible knack for languages and is fairly fluent in Spanish, French, and ASL. I wish I could.

But I don't buy into american exceptionalism, so there's that.

[ysette9]

None of us have a knack for languages the way little kids do! It is amazing to see my kiddo because she is just this sponge, soaking it all up effortlessly. I’m jealous because I’d like to think I’m okay at languages, but the tones in Chinese constantly throw me through a loop. Was that orange or being nice you were talking about? A horse or a mother or are you just asking a question? :)

[I'm a red panda]

None of us have a knack for languages the way little kids do! It is amazing to see my kiddo because she is just this sponge, soaking it all up effortlessly. I’m jealous because I’d like to think I’m okay at languages, but the tones in Chinese constantly throw me through a loop. Was that orange or being nice you were talking about? A horse or a mother or are you just asking a question? :)

Our grad students once put on a clinic on how to say their names. It had lots of sloping hand movements to tell us which way to move our voices. Half the time I couldn't tell the difference between what they said when they moved their hand down or in a U shape. My ears just can't do it!

[Imma]

(There are several things that I find odd with American houses. First, why do some have so many bathrooms? In Sweden most people have two bathrooms even if they live in a bigger house. I don't think I have ever even visited a house with more than three and that was quite a big and fancy house with more than three bedrooms so they did not have one bathroom per bedroom. Also, in Sweden you never say how many bathrooms you have when you describe the house, it is a little "too much information". I find it strange to write how many bathrooms I have here. I also find it weird that you only count the bedrooms when you describe your house. We live in what Swedes call a four room apartment meaning we have three bedrooms and a living room. We don't count the kitchen, hallway or bathroom/s. We also call any place you have a toilet in a toilet but a room that can be used to wash yourself in is also a bathroom. Sometimes people have a shower or shower/sauna with no toilet often in the basement and that might be called a shower room or just a shower. If you have that set up you usually have a half bath somewhere in the house and a regular bathroom with "everything" on either the first or second floor.)

Maybe we count all the rooms, because our European homes are so much smaller? In my country, we only count the rooms for an apartment, not for a house. I used to live in a three room apartment, now I live in a three bedroom house.

I learned a lot of languages in school: English, French, German, and a bit of Latin. I had friends who also took ancient Greek and Spanish on top of that, and of course we had Dutch as well (native language). I'm not really good at languages, I can only hold a real conversation in English and Dutch, but when I studied abroad for a while in Finland, I was amazed at how quickly I picked up Swedish. Swedish is the second official language of Finland and unlike Finnish the words don't look like your cat walked on your keyboard. I'm sure I picked it up quickly because I speak three other Germanic languages. My time in Finland really convinced me that even knowing a little bit of a language is a lot better than nothing.

[ysette9]

The image of a cat walking across the keyboard gave me a good laugh.

I can’t find it now, but this reminds me of this wonderful joke I saw a while back. Basically it was sheet music that was very seriously written to transcribe a cat walking across the keys of a piano. For those who read music, it was a blast. Now I’m going to have to see if I can dig it up.

[elliha]

(There are several things that I find odd with American houses. First, why do some have so many bathrooms? In Sweden most people have two bathrooms even if they live in a bigger house. I don't think I have ever even visited a house with more than three and that was quite a big and fancy house with more than three bedrooms so they did not have one bathroom per bedroom. Also, in Sweden you never say how many bathrooms you have when you describe the house, it is a little "too much information". I find it strange to write how many bathrooms I have here. I also find it weird that you only count the bedrooms when you describe your house. We live in what Swedes call a four room apartment meaning we have three bedrooms and a living room. We don't count the kitchen, hallway or bathroom/s. We also call any place you have a toilet in a toilet but a room that can be used to wash yourself in is also a bathroom. Sometimes people have a shower or shower/sauna with no toilet often in the basement and that might be called a shower room or just a shower. If you have that set up you usually have a half bath somewhere in the house and a regular bathroom with "everything" on either the first or second floor.)

Maybe we count all the rooms, because our European homes are so much smaller? In my country, we only count the rooms for an apartment, not for a house. I used to live in a three room apartment, now I live in a three bedroom house.

I learned a lot of languages in school: English, French, German, and a bit of Latin. I had friends who also took ancient Greek and Spanish on top of that, and of course we had Dutch as well (native language). I'm not really good at languages, I can only hold a real conversation in English and Dutch, but when I studied abroad for a while in Finland, I was amazed at how quickly I picked up Swedish. Swedish is the second official language of Finland and unlike Finnish the words don't look like your cat walked on your keyboard. I'm sure I picked it up quickly because I speak three other Germanic languages. My time in Finland really convinced me that even knowing a little bit of a language is a lot better than nothing.

I am not too surprised you understand Swedish somewhat when speaking German, English and Dutch. I speak Swedish, English and German (or my German is pretty bad but I understand a lot of words and basic grammar so I can speak it if I really have to) and Dutch is not completely out of my range in writing and I understand a bit of it when spoken. I have never tried to learn it though. The languages are related so there is a lot of overlap.

Finnish is really hard, I grew up in the northern parts of Swedish which is has a lot of native Finnish speakers (Swedes who speak Finnish as their first language and Finns who moved there from Finland) so I know how to swear in Finnish and I understand some words here and there but the part about a cat walking on a keyboard is quite accurate. "Tornedalsfinska" the local Finnish dialect borrows heavily from Swedish so that is not that hard to understand even if you don't know Finnish, at least the general context of what is said. They generally just use the Swedish word and add i at the end of the word. I am exaggerating a bit here but not that much. Like towel is "handduk" in Swedish and "hantuuki" in their version of Finnish which is basically how you would pronounce the Swedish word with a Finnish accent plus an extra i.

[elliha]

Spendy pants coworker known from the work thread just posted her latest buy: a Valentino purse and a pair of white Gucci shoes. Gucci shoes is ridiculous for a high school teacher to start with but white ones? How are you even able to wear white shoes without wrecking them on the first day? Other people might be less clumsy than me but I would have had at least 3 stains after 30 mins and that would be the best case scenario. Brown or black Gucci shoes could at least be bought with the claim that they would last long but white ones?

I seriously hope her father is paying for them since I know a doctor/nurse couple is not able to buy this much designer things and not put themselves into serious problems.

[Paul der Krake]

I seriously hope her father is paying for them since I know a doctor/nurse couple is not able to buy this much designer things and not put themselves into serious problems.

What now? From a quick googling, such a purse runs about $1,500 and the shoes $1,000. What country do you live in? Any North American doctor should be able to buy that every month with plenty of money leftover.

[elliha]

I seriously hope her father is paying for them since I know a doctor/nurse couple is not able to buy this much designer things and not put themselves into serious problems.

What now? From a quick googling, such a purse runs about $1,500 and the shoes $1,000. What country do you live in? Any North American doctor should be able to buy that every month with plenty of money leftover.

She is not a doctor, she is a high school teacher and her husband is a nurse. Her father is a doctor though so I mixed them up. She could probably afford one pair of Gucci shoes in a year or so and this is like her 4th or 5th designer item this year and given previous years I know there will be more.

[Missy B]

The only difference between FIREs and the dole bludger is that FIREs expect to do a few years' work first, but they also expect to draw more money than the unemployment benefit, so there you go.

And this is why I don't think many of us are in a position to judge dole bludgers.

I strongly disagree here.  I won't presume to speak for everyone else here, but in my opinion, there's a world of difference.  The money that a FIREd person has represents an accumulated unpaid debt that society owes that person for the value they have contributed to the economy by their work.  They have chosen (or in some cases, been forced) to set aside some of their compensation, so that when the time comes that they either cannot or do not wish to work longer, society owes them enough that they can call in that debt and live comfortably.  A dole bludger, roundly speaking, has not contributed to society and therefore is owed nothing, from a purely economic perspective.
[/quote]
Like you, I don't think FIRED have much in common with chronic dolers. But your reasoning is whack.
Society owes the FIRED nothing. Society does not owe the FIRED a 'debt' because the FIRED saved their money instead of pissing it away. You aren't 'calling in societies' debt' when you FIRE. You're making a decision based on your own planning, fortitude, and good fortune.

If anything, the FIRED have a debt to the society which, by its structure and opportunities, allowed the FIRED to become wealthy enough to cease work.

[zolotiyeruki]

Like you, I don't think FIRED have much in common with chronic dolers. But your reasoning is whack.
Society owes the FIRED nothing. Society does not owe the FIRED a 'debt' because the FIRED saved their money instead of pissing it away. You aren't 'calling in societies' debt' when you FIRE. You're making a decision based on your own planning, fortitude, and good fortune.

If anything, the FIRED have a debt to the society which, by its structure and opportunities, allowed the FIRED to become wealthy enough to cease work.

I think you may be misinterpreting me, or perhaps I did not make my point well enough.  Let's take two people who get the same salary from age 25 to age 45, and assume their compensation is commensurate with their economic contribution.  The spendthrift immediately spends every penny they earn, and the mustachian saves 50%.  In other words, the mustachian is deferring their compensation for later.  When I say "debt," I am specifically referring to the money the mustachian has saved and invested, because the mustachian can draw on that accumulated wealth to enable themselves to RE at 45.  The spendthrift, having spent all their money, has no accumulated wealth, and therefore has nothing to draw on.  When both people hit 45, the spendthrift must continue to work, as he has no other source of support.  The mustachian, on the other hand, has carefully cultivated his garden of greenbacks to the point where his greenbacks provide enough economic contribution on their own to support him. 

Perhaps "debt" was an imprecise term, but it's important to remember that money is a store of economic value, that you can trade for goods or services that you need or want.  The mustachian simply defers the redemption of his money for goods and services until he needs them, much like a lender may wait to call a loan due.

[Polaria]

We live in what Swedes call a four room apartment meaning we have three bedrooms and a living room. We don't count the kitchen, hallway or bathroom/s. We also call any place you have a toilet in a toilet but a room that can be used to wash yourself in is also a bathroom. Sometimes people have a shower or shower/sauna with no toilet often in the basement and that might be called a shower room or just a shower. If you have that set up you usually have a half bath somewhere in the house and a regular bathroom with "everything" on either the first or second floor.)

I am currently studying Swedish for fun (I already know English and Dutch on top of French) and we went into that exact discussion of room counting during a lesson.

[redbird]

We live in what Swedes call a four room apartment meaning we have three bedrooms and a living room. We don't count the kitchen, hallway or bathroom/s. We also call any place you have a toilet in a toilet but a room that can be used to wash yourself in is also a bathroom. Sometimes people have a shower or shower/sauna with no toilet often in the basement and that might be called a shower room or just a shower. If you have that set up you usually have a half bath somewhere in the house and a regular bathroom with "everything" on either the first or second floor.)

I am currently studying Swedish for fun (I already know English and Dutch on top of French) and we went into that exact discussion of room counting during a lesson.

I lived in Japan for a few years and they don't count bathrooms either. Houses/apartments are mostly done in the style of #LDK, with the number representing the number of bedrooms, and the LDK indicating living room/dining room/kitchen. The letters are present if you have those, not present if you don't. So 1K would mean that you have a kitchen that's in a separate room from your otherwise studio apartment, but you don't have any living or dining space. 2LDK would mean 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room, and kitchen.

Sometimes you'll even see 1R - if you're in a studio apartment that does not have a living room or dining room space, and it doesn't have a separate kitchen area (either it doesn't have one at all or it's tiny and in the same room), then you have a 1R(oom).

[Sibley]

Can't say it on FB, but:

"We are buying a house and already know it needs some touch-up painting done throughout. We can't afford (right now) to completely paint... does anyone have any suggestions on how we can touch it up without it being obvious? Worried about wrong colors."

Why are you buying a house if you don't have enough savings to buy PAINT? Sheesh, recipe for disaster there.

[Finallyunderstand]

Can't say it on FB, but:

"We are buying a house and already know it needs some touch-up painting done throughout. We can't afford (right now) to completely paint... does anyone have any suggestions on how we can touch it up without it being obvious? Worried about wrong colors."

Why are you buying a house if you don't have enough savings to buy PAINT? Sheesh, recipe for disaster there.

Just maybe the only way they can think to have it painted is to hire a professional company.  God forbid you do it yourself for $150 worth of paint.  Either way, I agree with you!

[bluebelle]

Can't say it on FB, but:

"We are buying a house and already know it needs some touch-up painting done throughout. We can't afford (right now) to completely paint... does anyone have any suggestions on how we can touch it up without it being obvious? Worried about wrong colors."

Why are you buying a house if you don't have enough savings to buy PAINT? Sheesh, recipe for disaster there.

Just maybe the only way they can think to have it painted is to hire a professional company.  God forbid you do it yourself for $150 worth of paint.  Either way, I agree with you!

or they can't afford an extra month's rent or can't get bridge financing, so they have to move in the day it closes?  It's a lot easier to paint an empty house, so having a two week overlap is nice.....but yeah, other than that, WTF?

[zolotiyeruki]

Seen not on facebook per se, but not worth its own thread:  I'm selling a Scentsy warmer on bookoo for $3.  A user messaged me to tell me they're interested.  But won't have the cash to pay for it for another week.

C'mon, if you're that strapped for cash, why on earth are you buying Scentsy stuff!?

[MrMoogle]

Like you, I don't think FIRED have much in common with chronic dolers. But your reasoning is whack.
Society owes the FIRED nothing. Society does not owe the FIRED a 'debt' because the FIRED saved their money instead of pissing it away. You aren't 'calling in societies' debt' when you FIRE. You're making a decision based on your own planning, fortitude, and good fortune.

If anything, the FIRED have a debt to the society which, by its structure and opportunities, allowed the FIRED to become wealthy enough to cease work.

I think you may be misinterpreting me, or perhaps I did not make my point well enough.  Let's take two people who get the same salary from age 25 to age 45, and assume their compensation is commensurate with their economic contribution.  The spendthrift immediately spends every penny they earn, and the mustachian saves 50%.  In other words, the mustachian is deferring their compensation for later.  When I say "debt," I am specifically referring to the money the mustachian has saved and invested, because the mustachian can draw on that accumulated wealth to enable themselves to RE at 45.  The spendthrift, having spent all their money, has no accumulated wealth, and therefore has nothing to draw on.  When both people hit 45, the spendthrift must continue to work, as he has no other source of support.  The mustachian, on the other hand, has carefully cultivated his garden of greenbacks to the point where his greenbacks provide enough economic contribution on their own to support him. 

Perhaps "debt" was an imprecise term, but it's important to remember that money is a store of economic value, that you can trade for goods or services that you need or want.  The mustachian simply defers the redemption of his money for goods and services until he needs them, much like a lender may wait to call a loan due.

Ah, when I was thinking "debt" I was thinking you were referring to Social Security or something like that, that the government would pay you.  You are correct in your way of thinking, but I was thinking something different when you said it.

When I think of  "debt to society" I usually think of "taxes to the government to pay for services you've received/receiving."  So like taxes that paid for education through high school.  Protection by the police and military.  Paved roads.  Things like that.  It would be difficult to know when you've "paid" that off.  Of course my argument is that whatever taxes levied have been paid so you're doing what you can.  And if you volunteer during retirement then that would help "pay" your "debt to society," even if it's not to the government.

[Sibley]

Can't say it on FB, but:

"We are buying a house and already know it needs some touch-up painting done throughout. We can't afford (right now) to completely paint... does anyone have any suggestions on how we can touch it up without it being obvious? Worried about wrong colors."

Why are you buying a house if you don't have enough savings to buy PAINT? Sheesh, recipe for disaster there.

Just maybe the only way they can think to have it painted is to hire a professional company.  God forbid you do it yourself for $150 worth of paint.  Either way, I agree with you!

or they can't afford an extra month's rent or can't get bridge financing, so they have to move in the day it closes?  It's a lot easier to paint an empty house, so having a two week overlap is nice.....but yeah, other than that, WTF?

It was from a DIY page, so it's not the cost of painters. Just paint. For that matter, I'm currently living in a bit of a construction zone. Is it perfect? No. Is it livable? Yes. just step over the closet door on the floor (painting it).

[Alfred J Quack]

Seen not on facebook per se, but not worth its own thread:  I'm selling a Scentsy warmer on bookoo for $3.  A user messaged me to tell me they're interested.  But won't have the cash to pay for it for another week.

C'mon, if you're that strapped for cash, why on earth are you buying Scentsy stuff!?

Didn't know that brand and had to Google it. Apparently they now have a 2 for 11$ sale on the peach flavour while one only costs 5,40$.

Also, did you tell the buyer he has to pay shipping too? Maybe he'll need even more time then!