Overheard on Facebook

[CillaVolkov]

2) Isn't almost everything large at Ikea sold in that nice flat package format that makes it easy to fit into just about any car?  She did move her mattress, so I'm at a loss as to what other large and awkward-to-fit-in-a-car type items she might have bought.

Have you actually heard your coworker say that it was because of laziness or not wanting to fit it into a car? While it may seem like a bit luxurious when complaining about the cost of moving, it may well be a necessary expense.

Personally, I've paid for Ikea delivery too, for the very specific reason that my entire family have a tendency toward bad back pains (and I'm starting to get them too) but my building doesn't have a lift. I managed to move in just fine but, when I bought my lounge half-half with my parents, we collectively decided the delivery fee was worth it because a) it meant not aggravating known physical conditions in all of us and b) it meant that I could catch the bus out and order it myself without either of my parents needing to be there with one of their cars and to help me move it.

[NorCal]

A friend is moving cities for a new job.  Leading up to the move, she has been freaking out about the expense of moving on FB, which is understandable, right?  Moving is a pain, and even cheap moving can feel like a big chunk of money.  I sympathize.

This week (post-move), she writes a post about how totally worth it the $99 fee for Ikea delivery is, because they bought furnishings for an entire apartment.  Friend does own a car. Which made me wonder:

1) The cost of moving was a problem, but you can afford to go out and buy a bunch of new (albeit Ikea) furnishings?  There is this thing called Craigslist.

2) Isn't almost everything large at Ikea sold in that nice flat package format that makes it easy to fit into just about any car?  She did move her mattress, so I'm at a loss as to what other large and awkward-to-fit-in-a-car type items she might have bought.

I agree with your sentiment, but it does remind me of a fun time I bought a 9ft floor-to-ceiling dresser at Ikea.  I proceeded to bring it home in my Miata.  Across the Bay Bridge.  In the rain.

In hindsight, I probably should have paid for delivery.

[Inaya]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

[Goldielocks]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

Two other options..

1. You have friends.
2. The seller delivers (usually for a fee, just ask if they will deliver for $40 or ?).

Where Craigslist furniture buying can be a bit problematic in getting out to look at the furniture.  Around here, the sellers are not usually biking distance from me.  Transit is challenge to areas i rarely go to, etc.

But once I find something, I have a few friends that can help me out.

[zolotiyeruki]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

Two other options..

1. You have friends.
2. The seller delivers (usually for a fee, just ask if they will deliver for $40 or ?).

Where Craigslist furniture buying can be a bit problematic in getting out to look at the furniture.  Around here, the sellers are not usually biking distance from me.  Transit is challenge to areas i rarely go to, etc.

But once I find something, I have a few friends that can help me out.

Option #3: rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for $20

[Chris22]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

Two other options..

1. You have friends.
2. The seller delivers (usually for a fee, just ask if they will deliver for $40 or ?).

Where Craigslist furniture buying can be a bit problematic in getting out to look at the furniture.  Around here, the sellers are not usually biking distance from me.  Transit is challenge to areas i rarely go to, etc.

But once I find something, I have a few friends that can help me out.

Option #3: rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for $20

Can you rent a truck if you don't have car insurance (I'm assuming people who don't have a car also don't have car insurance).  Hell, today I'm getting my wife's car serviced and in order to take a free dealer loaner I had show proof of insurance. 

[cats]

Wow, I had no idea the ikea delivery fee was such a contentious point!

Obviously, as with any expense, there are situations in which it is 100% justifiable.  Maybe my friend has such a situation and hasn't disclosed that on FB.  I just thought the juxtaposition of "moving is so expensive" and "we bought a bunch of stuff at Ikea" was funny, and this is the comedy section of the forum.

As far as buying furniture on CL goes...it is definitely a pain without a car, and if you did not own a car I could see that just buying everything at Ikea and having it delivered could be the most sensible option, especially if you need to purchase unwieldy items like a mattress.  However, friend does own a car and did move her mattress, so it seemed to me that perhaps she could have furnished her apartment at a slower rate by nabbing items off CL as they became available.  When my husband and I moved in together, we used a cardboard copy paper box as a table for a couple of weeks until a table we liked came available on CL.  Wouldn't have wanted to do it forever, but it was fun and kind of romantic for two weeks :)

Anyway, it turns out one of the items she bought was a couch, which probably would be hard to fit in a car.  And I'm not sure I would be thrilled about getting a couch off craigslist.  So her use of Ikea and delivery is now slightly less puzzling.

[JLee]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

Two other options..

1. You have friends.
2. The seller delivers (usually for a fee, just ask if they will deliver for $40 or ?).

Where Craigslist furniture buying can be a bit problematic in getting out to look at the furniture.  Around here, the sellers are not usually biking distance from me.  Transit is challenge to areas i rarely go to, etc.

But once I find something, I have a few friends that can help me out.

lol.  That's part of why I sold my truck a few years back...the only time it got used for 'truck stuff' is when people wanted to borrow it.

[Inaya]

This is a bit of a tangent, but is furniture buying via Craigslist really feasible if you don't have a car and need multiple pieces of furniture? Renting a car each time you buy something would cancel out the savings from buying used.

Two other options..1. You have friends.2. The seller delivers (usually for a fee, just ask if they will deliver for $40 or ?).Where Craigslist furniture buying can be a bit problematic in getting out to look at the furniture.  Around here, the sellers are not usually biking distance from me.  Transit is challenge to areas i rarely go to, etc.But once I find something, I have a few friends that can help me out.

Option #3: rent a truck from Home Depot/Lowes/Menards for $20

Can you rent a truck if you don't have car insurance (I'm assuming people who don't have a car also don't have car insurance).  Hell, today I'm getting my wife's car serviced and in order to take a free dealer loaner I had show proof of insurance.

That's a really good question, to which I don't know the answer. Zipcar has trucks, but they're like $15/hr which would get cost prohibitive really fast. Much like renting a car every time you get a new piece of furniture.

Also, it's pathetic but we have no local friends.

As far as buying furniture on CL goes...it is definitely a pain without a car, and if you did not own a car I could see that just buying everything at Ikea and having it delivered could be the most sensible option, especially if you need to purchase unwieldy items like a mattress.  However, friend does own a car and did move her mattress, so it seemed to me that perhaps she could have furnished her apartment at a slower rate by nabbing items off CL as they became available.  When my husband and I moved in together, we used a cardboard copy paper box as a table for a couple of weeks until a table we liked came available on CL.  Wouldn't have wanted to do it forever, but it was fun and kind of romantic for two weeks :)

Anyway, it turns out one of the items she bought was a couch, which probably would be hard to fit in a car.  And I'm not sure I would be thrilled about getting a couch off craigslist.  So her use of Ikea and delivery is now slightly less puzzling.

We bought a mattress. Turns out the van/truck thing we rented was too small (even though it was the largest one offered), so we had to tie it to the roof--fortunately it was only about half a mile. Then the mattress alllllmost didn't fit in the elevator in our building. And then it took 30 minutes to drive that half mile (yay Chicago traffic) and got charged $35 for returning it 1 minute late.

I normally wouldn't have a problem with cardboard or old furniture (heck my balcony is furnished with stuff somebody on my floor was throwing out). But in this case, my landlord reclaimed his book cases, leaving us with mounds of books and whatever else taking up the last open floor space in our studio. Couldn't even walk to the bed. It was a bit of an emergency. And we happened to go to Ikea on one of their free lunch days, so that helped salve the pain.

I mean there are lots of options for the carless. But it seems so much more efficient (time and money) to just go buy a bunch of cheap Ikea furniture and have it delivered. Otherwise you're spending tons of time on public transit just to go look at whatever you want to buy. And then when you want to buy it, you have to pay for delivery/rental anyway. And repeat for each piece of furniture you're buying.

[Taran Wanderer]

Wow, I had no idea the ikea delivery fee was such a contentious point!

...  I just thought the juxtaposition ... was funny, and this is the comedy section of the forum.

Come on now, Mustachianism isn't funny.  After all, this is serious stuff, just as with any other religion!

/sarcasm

[Zaga]

Around here you do NOT buy used fluffy furniture off of Craigslist unless you want bedbugs. So no used couches, recliners, etc.  Bad idea.

[9-Volt]

lol.  That's part of why I sold my truck a few years back...the only time it got used for 'truck stuff' is when people wanted to borrow it.

This is the second reason I also sold my truck.

2) Isn't almost everything large at Ikea sold in that nice flat package format that makes it easy to fit into just about any car?

After I sold my truck, I crammed an entire Ikea kitchen into my Nissan Versa. 

[irishbear99]

Re: The Full House house, in the "Fuller House" reboot on Netflix (don't judge, I'm an 80s baby and I LOVED IT), Jesse makes a comment to Danny (who decides to give the house to his daughters instead of selling it) along the lines of "do you even know how much this house is worth?!?".

I was in San Francisco a few years ago with my wife, and we bought a day pass on one of those sight-seeing buses that drives around the city. The driver told us that tour companies weren't allowed to stop in front of the houses from the exterior shots in Full House any more because passengers kept yelling stuff like "Is Kimmy Gibbler there?!" at the residents.

Two of the houses used in "Breaking Bad" a few years ago are up for sale. One of the problems is the constant tour traffic. It's great for the tour companies but bad for the residents and neighbors. The extra vehicles in a residential area are a huge pain, and while it's common for individuals to think that their disruptive comment is "no big deal", when it happens on a daily basis it interferes with your basic comfort and safety in your own home. It also creates a maintenance burden. One homeowner regularly has to go out and retrieve garbage thrown onto his property because people keep trying to hurl pizza onto his roof to re-enact one of the scenes from the series. Overall, I don't think that whatever they made hiring their house out for the shoot was worth the resulting pain in the tush.

My husband and I recently took a day trip to Astoria, OR, and were disappointed to find that you can no longer drive by the Goonies' house. The news story we read about it said the owner was being harassed (people knocking on the door/peeking in windows) all hours of the day and night. I have a sneaking suspicion that the owner also got tired of watching 40-something overweight males doing the Truffle Shuffle.

[kimmarg]

Otherwise you're spending tons of time on public transit just to go look at whatever you want to buy. And then when you want to buy it, you have to pay for delivery/rental anyway. And repeat for each piece of furniture you're buying.

I did once take a couch on public transit. It was a bit of an ummmm adventure. Can't say I'd recommend it, although it did make waiting for the train comfortable!

[Goldielocks]

Also, it's pathetic but we have no local friends.

LOL   According to JLee,  all you need is a truck (and offer to help move stuff) to get local friends.

[Dollar Slice]

I did once take a couch on public transit. It was a bit of an ummmm adventure. Can't say I'd recommend it, although it did make waiting for the train comfortable!

I saw someone with a chair on the subway late one night, but a couch is much more impressive :-)  Almost as good as the busker I saw who had brought an actual piano down to the subway platform.

[JLee]

Also, it's pathetic but we have no local friends.

LOL   According to JLee,  all you need is a truck (and offer to help move stuff) to get local friends.

lmao, yeah....pretty much. It's funny how there are some "friends" who only call when they need something. Bleh.

[Kitsunegari]

Guy posts photos of his new house.

A few hours later, same guy starts begging people for furniture, appliances, flatware, etc. to fill it.

I can't decide if he was Mustachian for furnishing the house with freebies, or Antimustachian for spending so much on the house he couldn't afford to furnish it.

Mustachian!
We did things similarly, when it comes to furniture the only stuff we bought is 2 dressers, 1 of which I bought when I first moved to the country 8 years ago and has been my only 'bought' property for years.
Everything else was either gifted from friends that were moving or upgrading, savaged from the streets or built from DH. Some of DH's friends laugh at us about that, but it couldn't bother me less.

[MgoSam]

Guy posts photos of his new house.

A few hours later, same guy starts begging people for furniture, appliances, flatware, etc. to fill it.

I can't decide if he was Mustachian for furnishing the house with freebies, or Antimustachian for spending so much on the house he couldn't afford to furnish it.

Mustachian!
We did things similarly, when it comes to furniture the only stuff we bought is 2 dressers, 1 of which I bought when I first moved to the country 8 years ago and has been my only 'bought' property for years.
Everything else was either gifted from friends that were moving or upgrading, savaged from the streets or built from DH. Some of DH's friends laugh at us about that, but it couldn't bother me less.

Depends, imo.

I think it's Mustachian to accept free furniture and use it as best as you can. To beg people for things because you either cannot afford it or don't want to pay for it is something I would have a problem with.

When I was moving into my house my parents gave me two couches and recliner that are sitting their porch. They hadn't used the porch in over a year so they didn't bat an eye at offering it to me. The guy I was renting a room from offered me a dinner table and the bed I was using for $300, and I took him up on it. So all in all, I furnished my house for pretty cheap, though I do want to upgrade the couches/recliner in a few years.

[slugline]

HS classmate will be putting their $900K place in the Houston 'burbs on the market soon -- a 5000-square-foot house on a 15000-square-foot lot. The two kids "need more room to play."  I think they might be kidding? Or maybe I'm just hoping they're kidding. . . .

[dragoncar]

HS classmate will be putting their $900K place in the Houston 'burbs on the market soon -- a 5000-square-foot house on a 15000-square-foot lot. The two kids "need more room to play."  I think they might be kidding? Or maybe I'm just hoping they're kidding. . . .

Maybe the kids are now old enough to have their own ATV/4wheelers and need a couple more acres to really "play"

[frugalnacho]

They are free range children.

[deadlymonkey]

They are free range children.

They are the best children to have

[frugalnacho]

They are free range children.

They are the best children to have

I agree, they are the tastiest. 

[Mrs. S]

My wife had a cooking class recently with a group of women.  When they were done, one lady was "helping" clean up and threw the leftover food away - in the trash!  She wrapped it up in napkins and tossed it.  My wife dug it out when they left...  when I say leftovers, I dont mean what was on peoples plates - this was fresh stuff no one put on a plate yet.

Now to the FB part.  I thought maybe it was a fluke, but nope, this same person posted the following:

"Last night I made lasagna for dinner, but after assembling it all, I had some ingredients left over.  So, I decided to make lasagna rolls.  I had never made them before.  They turned out delicious and the kids LOVED them!  Plus, since I ended up using all of the extra ingredients, I ended up with enough leftovers for us to have another dinner this week since the hubby is out of town.  Success!  I am going to start using all of my extra ingredients from now on rather than tossing them out."

She normally throws away enough food for two more meals! ?

Had a friend(?) Crashing at our place recently and this was probably what I hated the most. Seriously who throws away an apple simply because it had a spot or not inform your host what time you'll come and if you'll be eating the food she cooked for you.
Nope she'd come back at 9:30 not 'really' hungry... she got late coz she had to go shopping!! I stopped giving a fuck in 3 days

[MgoSam]

My wife had a cooking class recently with a group of women.  When they were done, one lady was "helping" clean up and threw the leftover food away - in the trash!  She wrapped it up in napkins and tossed it.  My wife dug it out when they left...  when I say leftovers, I dont mean what was on peoples plates - this was fresh stuff no one put on a plate yet.

Now to the FB part.  I thought maybe it was a fluke, but nope, this same person posted the following:

"Last night I made lasagna for dinner, but after assembling it all, I had some ingredients left over.  So, I decided to make lasagna rolls.  I had never made them before.  They turned out delicious and the kids LOVED them!  Plus, since I ended up using all of the extra ingredients, I ended up with enough leftovers for us to have another dinner this week since the hubby is out of town.  Success!  I am going to start using all of my extra ingredients from now on rather than tossing them out."

She normally throws away enough food for two more meals! ?

Had a friend(?) Crashing at our place recently and this was probably what I hated the most. Seriously who throws away an apple simply because it had a spot or not inform your host what time you'll come and if you'll be eating the food she cooked for you.
Nope she'd come back at 9:30 not 'really' hungry... she got late coz she had to go shopping!! I stopped giving a fuck in 3 days

Yeah that's extremely rude. When you stay at someone's house, people need to remember that it isn't a hotel where they can come and go as they please. If they are giong to be out late, I'm sure the hosts don't mind but you should at least let them know. That said, I've seen way too many people that are very passive aggressive about guests. If you would like to know when they are coming, just tell me and I'll be happy to text/call you if I'm going to be back late. I know a few people that get annoyed at hosting people but don't articulate what they want. For instance, a lady I know doesn't like it when guests don't remove the sheets for cleaning, yet when I've stayed there I've asked her and she told me to leave them on.

[frugalnacho]

My wife had a cooking class recently with a group of women.  When they were done, one lady was "helping" clean up and threw the leftover food away - in the trash!  She wrapped it up in napkins and tossed it.  My wife dug it out when they left...  when I say leftovers, I dont mean what was on peoples plates - this was fresh stuff no one put on a plate yet.

Now to the FB part.  I thought maybe it was a fluke, but nope, this same person posted the following:

"Last night I made lasagna for dinner, but after assembling it all, I had some ingredients left over.  So, I decided to make lasagna rolls.  I had never made them before.  They turned out delicious and the kids LOVED them!  Plus, since I ended up using all of the extra ingredients, I ended up with enough leftovers for us to have another dinner this week since the hubby is out of town.  Success!  I am going to start using all of my extra ingredients from now on rather than tossing them out."

She normally throws away enough food for two more meals! ?

Had a friend(?) Crashing at our place recently and this was probably what I hated the most. Seriously who throws away an apple simply because it had a spot or not inform your host what time you'll come and if you'll be eating the food she cooked for you.
Nope she'd come back at 9:30 not 'really' hungry... she got late coz she had to go shopping!! I stopped giving a fuck in 3 days

Yeah that's extremely rude. When you stay at someone's house, people need to remember that it isn't a hotel where they can come and go as they please. If they are giong to be out late, I'm sure the hosts don't mind but you should at least let them know. That said, I've seen way too many people that are very passive aggressive about guests. If you would like to know when they are coming, just tell me and I'll be happy to text/call you if I'm going to be back late. I know a few people that get annoyed at hosting people but don't articulate what they want. For instance, a lady I know doesn't like it when guests don't remove the sheets for cleaning, yet when I've stayed there I've asked her and she told me to leave them on.

I've had a few relatives I have basically used as hotels.  That sounded bad as I typed it out.  We visted florida, and in order to make it a cheap vacation we just stay with relatives.  We love them, and they love us, but we are basically using them as a hotel so we don't have to pay for a hotel for a week.  But we were busy doing stuff, and going places, so we were constantly out.  They seemed like they were annoyed a bit when we weren't there for dinner every night, but we always told them in advance what our plans were (if we knew them - sometimes we would wing it depending on what we felt like, or the weather, etc.) and told them not to make special plans or include us with dinner (we did set aside a couple nights to have family dinner, just not every night), but they still seemed agitated when we would do our own thing and not come home for dinner every night.

[Taran Wanderer]

We do a family vacation every year. Grandparents, parents (us), kids, cousins.  Lots of possible activities - biking, swimming, boating, golf, hiking, mountain biking (for grown-ups), mini-golf, date nights, family game night.  It truly is a challenge to coordinate the activities of 6 adults and 5 young children and then add in another 8 adults and 3 kids on the cousins side and also friends who love in the area. 

Last year I took a white board, and we mapped out the week. They all thought I was crazy, but it worked. Major stress reducer. Everyone got to say what was important to them. We put it all on the board.  We did all the most important activities and even most of the nice to dos. A little planning goes a long way and makes everyone feel like they had input and could understand why we did what we did. And it made it clear why we were going separate ways sometimes.

[Mrs. S]

My wife had a cooking class recently with a group of women.  When they were done, one lady was "helping" clean up and threw the leftover food away - in the trash!  She wrapped it up in napkins and tossed it.  My wife dug it out when they left...  when I say leftovers, I dont mean what was on peoples plates - this was fresh stuff no one put on a plate yet.

Now to the FB part.  I thought maybe it was a fluke, but nope, this same person posted the following:

"Last night I made lasagna for dinner, but after assembling it all, I had some ingredients left over.  So, I decided to make lasagna rolls.  I had never made them before.  They turned out delicious and the kids LOVED them!  Plus, since I ended up using all of the extra ingredients, I ended up with enough leftovers for us to have another dinner this week since the hubby is out of town.  Success!  I am going to start using all of my extra ingredients from now on rather than tossing them out."

She normally throws away enough food for two more meals! ?

Had a friend(?) Crashing at our place recently and this was probably what I hated the most. Seriously who throws away an apple simply because it had a spot or not inform your host what time you'll come and if you'll be eating the food she cooked for you.
Nope she'd come back at 9:30 not 'really' hungry... she got late coz she had to go shopping!! I stopped giving a fuck in 3 days

Yeah that's extremely rude. When you stay at someone's house, people need to remember that it isn't a hotel where they can come and go as they please. If they are giong to be out late, I'm sure the hosts don't mind but you should at least let them know. That said, I've seen way too many people that are very passive aggressive about guests. If you would like to know when they are coming, just tell me and I'll be happy to text/call you if I'm going to be back late. I know a few people that get annoyed at hosting people but don't articulate what they want. For instance, a lady I know doesn't like it when guests don't remove the sheets for cleaning, yet when I've stayed there I've asked her and she told me to leave them on.

I've had a few relatives I have basically used as hotels.  That sounded bad as I typed it out.  We visted florida, and in order to make it a cheap vacation we just stay with relatives.  We love them, and they love us, but we are basically using them as a hotel so we don't have to pay for a hotel for a week.  But we were busy doing stuff, and going places, so we were constantly out.  They seemed like they were annoyed a bit when we weren't there for dinner every night, but we always told them in advance what our plans were (if we knew them - sometimes we would wing it depending on what we felt like, or the weather, etc.) and told them not to make special plans or include us with dinner (we did set aside a couple nights to have family dinner, just not every night), but they still seemed agitated when we would do our own thing and not come home for dinner every night.

That's fair and we have stayed with relatives and friends as well. We always make it very clear when we will be coming back and if we will be eating with them. Most people forget that it might not be your house but some basic living principles still apply.

Well the same friend told us she can't do math and as a result does not have any money leftover in her account. She was practically evicted by her landlord because her roommate left and she couldn't pay the entire rent. She could also not live alone so she crashed with us for 2-3 weeks before she went back to her parents to help her mom after a surgery they were planning to get done. When she came in she was like I'll help you cook- nope I can't take wasteful people in my kitchen. I hate cleaning so I told her if she wanted to help with anything that's what I would ever need help in. She did it once and then never ever lifted the broom.  I still have no clue how she functions.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

My wife had a cooking class recently with a group of women.  When they were done, one lady was "helping" clean up and threw the leftover food away - in the trash!  She wrapped it up in napkins and tossed it.  My wife dug it out when they left...  when I say leftovers, I dont mean what was on peoples plates - this was fresh stuff no one put on a plate yet.

Now to the FB part.  I thought maybe it was a fluke, but nope, this same person posted the following:

"Last night I made lasagna for dinner, but after assembling it all, I had some ingredients left over.  So, I decided to make lasagna rolls.  I had never made them before.  They turned out delicious and the kids LOVED them!  Plus, since I ended up using all of the extra ingredients, I ended up with enough leftovers for us to have another dinner this week since the hubby is out of town.  Success!  I am going to start using all of my extra ingredients from now on rather than tossing them out."

She normally throws away enough food for two more meals! ?

Had a friend(?) Crashing at our place recently and this was probably what I hated the most. Seriously who throws away an apple simply because it had a spot or not inform your host what time you'll come and if you'll be eating the food she cooked for you.
Nope she'd come back at 9:30 not 'really' hungry... she got late coz she had to go shopping!! I stopped giving a fuck in 3 days

Yeah that's extremely rude. When you stay at someone's house, people need to remember that it isn't a hotel where they can come and go as they please. If they are giong to be out late, I'm sure the hosts don't mind but you should at least let them know. That said, I've seen way too many people that are very passive aggressive about guests. If you would like to know when they are coming, just tell me and I'll be happy to text/call you if I'm going to be back late. I know a few people that get annoyed at hosting people but don't articulate what they want. For instance, a lady I know doesn't like it when guests don't remove the sheets for cleaning, yet when I've stayed there I've asked her and she told me to leave them on.

I've had a few relatives I have basically used as hotels.  That sounded bad as I typed it out.  We visted florida, and in order to make it a cheap vacation we just stay with relatives.  We love them, and they love us, but we are basically using them as a hotel so we don't have to pay for a hotel for a week.  But we were busy doing stuff, and going places, so we were constantly out.  They seemed like they were annoyed a bit when we weren't there for dinner every night, but we always told them in advance what our plans were (if we knew them - sometimes we would wing it depending on what we felt like, or the weather, etc.) and told them not to make special plans or include us with dinner (we did set aside a couple nights to have family dinner, just not every night), but they still seemed agitated when we would do our own thing and not come home for dinner every night.

You did treat them to something nice while you were there to show your appreciation, I hope? It doesn't have to be an expensive but useless gift, or a restaurant dinner. It could be as simple as including them on a trip to a local museum.

There's a bit of a balance to being a good guest. One shouldn't be underfoot all the time (and it's good that you took responsibility for your family's activities instead of using your hosts for transportation and other things). But at the same time it's important to try not to give the hosts reason to feel used.

[BlueHouse]

Just came across this on my facebook feed...

Late 20-something year old couple - she lived at home due to lack on employment until recently when her boyfriend had her move in...

"Looking for a place to board our dogs when we go away. Somewhere nice, comfortable and cozy.. NOT a typical "kennel." It's worth the price to help keep Jayla's anxiety level low. Suggestions?"

If the girlfriend you're describing is also 7 months pregnant, then you might be talking about my niece.

[BTDretire]

Wow, I had no idea the ikea delivery fee was such a contentious point!

aww, that's nothing you should see the fireworks when a daily Starbucks Frapachino gets mentioned!
                                                                     :-)

[Cherry Lane]

An acquaintance mentioned she'd recently cleaned out the change cubby in her car and tallied $180.  Mostly change from her daily (or more frequent) lemonade stops. 

Since I rarely use cash, I commented that I'm pretty sure I don't amass that much change (anywhere, not just the car) over five years.  She replied that the last time she cleaned out the car (about a year ago), her change total was over $200.

[birdman2003]

My Relative:
"My wife recently came into $650. I'm forcing her to spend it. She doesn't want to use it on a bunch of little things and would prefer to get a more expensive item she'd normally never get. Ideas?"

Oh boy.  Here are some comments:

1. Spa day!!!
2. Electric Skateboard
3. Handgun [no less than 5 people offered this suggestion]
4. iPad or AR15
5. Travel to B&B
6. Prenatal massage
7. Nice stroller
8. Kayak (or Bike or Skis) [they live in Minnesota]
9. KitchenAid Mixer
10. Speakers or Big Screen TV
11. Hoverboard
12. Maid after the baby is born
13. Pony or Pony sized dog
14. Anything Gucci or Louis Vuitton
15. Skydiving lessons
16. Municipal bonds
17. Timeless piece of furniture


When I tried to recommend he invest in a mutual fund ETF he said "[That] would completely ignore the part of my post where I say I'm forcing her to spend it."

Dude...

[lemanfan]

13. Pony or Pony sized dog

Damn!  That's a cheap pony!  :)

In my corner of the world, its quite possible - if living in the city - to avoid owning a car.  We got busses, and most part of the year, climate friendly to walking or biking.  There's even a very cost efficient car pool system not unlike what's called "Zipcar" in the YS, a pay as you go system where you pay a small fee by kilometer and by hour.  Usually quite cheap compared to owning a car.

A friend lives 10 minutes walking distance from walk.  He just quit the car pool subscription and bought a car - this would increase his transport cost by a factor of three. 

The reason?  When you use the car pool system, you get a bill for each drive.  This means you drive less.  He did not want that psychological hurdle in his life - it's better with the "fixed cost" of a car loan...

[randymarsh]

The gun suggestions are kind of funny. That seems like an odd "treat" unless you were already a gun owner/enthusiast.

[Kitsune]

6. Prenatal massage

... no joke: YES.

Of course, that's said from the perspective of having insurance that covers 80% of the cost of a massage. When an hour and a half massage is 30$ out-of-pocket, that's an ENTIRELY reasonable luxury.

[infogoon]

My Relative:
"My wife recently came into $650. I'm forcing her to spend it. She doesn't want to use it on a bunch of little things and would prefer to get a more expensive item she'd normally never get. Ideas?"

I don't know why, but "iPad or AR15" is cracking me up.

[dandarc]

13. Pony or Pony sized dog

Damn!  That's a cheap pony!  :)

In my corner of the world, its quite possible - if living in the city - to avoid owning a car. 

Bet it is even easier to avoid owning a car if you have a pony!

[lemanfan]

13. Pony or Pony sized dog

Damn!  That's a cheap pony!  :)

In my corner of the world, its quite possible - if living in the city - to avoid owning a car. 

Bet it is even easier to avoid owning a car if you have a pony!

:)

If living in the city, you do almost always need a car to get to the stables.  :)

[onlykelsey]

13. Pony or Pony sized dog

Damn!  That's a cheap pony!  :)

In my corner of the world, its quite possible - if living in the city - to avoid owning a car. 

Bet it is even easier to avoid owning a car if you have a pony!

:)

If living in the city, you do almost always need a car to get to the stables.  :)

Off topic, but: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-concrete-cowboys-of-philadelphia.html

[lemanfan]

Off topic, but: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-concrete-cowboys-of-philadelphia.html

I like horses.  I don't ride, but I do like them.  Half a metric ton of muscles and brain like a walnut, but still very VERY perceptable to human feelings.  Magic. :)

[With This Herring]

An acquaintance mentioned she'd recently cleaned out the change cubby in her car and tallied $180.  Mostly change from her daily (or more frequent) lemonade stops. 

Since I rarely use cash, I commented that I'm pretty sure I don't amass that much change (anywhere, not just the car) over five years.  She replied that the last time she cleaned out the car (about a year ago), her change total was over $200.

LEMONADE STOPS?  What?
Is she aware that you can buy a bottle of lemon juice and a sack of white sugar and combine them with water to make delicious lemonade?  Seriously, people ask for the recipe when they drink this:
1 part sugar
1 part bottled lemon juice
6 parts water
Stir it together and you're done.
If you use a cup for each part, this makes a half-gallon batch.  It is cheap and delicious.  It keeps in the fridge for at least a week.  If you want it fancier, you could use fresh lemons or add lemon zest or crush a few berries in it.

[nobodyspecial]

6. Prenatal massage

Hopefully they have small hands .....

[TheGrimSqueaker]

6. Prenatal massage

Hopefully they have small hands .....

Ouch. Even I can't improve on that.

/hands over the scythe
/just for one day
/and it's not even noon yet

[MgoSam]

I'm seeing a lot of people on FB posting about how great their bf/gf/fiance/husband/wife is. One person posted that her fiance brought her coffee because she was having a rough day.

I feel like people that post gushing things about their SO are either compensating for something or feel like the world needs to know everything. I feel rather disinclined to pursue anyone that posts their life on social media. I know a lady that posted about a blind date and how she kept checking out a guy at another table. I hope she realizes that her date might see that?

[runningthroughFIRE]

I'm seeing a lot of people on FB posting about how great their bf/gf/fiance/husband/wife is. One person posted that her fiance brought her coffee because she was having a rough day.

I feel like people that post gushing things about their SO are either compensating for something or feel like the world needs to know everything. I feel rather disinclined to pursue anyone that posts their life on social media. I know a lady that posted about a blind date and how she kept checking out a guy at another table. I hope she realizes that her date might see that?

At least if he does, she can get bonus internet points when he "reacts" to her post with the little angry face emoji thing facebook implimented

[Mrs. S]

I'm seeing a lot of people on FB posting about how great their bf/gf/fiance/husband/wife is. One person posted that her fiance brought her coffee because she was having a rough day.

I feel like people that post gushing things about their SO are either compensating for something or feel like the world needs to know everything. I feel rather disinclined to pursue anyone that posts their life on social media. I know a lady that posted about a blind date and how she kept checking out a guy at another table. I hope she realizes that her date might see that?

+1^^^^

I absolutely do not feel the need to read prose upon prose of how your SO is the best person ever... just walk a few steps and tell them the words you are so overcome with!!!

[Kitsune]

I'm seeing a lot of people on FB posting about how great their bf/gf/fiance/husband/wife is. One person posted that her fiance brought her coffee because she was having a rough day.

I feel like people that post gushing things about their SO are either compensating for something or feel like the world needs to know everything. I feel rather disinclined to pursue anyone that posts their life on social media. I know a lady that posted about a blind date and how she kept checking out a guy at another table. I hope she realizes that her date might see that?

+1^^^^

I absolutely do not feel the need to read prose upon prose of how your SO is the best person ever... just walk a few steps and tell them the words you are so overcome with!!!

Maybe just anecdotal... But the people who start doing that regularly and with progressive frequency seem to be the ones who wind up breaking up a year later. At least in my circles.

[FIREwoman]

I'm seeing a lot of people on FB posting about how great their bf/gf/fiance/husband/wife is. One person posted that her fiance brought her coffee because she was having a rough day.

I feel like people that post gushing things about their SO are either compensating for something or feel like the world needs to know everything. I feel rather disinclined to pursue anyone that posts their life on social media. I know a lady that posted about a blind date and how she kept checking out a guy at another table. I hope she realizes that her date might see that?

+1^^^^

I absolutely do not feel the need to read prose upon prose of how your SO is the best person ever... just walk a few steps and tell them the words you are so overcome with!!!

Maybe just anecdotal... But the people who start doing that regularly and with progressive frequency seem to be the ones who wind up breaking up a year later. At least in my circles.

i had stayed FB friends with a guy i dated for about 2 seconds, just before he met his wife. he will post over-the-top gushy things about her as well. he was still sending me unsolicited c*ck-shots almost a year after he was married. :/