Overheard on Facebook

[Hirondelle]

Yes, I think I might have different opinions on the amount one needs to move.

I've moved abroad twice, once I had about 20 kgs (to cold climate), the other time 10 kg (to tropical climate). The 20 kgs was the first time I moved this far away and if I'd had to do it again I'd probably have a bag in the 15 kg range. I might have to add that she's moving for a 6 month stint and most likely not bringing stuff like appliances or furniture. That would obviously be a different story and 50kg/110 lbs wouldn't be much if it includes tables and such.

[Sugaree]

Moving to a tropical country would almost certainly mean that I'm bringing along at least 40 lbs of scuba gear...

[letsdoit]

Moving to a tropical country would almost certainly mean that I'm bringing along at least 40 lbs of scuba gear...

even if you put your furniture in paid storage (that would be expensive),
you'd be so much happier without all that crap.  espec in the tropics.  gosh , unless you're trying to impress the diplomat crowd

[mm1970]

I remember My sister (1 year older) and I could be left home and survive by making Mac and cheese, bake a frozen pizza, and bake chocolate chip cookies by the time I was 10. 

One time baking cookies we ran out of flour, but made the batch anyways.  That experience thought me how important following a recipe is, or at least the importance of flour.

My older siblings lost a parent, and ended up trying to cook at ages 11 and 10.  But then they'd go outside and play.  The story the oldest tells was:  well, after the fourth or fifth time we burned the pudding, dad said "I guess we have to start buying instant!"

You have to learn somewhere.  I know this is the tricky part for us - we've tried to teach but, as I've mentioned before:
1. We don't have a lot of patience for teaching cooking to a kid who is not interested.
2. We both work full time.  So in the early years, we were going for "efficient".  It's faster and easier to just do it ourselves.  We are tired at the end of the day.  I have found that my friends with a SAHP or a work at home parent or part time working parent have been MUCH better at getting kids into chores, and cooking. 

Our kids are 6 years apart, so the "mind numbingly exhausting early years" were quite a long span for us too.

And the kids get free lunch at school.

[Sugaree]

It's not even December yet and I just saw the first person on my newsfeed speculating about what they are going to buy...with their tax refund!  This ridiculousness  usually doesn't start until right after xmas. 

[Just Joe]

Anyone hear what the spending levels this year have been like so far? Are folks going overboard?

[iliketocode]

Some people have electric heating.  During a cold winter you could easily rack up some big bill numbers with that.

Yes.  I was looking at a condo that has electric heating.  I liked the place, but according to the real estate agent the cost of electricity can vary from $150 to $550 a month.  With natural gas, it would have been well under $200.

[Dave1442397]

It's not even December yet and I just saw the first person on my newsfeed speculating about what they are going to buy...with their tax refund!  This ridiculousness  usually doesn't start until right after xmas.

I'll be very interested to see what our taxes are like for this year. With all the changes, and the cap on property tax deductions, I really have no idea what we'll (hopefully) get back.

[I'm a red panda]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

The entire thread is people bitching about how much Christmas spending costs, and many people saying they don't buy gifts at all.  I mentioned I don't buy for my daughter because she does not know what Christmas is (or birthday...).  Apparently this makes me a horrible person.

So apparently- we shouldn't buy gifts for people. Unless they are too young to understand the concept of a gift, then they need lots of junk

[onlykelsey]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

The entire thread is people bitching about how much Christmas spending costs, and many people saying they don't buy gifts at all.  I mentioned I don't buy for my daughter because she does not know what Christmas is (or birthday...).  Apparently this makes me a horrible person.

So apparently- we shouldn't buy gifts for people. Unless they are too young to understand the concept of a gift, then they need lots of junk

Tell them you're religious.  My group genuinely doesn't do gifts http://www.quakerinfo.com/quakxmas.shtml

I am going to get some winter purchases for my 21 month old, though, as they come up on craigslist/etc.

[sherr]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

[I'm a red panda]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

[zolotiyeruki]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

Agreed.  Besides, stuffed animals reproduce.  I have no idea how it's possible, but they give rabbits a run for their money.  Have you ever seen a home with just two stuffed animals?

[ysette9]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

Agreed.  Besides, stuffed animals reproduce.  I have no idea how it's possible, but they give rabbits a run for their money.  Have you ever seen a home with just two stuffed animals?

TRUTH

Maybe the problem is that we have two stuffed rabbits in the kid’s room and they reproduce when my back is turned...

[JAYSLOL]

The FaceBook friend from another financial dimension posted today "I have $4 to my name, where can I get something to eat?"

[Just Joe]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

Give them a hair brush and teach them to gently brush the family dog. Or crayons and some paper. Or take them for a walk. Why does everything involve buying STUFF rather than just DOING something? A toy's joy is finite. Teaching them to enjoy the simple things can be a lifetime gift. 

[kina]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

This was a gift to our second child on her first birthday. She was thrilled to have a box she could pull the tissues out of instead of being told 'no'. It confused my in-laws, though.

[mm1970]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

Tissue boxes and baby wipes.  I have many photos to prove it.

[Kitsune]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

This was a gift to our second child on her first birthday. She was thrilled to have a box she could pull the tissues out of instead of being told 'no'. It confused my in-laws, though.

We did the same for my son's first Christmas - he was DELIGHTED.

[partgypsy]

The big thing in our house was a) letting them play with couch cushions including making couch cushion forts, and b) cardboard boxes. To the extent one birthday she got this as part of her themed birthday. All the kids decorated and played in it and it was definitely worth the money play-value wise. 
 https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Playhouse-EP2001-Castle/dp/B006ZPO5AK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543521459&sr=8-3&keywords=cardboard+castle

but yeah my youngest especially would go to town on both the tissue boxes and pulling all the toliet paper down from the rolls.

[MgoSam]

A professional fighter at my gym

a. Keeps posting that Carfax is a scam (but didn't bother to inspect the car before buying it, IMHO caveat emptor)

b. Rants constantly about how the government can't pay it's bills but he's a high school dropout that someone manages to pay his bills (overheard head coach about him slacking on gym dues, and also overheard him asking a friend for a loan to prevent water from getting shut off).

c. Last night posted about how he's going to unfriend anyone that keeps posting political "crap," this is from a guy that in addition to the government rants in b, he constantly puts up various political memes, and name-calling any politician or anything that pisses him off.

He's free to do what he wants, I can't help but shake my head at him.

[FindingFI]

The big thing in our house was a) letting them play with couch cushions including making couch cushion forts, and b) cardboard boxes. To the extent one birthday she got this as part of her themed birthday. All the kids decorated and played in it and it was definitely worth the money play-value wise. 
 https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Playhouse-EP2001-Castle/dp/B006ZPO5AK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543521459&sr=8-3&keywords=cardboard+castle

but yeah my youngest especially would go to town on both the tissue boxes and pulling all the toliet paper down from the rolls.

Couch cushion forts were the best! My sister and I would add in some blankets and use other pieces of furniture to make couch cushion mansions.  Those where some great days.

[better late]

Not facebook, but I'm being skewered on Reddit in R/financialindependence for not buying a 9-month old and 20-month old gifts for Christmas.

No you aren't. You got one comment saying "I like to watch my baby light up when I give them a new thrift store toy. Buying new toys is okay occasionally."

And then when you responded with "I let them play with tupperware and pull the tissues out of the box" you got downvoted a bit, and one person called you a grinch and said "at least get them a teddy bear or something."

That's hardly a skewering.

I've recieved 6 messages in my inbox.  Have you read those?   Those are the ones telling me I'm a horrible person.

But seriously- kids get excited about ANYTHING new. Have you ever let a toddler pull all the tissues out of a box? WAY more exciting that a teddy bear.

Tissue boxes and baby wipes.  I have many photos to prove it.

Over here it was toilet paper. And when they got older a box or two of character bandaids. Head to toe in colorful bandaids is a very happy thing.

[letsdoit]

A professional fighter at my gym

a. Keeps posting that Carfax is a scam (but didn't bother to inspect the car before buying it, IMHO caveat emptor)

b. Rants constantly about how the government can't pay it's bills but he's a high school dropout that someone manages to pay his bills (overheard head coach about him slacking on gym dues, and also overheard him asking a friend for a loan to prevent water from getting shut off).

c. Last night posted about how he's going to unfriend anyone that keeps posting political "crap," this is from a guy that in addition to the government rants in b, he constantly puts up various political memes, and name-calling any politician or anything that pisses him off.

He's free to do what he wants, I can't help but shake my head at him.

there was a 'fighter' at my gym (read ex-con) who would slay the heavy bag without moving his feet and then break the f'ing speed bag.  I hit the speed bag once and he maybe got jealous bc my hands were faster than his and he walked over and hit the thing as hard as he could and broke it 

[penguintroopers]

It's not even December yet and I just saw the first person on my newsfeed speculating about what they are going to buy...with their tax refund!  This ridiculousness  usually doesn't start until right after xmas.

I'll be very interested to see what our taxes are like for this year. With all the changes, and the cap on property tax deductions, I really have no idea what we'll (hopefully) get back.

Ditto, only our situation is that this is our first full year with both of us having our career-focused jobs with high pay. Last year we got something like $1100 back from the feds but owed the state $3. Having something like $30k in deductions right off the bat is kinda crazy compared to last year.

And in all fairness, I already know exactly what we're going to buy with our tax refund (if we get one)...

FREEDOM.

[nwhiker]

I am on the local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook, mainly so when I am decluttering I can give stuff away for free to others that might need it. I would say that roughly half the posts are "asks". Now we live on what us considered to be the nicer area of our city.

There are several posts a day about how they are out of diapers, milk, other household staple and  don't get paid for another week. Occassionally I will look at their profiles and invariably there are pictures of nice trips or their new toys. It is genuinely depressing to see so many people on the edge when they have means to be doing so much better.

[SwordGuy]

I am on the local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook, mainly so when I am decluttering I can give stuff away for free to others that might need it. I would say that roughly half the posts are "asks". Now we live on what us considered to be the nicer area of our city.

There are several posts a day about how they are out of diapers, milk, other household staple and  don't get paid for another week. Occassionally I will look at their profiles and invariably there are pictures of nice trips or their new toys. It is genuinely depressing to see so many people on the edge when they have means to be doing so much better.

I know it's considered rude, but really, making a comment that included links to all their wasteful spending posts, with the observation that maybe if they spent more on necessities they wouldn't have to beg from others, might actually help them out.   More likely, though, you would be kicked out of the FB group for "not getting it".

[Just Joe]

The big thing in our house was a) letting them play with couch cushions including making couch cushion forts, and b) cardboard boxes. To the extent one birthday she got this as part of her themed birthday. All the kids decorated and played in it and it was definitely worth the money play-value wise. 
 https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Playhouse-EP2001-Castle/dp/B006ZPO5AK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543521459&sr=8-3&keywords=cardboard+castle

but yeah my youngest especially would go to town on both the tissue boxes and pulling all the toliet paper down from the rolls.

Couch cushion forts were the best! My sister and I would add in some blankets and use other pieces of furniture to make couch cushion mansions.  Those where some great days.

Or - throw a blanket over a table. All reasons to have a comfortable, casual home - so the kids can be kids. Better than 20 years of stressing over fancy furniture.

[I'm a red panda]

I am on the local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook, mainly so when I am decluttering I can give stuff away for free to others that might need it. I would say that roughly half the posts are "asks". Now we live on what us considered to be the nicer area of our city.

There are several posts a day about how they are out of diapers, milk, other household staple and  don't get paid for another week. Occassionally I will look at their profiles and invariably there are pictures of nice trips or their new toys. It is genuinely depressing to see so many people on the edge when they have means to be doing so much better.

I know it's considered rude, but really, making a comment that included links to all their wasteful spending posts, with the observation that maybe if they spent more on necessities they wouldn't have to beg from others, might actually help them out.   More likely, though, you would be kicked out of the FB group for "not getting it".

I moderate a BNP group, and we really aren't allowed to kick people out for almost anything, that comment would be immediately deleted.
We also don't allow sob stories though.  You can "Ask: size 2 diapers, today please" but not "Ask: Size 2 diapers, we don't get paid and my child will have to go without and it's below freezing, and poor me."

BNP is not a needs-based giving economy.  Wants and needs are of equal value within BNP.

[nwhiker]

I am on the local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook, mainly so when I am decluttering I can give stuff away for free to others that might need it. I would say that roughly half the posts are "asks". Now we live on what us considered to be the nicer area of our city.

There are several posts a day about how they are out of diapers, milk, other household staple and  don't get paid for another week. Occassionally I will look at their profiles and invariably there are pictures of nice trips or their new toys. It is genuinely depressing to see so many people on the edge when they have means to be doing so much better.

I know it's considered rude, but really, making a comment that included links to all their wasteful spending posts, with the observation that maybe if they spent more on necessities they wouldn't have to beg from others, might actually help them out.   More likely, though, you would be kicked out of the FB group for "not getting it".

I moderate a BNP group, and we really aren't allowed to kick people out for almost anything, that comment would be immediately deleted.
We also don't allow sob stories though.  You can "Ask: size 2 diapers, today please" but not "Ask: Size 2 diapers, we don't get paid and my child will have to go without and it's below freezing, and poor me."

BNP is not a needs-based giving economy.  Wants and needs are of equal value within BNP.

That is good to now. A lot of those posts seem to skirt the line as in, "I just used the last diaper on my 1 year old and don't get paid again for another week. I was just taken aback because the amount of asks was so high. I'm probably more senstive to this issue because of an issue my wife and I had with some friends.

We had some friends that were really great people. The mom didn't work and the father made decent money but they had 4 kids and  house in a HCOL area. The mom is out with my wife for a girl's night out at a local restaurant (WTF?) and starts crying that they don't have the basic household items and her husband doesn't get paid for a week. My wife feels bad so we go to Costco and buy some diapers, milk, bread, sandwich meat, hamburger meat, and toilet paper and dropped it off at her home without telling her who it was from. While I would freely give without resentment to someone in need this really irked me. The husband was just starting his "Crossfit Journey" so he was paying for his Crossfit gym membership, he was talking some course so he could become a trainer, and he was paying to attend various competitions as well. He had to be paying out at least $400 a month just to Crossfit activities while his family couldn't afford food.

[Kyle Schuant]

They might have been able to afford food, but not the kind of food they are accustomed to eating. Someone paying $400 a month for Crossfit probably isn't checking out the bargain aisle at the greengrocer and supermarket. It'll be organic free range imported fair trade gluten-free palaeo something.

The average Australian household with a couple and youngest child under 5, like us, spends AUD282pw on food [source 1]. We spend 130, and we drink small amounts of alcohol, eat meat, fish and dairy, etc - we just don't eat out, really.

We don't really think about it, but essentially we're on a GST-free diet. Sales tax in Australia does not apply to fresh foods [source 2]. At shops when you get your receipt, stuff that had GST has an asterisk; if those are all missing then you probably have a diet which is both cheap and healthy, however you'd have to cook it. For example, dry or fresh pasta noodles, onions, garlic, cream, mushrooms, raw chicken, chicken stock and pepper do not attract GST, but "Hand-rolled penne with Gippsland mushrooms and chicken in a creamy sauce" for $22 at a restaurant does.

I would expect that people who have lifestyles of a lot of travel, Crossfit and so on, will also be contributing lots of GST to the tax office, and spending much more overall. After all, if the average is $282 and we're spending $130, then to keep the average up, someone is spending $424.

[ProxyRetired]

Local "News" Facebok group with 30K+ followers gets spun up about all kinds of things. Very conservative minded admins... lower my taxes, government too big, police are the best, how dare we raise the gas tax to support our roads (never mind it hasn't been raised in almost 25 years), etc. Once and a while, a house burns down or such, and the group has a thread to support the local family, get them clothes and whatever else they need to get back on their feet. Yay and stuff.

Lately, there's been a thread. A poor, somewhat disabled Veteran needs a car. He hasn't a car for almost two years. Can't afford the car or insurance! So the group has come together! They're getting him a car!... but wait, there's also the registration!... good, now we can... wait, no we need insurance! Who's going to pay for the man's insurance? And... the car needs tires to apparently. But all is well, and the group is slowly gathering all the funds to buy this guy a car.

I wonder if they've thought about the implications for next year. Who's gonna pay for the fuel? Maintenance? Next year's insurance and oil changes? Piss poor charity is worse then no charity at all sometimes.

[JAYSLOL]

A classmate from high school wrote on Facebook today

"Just keep winning free play on our lotto tickets (frowny face), I'd be happy with hundred thou and be out of debt.  Some day I'll win big (smiley face)"

Doubt it.  (Face palm face)

Update time.  Same person just posted a photo of a 65" 4K LED Smart TV with the caption "present for husband".  Dare I ask if she's out of debt now?

Another update, this just keeps getting worse.  Today she wrote

"I feel like the world has fallen on my shoulders, after I get baby to sleep I'm going to call subsidy to see if we qualify, but from the sounds of it we don't so we are basically screwed.  I can't afford $530 a month for daycare, LMAO, I'm already drowning in debt as it is"

I have no words.  No. Fucking. Words.

New update today for this person, I didn't think they could top the last one but boy did they find a way. 
They posted a photo of their truck, which is/was a brand new Dodge Ram with the biggest cab I've ever seen, which apparently they had purchased new 3 years ago, along with the following garbage..

"Call us crazy LOL we have traded in our vehicle a million times, but I'd rather be stuck in a vehicle I actually like!! We are in over our head but I don't care!!  One of these days I'll win the lottery :)"

What does it take for someone like this to see the light?  I just don't understand!

Good god.  Today this person posted a photo of a BRAND NEW DODGE DURANGO!  Yes, they rolled the sizeable debt from the truck into an equally enormous and even more expensive vehicle.  WTF!

[Just Joe]

I guess they are planning to spend themselves right out of debt - right?

Broke and cool is more important than "boring" and rich these days. Meanwhile let's advertise our bad decisions to all of humanity.

[a286]

The big thing in our house was a) letting them play with couch cushions including making couch cushion forts, and b) cardboard boxes. To the extent one birthday she got this as part of her themed birthday. All the kids decorated and played in it and it was definitely worth the money play-value wise. 
 https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Playhouse-EP2001-Castle/dp/B006ZPO5AK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543521459&sr=8-3&keywords=cardboard+castle

but yeah my youngest especially would go to town on both the tissue boxes and pulling all the toliet paper down from the rolls.

Couch cushion forts were the best! My sister and I would add in some blankets and use other pieces of furniture to make couch cushion mansions.  Those where some great days.

Or - throw a blanket over a table. All reasons to have a comfortable, casual home - so the kids can be kids. Better than 20 years of stressing over fancy furniture.

A friend had a 4 poster bed growing up because we'd take a sheet or a big blanket and use hair ties to hook it to the Four posts..  then of course we took another blanket and hooked it on two posts and stretched it to the dresser... or wed drape blankets down the side of the bed for an instant club house.

[JAYSLOL]

I guess they are planning to spend themselves right out of debt - right?

Broke and cool is more important than "boring" and rich these days. Meanwhile let's advertise our bad decisions to all of humanity.

And the worst part is all the encouragement to keep doing what they're doing, they got a ton of replies to the photo of the new SUV and all of them were like "congrats! hard work pays off!".  Yeah, future hard works gonna be paying that off for a loooong time.  And seriously, "congrats! hard work pays off!"? it's not like they graduated from fucking med school, literally anyone with a pulse these days can get a car loan.  And it's not like I can jump in and question their choice or offer sensible advice, I'd be crucified, how dare I crush their dreams of being wage-slaves forever while destroying the environment as efficiently as possible. 

[Davnasty]

I guess they are planning to spend themselves right out of debt - right?

Broke and cool is more important than "boring" and rich these days. Meanwhile let's advertise our bad decisions to all of humanity.

And the worst part is all the encouragement to keep doing what they're doing, they got a ton of replies to the photo of the new SUV and all of them were like "congrats! hard work pays off!".  Yeah, future hard works gonna be paying that off for a loooong time.  And seriously, "congrats! hard work pays off!"? it's not like they graduated from fucking med school, literally anyone with a pulse these days can get a car loan.  And it's not like I can jump in and question their choice or offer sensible advice, I'd be crucified, how dare I crush their dreams of being wage-slaves forever while destroying the environment as efficiently as possible.

Hard work shopping and signing all that paperwork maybe?

Congrats is really the last thing these people need to hear, but then again it's probably exactly what they're looking for when they post they're bad decisions.

[partgypsy]

It would be very hard for me to refrain from saying something in that situation. I would be tempted to say, "I'm glad you posted about your new car. I will give me something to think about the next time you post about not having money for bills or your kids"

[JAYSLOL]

It would be very hard for me to refrain from saying something in that situation. I would be tempted to say, "I'm glad you posted about your new car. I will give me something to think about the next time you post about not having money for bills or your kids"

I'm tempted too, but I'm not going to do that unless she asked me personally for money, which she won't likely do because we are just former classmates/Facebook friends that don't really communicate

[Threshkin]

It would be very hard for me to refrain from saying something in that situation. I would be tempted to say, "I'm glad you posted about your new car. I will give me something to think about the next time you post about not having money for bills or your kids"

I'm tempted too, but I'm not going to do that unless she asked me personally for money, which she won't likely do because we are just former classmates/Facebook friends that don't really communicate

Best to keep out of it.

[FireHiker]

I guess this belongs in relative and/or facebook. I have a cousin who makes...questionable...financial choices. She dropped out of college and got sucked into the whole MLM world. So far I've seen her hawking Plexus and LLR and others; I lose track. She and her husband now have 3 young kids and are expecting #4. They both come from big families and even though I think the first one wasn't planned, the other three have been. She just posted a picture of them in front of a brand new Suburban because "growing family = we need a new giant car". I'm not sure what her husband does, but I think she is teaching preschool right now as her "#momboss" MLM things haven't worked out...I don't know how the hell they can afford that car so I can only imagine the payments. The thing that is astounding to me is all of the congratulations. Sigh.

[Just Joe]

You too can afford the $50K SUV/pickup/musclecar if you stretch the payments out over enough months... 96 months? 108 months?

A 2012 Suburban is about $22K. A 2017 is about $38K.

[KodeBlue]

You too can afford the $50K SUV/pickup/musclecar if you stretch the payments out over enough months... 96 months? 108 months?

A 2012 Suburban is about $22K. A 2017 is about $38K.

I wonder what the longest they'll stretch a car loan out is? 120 mos.? 144? 1,324 mos.?

[Just Joe]

If I person takes equity out of their house to buy a car wouldn't that potentially be stretching a car loan 360+ months? I assume using equity for a car loan is possible as opposed to getting a car loan. Ouch the interest on that car...

[Dave1442397]

You too can afford the $50K SUV/pickup/musclecar if you stretch the payments out over enough months... 96 months? 108 months?

A 2012 Suburban is about $22K. A 2017 is about $38K.

I wonder what the longest they'll stretch a car loan out is? 120 mos.? 144? 1,324 mos.?

I see 120 months here, but I notice that you can get an 84-month loan up to $20k, but they want you to borrow $40k for a 120-month loan.

https://www.psecu.com/loans/auto-loans/new-used-cars

The interest rate jumps dramatically going from 84 to 120 months. I guess they want the suckers who want to drive $40k+ vehicles but have no money.

[I'm a red panda]

A friend bought a nugget ice maker. 

While I'm a little jealous, the thing is like $500 (they got it half off though- a steal at $250?). And their teeny tiny kitchen (they live in an expensive house in an extraordinary HCOL area) has zero room for such things. 

Her husband bought it for her because she "wastes so much money on take out drinks to get better ice".

Who knows, maybe it's frugal in the long run, for them, and they can certainly afford it- but that just seems insane!

[zolotiyeruki]

A friend bought a nugget ice maker. 
...

Ah, so THAT's what that kind of ice is called!  I love that stuff.  And the idea of having my own nugget ice maker is exciting.  But it ain't free, and if I had one, I'd be tempted to make and consume more sugary stuff for myself, which wouldn't be healthy.

[I'm a red panda]

A friend bought a nugget ice maker. 
...

Ah, so THAT's what that kind of ice is called!  I love that stuff.  And the idea of having my own nugget ice maker is exciting.  But it ain't free, and if I had one, I'd be tempted to make and consume more sugary stuff for myself, which wouldn't be healthy.

To be fair, nugget ice is also delicious in water.

[Sugaree]

A friend bought a nugget ice maker. 

While I'm a little jealous, the thing is like $500 (they got it half off though- a steal at $250?). And their teeny tiny kitchen (they live in an expensive house in an extraordinary HCOL area) has zero room for such things. 

Her husband bought it for her because she "wastes so much money on take out drinks to get better ice".

Who knows, maybe it's frugal in the long run, for them, and they can certainly afford it- but that just seems insane!

I thought very seriously about getting one of those as a xmas present for DH when it was on sale for like $425.  In the end, I didn't but at $250 I would have definitely jumped on it. 

[Just Joe]

Why not get a $25 ice grinder/chipper?