Author Topic: Overheard Over Holiday Dinner  (Read 3421 times)

nazar

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Overheard Over Holiday Dinner
« on: November 23, 2017, 06:25:54 PM »
Happy Thanksgiving.  While I am grateful for the family members in my life, I do have to bite my tongue a bit.  Over the course of the evening I heard about the following:

DH was offered a chance to join in a bet on a football game, and asked if he wanted to go in for a hundred, two hundred, (He laughed)
Had to hear about the amazing new Michael Kors watch ad nauseam
Sarcasm about someone keeping a job they don't like because they are addicted to mortgage payments and groceries. (It was honest, if not sad)
...and for dessert, a debate over whether psychics are real

So how was your family gathering?



Khaetra

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Re: Overheard Over Holiday Dinner
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2017, 05:33:30 AM »
A small part of me wishes I actually had family (they are all gone, it's just me and my son).  The larger part of me says that goodness I don't!  I hear about so much drama from family get-togethers it makes me glad it's only us two.

I shopped Amazon for some video games, made Beef Curry in the slow cooker and we watched football all day.  No drama :).

Just Joe

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Re: Overheard Over Holiday Dinner
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2017, 11:03:11 AM »
So far - still a couple to visit - no drama. One story of someone quit a job they disliked without savings or a plan. Just expected someone to open their home and take them in. Job was low pay. A dime a dozen but still without a place to stay or savings.... Same person bought a car  and let it get repo'd b/c they wanted something different.

On a brighter note were three family youngins' working hard, playing the  long game, and good things.

ACyclist

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Re: Overheard Over Holiday Dinner
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2017, 03:01:20 PM »
Went to a friend's home.  They have children.  Had to listen for a very long while about hockey and how awesome their kid is at it.  Their entire life revolves around him playing this game.  Then, we heard all about their new car. 

We were asked if we wanted to go snowboarding a few times with them.  We stopped going a few years back due to the costs becoming obscene.  When I told them that we are trying to buckle down and save money, and that places like Bachelor are over $150 day, after you consider gas, etc. They replied to our answer that we are both working good jobs and that we should make allowances for downhill skiing/boarding et al.  I used to be very good at it, but these days it just seems like an emormous drain on the finances and you have no guarantee that you will even have a good day.  I told them we have bikes for all conditions and I'd rather do that.  It's essentially a free activity. 

clarkfan1979

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Re: Overheard Over Holiday Dinner
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2017, 10:34:56 AM »
Went to a friend's home.  They have children.  Had to listen for a very long while about hockey and how awesome their kid is at it.  Their entire life revolves around him playing this game.  Then, we heard all about their new car. 

We were asked if we wanted to go snowboarding a few times with them.  We stopped going a few years back due to the costs becoming obscene.  When I told them that we are trying to buckle down and save money, and that places like Bachelor are over $150 day, after you consider gas, etc. They replied to our answer that we are both working good jobs and that we should make allowances for downhill skiing/boarding et al.  I used to be very good at it, but these days it just seems like an emormous drain on the finances and you have no guarantee that you will even have a good day.  I told them we have bikes for all conditions and I'd rather do that.  It's essentially a free activity.

I typically buy the Keystone/A-basin pass for $329. I typically get about 12 days/year on the mountain. Gas is about $13-$15/trip. I go with a buddy about 50% of the time, so gas is only about $110/year. I always bring my own food and beer. My friend sometimes talks me into one beer at the bar for $6. I really like to snowboard, but it's not cheap. The cheapest I can do it is for about $450-$500/year for about 12 days. It's worth it for me.

The holidays are going to be interesting this year with my side of the family. They have good intentions, but are not very good with money. After I graduated from undergrad at age 23, I pretty much stopped listening. I am 38 years now. The last 10 years have been really interesting with the real estate market. They pretty much lost their ass and I experienced massive gains. The part that makes it interesting is because I pretty much did the opposite of them over the last 10 years. At the time, they thought I was crazy.

Now they are constantly complaining about being broke. If I mention any of my gains, they will probably ask me for money. It's a lose-lose for me. I will just try my best to keep my mouth shut. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!