Author Topic: Payday lunch  (Read 11501 times)

exranger06

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Payday lunch
« on: June 07, 2013, 08:38:36 AM »
Yesterday I was in the office break room/cafe area, getting my brought-from-home lunch out of the fridge. Usually, there is a group of roughly 8 people in that room eating lunch around that time of day. Yesterday, there were only 2 other people besides myself. One of them asked the other, "Where is everyone today?" The other replied, "It's payday, so they all went out to lunch."


mpbaker22

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2013, 10:05:02 AM »
My company has 10,000 employees in my city.  There's a group you can join if you've been around <5 years.  They have a happy hour every payday.  I don't understand it.  Is it to celebrate getting paid (is there really nothing else to celebrate)?  Is it because you finally have money to blow?  It just doesn't make sense, but lots of people go every two weeks.

MgoSam

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2013, 10:40:20 AM »
Happy Hour on a Friday might make a little sense as a way to relax with your co-workers outside of work, but it usually becomes overblown. It is ripe for people to either blow too much money, drink too many and say the wrong thing or hook with up the wrong person.

But for a lot of people, payday is the time when they have the most amount of money and so it is a big deal and they feel rich. I can understand a little bit because that was how I felt when I was in high school working at BK and it was a crap job that I hated, but it was the difference between spending money and not having spending money so I did it. That paycheck told me that my work amounted to something and the fruits of that labor were to be meant to be enjoyed.

Had I know then what I known now, I would have had a different mentality, but that's how many people, even in their elder age, see the world.

Grigory

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2013, 03:04:09 PM »
It just doesn't make sense, but lots of people go every two weeks.
How many of our society's rituals actually make sense? We celebrate Easter (stolen from Ishtar) with bunny rabbits who lay and hide chocolate eggs; the All Hallows Eve consists of children dressing up in expensive outfits and begging for candy (also, drunk college students playing dress-up); Christians celebrate the birth of their Savior (allegedly; good for them, anyway) by spending hours standing in line and getting aggravated, only to buy overpriced Chinese-made crap, wrap it in paper, put it under a tree (a tradition stolen from Pagans) and unwrap it hours later. Yup, makes perfect sense...

Never try to rationalize people's customs and behavior.

marty998

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2013, 05:51:25 PM »
It just doesn't make sense, but lots of people go every two weeks.
How many of our society's rituals actually make sense? We celebrate Easter (stolen from Ishtar) with bunny rabbits who lay and hide chocolate eggs; the All Hallows Eve consists of children dressing up in expensive outfits and begging for candy (also, drunk college students playing dress-up); Christians celebrate the birth of their Savior (allegedly; good for them, anyway) by spending hours standing in line and getting aggravated, only to buy overpriced Chinese-made crap, wrap it in paper, put it under a tree (a tradition stolen from Pagans) and unwrap it hours later. Yup, makes perfect sense...

Never try to rationalize people's customs and behavior.

You must have no fun in your life. seriously, lighten up. Easter egg hunts, halloween dress ups, kids waking you up at 5am on Christmas day with smiles ear to ear. How empty life would be without those moments of joy.

chicagomeg

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2013, 08:40:24 PM »
In college, I was moderately financially irresponsible, though I did always pay my bills first. My rule was that I could spend whatever I wanted on payday and didn't have to worry about my bank account till Saturday. It went about as well as one would expect. Luckily I don't have expensive tastes so this was more along the lines of a getting a $10 lunch and a frappacino in the same day.

Grigory

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2013, 08:57:40 PM »
You must have no fun in your life. seriously, lighten up. Easter egg hunts, halloween dress ups, kids waking you up at 5am on Christmas day with smiles ear to ear. How empty life would be without those moments of joy.
I grew up in the Evil Empire ((C) Ronald Reagan), so no Easter egg hunts for me. I'm still trying to work out the link between some guy's resurrection and chocolate egg-laying bunnies with no maternal instinct. Anybody who wakes me up at 5am on my day off will get to see what my angry face looks like.

That said, don't judge people you don't know. I have tons of fun! :^D As an existential hedonist, I believe in having as much fun as you reasonably can every single day of the year, without saving it for arbitrary, poorly justified "special" occasions sprinkled throughout the year. For example, yesterday I had an amazing time at the local monthly art festival and enjoyed an amazing shishkebab. Today I slept until noon and then stayed in bed for 4 more hours - just because. Tonight I'll indulge in my graphomania and start several new blogs. A week from today I'll get to hang out with Stan Lee. :)

My whole point is that most holidays and special occasions make absolutely no sense if you were to rationally analyze them. Feel free to have fun - fun is great! - but if you say you're doing it because it's your bimonthly payday or because some ancient religion merged with even more ancient pagans and dictated that you celebrate this particular day by dressing up as a pink hippo and hugging unsuspecting old ladies - yeah, I'm afraid I'm going to make fun of you mercilessly. See? Fun! :^D

ep114

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2013, 02:48:30 AM »
Sometimes happy hours are really cheap (I think it depends mostly on where you live) It can be a really cheap night out - some even have free food - and a way to build relationships with co-workers.

mpbaker22

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2013, 07:04:19 AM »
Happy Hour on a Friday ...

We don't get paid on a Friday ;)
And they go to a pretty expensive place, usually with an after party at other bars.  I guess a lot of people don't know how or don't want to meet people, so their only interaction is with activities planned through work?

MrsPete

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2013, 07:08:06 AM »
On the one hand, if going out to lunch every payday is a habit, a celebration, a routine that allows you to "say yes" to hanging out with co-workers on an occasional basis . . . and you "say no" the rest of the time, then it's an okay way of regulating a small luxury. 

On the other hand, if you go out to lunch on payday because it's the only day you can afford to do so, then your overall financial plan needs work.

My husband's office has a nice tradition:  On payday (twice a month) the company provides breakfast biscuits for everyone in the break room.  It's also the time they sit down and have their all-employees meetings.   

D-T

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2013, 09:14:52 AM »
I suppose I'm one of the few that sees no problem with this.

I see nothing wrong with 'celebrating' payday and enjoying outside time with coworkers, provided one isn't in debt. Even for me, payday is a happy occasion even though I don't live paycheck to paycheck.

brewer12345

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2013, 08:02:08 PM »
You must have no fun in your life. seriously, lighten up. Easter egg hunts, halloween dress ups, kids waking you up at 5am on Christmas day with smiles ear to ear. How empty life would be without those moments of joy.
I grew up in the Evil Empire ((C) Ronald Reagan), so no Easter egg hunts for me. I'm still trying to work out the link between some guy's resurrection and chocolate egg-laying bunnies with no maternal instinct. Anybody who wakes me up at 5am on my day off will get to see what my angry face looks like.

That said, don't judge people you don't know. I have tons of fun! :^D As an existential hedonist, I believe in having as much fun as you reasonably can every single day of the year, without saving it for arbitrary, poorly justified "special" occasions sprinkled throughout the year. For example, yesterday I had an amazing time at the local monthly art festival and enjoyed an amazing shishkebab. Today I slept until noon and then stayed in bed for 4 more hours - just because. Tonight I'll indulge in my graphomania and start several new blogs. A week from today I'll get to hang out with Stan Lee. :)

My whole point is that most holidays and special occasions make absolutely no sense if you were to rationally analyze them. Feel free to have fun - fun is great! - but if you say you're doing it because it's your bimonthly payday or because some ancient religion merged with even more ancient pagans and dictated that you celebrate this particular day by dressing up as a pink hippo and hugging unsuspecting old ladies - yeah, I'm afraid I'm going to make fun of you mercilessly. See? Fun! :^D

Why are atheists/exitsential whatevers/non-whatsits so frequently buttholes?

smalllife

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2013, 08:53:15 PM »
Why are atheists/exitsential whatevers/non-whatsits so frequently buttholes?

It's all a matter of perception :-)  Personally I thought that was quite witty, but YMMV.  It's the same as when most Americans come across a Mustachian or ERE perspective and think it's crazy and the practitioner a butthole for daring to have beliefs that are not the mainstream.

dragoncar

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2013, 10:05:01 PM »
I suppose I'm one of the few that sees no problem with this.

I see nothing wrong with 'celebrating' payday and enjoying outside time with coworkers, provided one isn't in debt. Even for me, payday is a happy occasion even though I don't live paycheck to paycheck.

Sounds fun to me.  But I'm pretty sure one of our sacred cows is that you never go out to eat.  Ever.

limeandpepper

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2013, 11:16:35 PM »
I suppose I'm one of the few that sees no problem with this.

I see nothing wrong with 'celebrating' payday and enjoying outside time with coworkers, provided one isn't in debt. Even for me, payday is a happy occasion even though I don't live paycheck to paycheck.

Sounds fun to me.  But I'm pretty sure one of our sacred cows is that you never go out to eat.  Ever.

Apparently it's only okay if it's an experiment, or as a very occasional cost of having fun with friends, and followed up with a witty post which concludes with how much better your own home-cooked food is. ;)

BlueMR2

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2013, 09:16:26 AM »
I suppose I'm one of the few that sees no problem with this.

I see nothing wrong with 'celebrating' payday and enjoying outside time with coworkers, provided one isn't in debt. Even for me, payday is a happy occasion even though I don't live paycheck to paycheck.

I question celebrating payday itself, but periodic go out to eat rituals with co-workers can be fun.  We do a Friday go out to eat thing with the group I work with.  Normally nothing too fancy, try to keep the cost down.

mpbaker22

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #16 on: June 10, 2013, 10:56:21 AM »
I see nothing wrong with 'celebrating' payday and enjoying outside time with coworkers, provided one isn't in debt.

I get dividends about 10 times a quarter, and I get a paycheck 6.5 times a quarter.  That's a lot of eating out!

Spork

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #17 on: June 10, 2013, 12:44:27 PM »

I guess I don't have a problem with this either...  I mean: if you don't have the money to go out unless it's payday, then this is a disaster.  But if you have one little reward every week or two just to get through life, then I really don't care.

My wifey and I have had a tradition of going out for lunch every friday.  It's not like we go out and drop $50 on a nice meal.... it's just a tradition we've had for many years so we can spend time together at lunch one day a week.  Worth $15/week to me?  Yeah.

chatsc

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #18 on: June 10, 2013, 12:56:57 PM »
I dont do it very often, but i dont really see anything wrong with going out for lunch with coworkers on payday. 

and I think celebrating payday is fine.  i love getting money.  it makes me happy.  i will admit that i count down the days till payday.  i love a full bank account.  i like seeing my paystub in my little mail cubby at work. 

Albert

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #19 on: June 12, 2013, 04:55:12 PM »
It's only a tragedy if that's the only day you can afford to go out. Otherwise I see no problem here. Some folks at work go to a pub every Friday at five, occasionally I join them for a beer or two.

Fite4Rite2Party

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #20 on: June 13, 2013, 01:52:05 AM »
I love happy hour after work, but it sometimes it leads to expensive nights out that I totally regret.

Drinking and eating out constitute the largest chunk of my monthly budget. I try to keep it under control, but I often slip up. If I don't have the self-control to bail after 2-3 drinks, things tend to spiral out of control and next thing I know I'm sitting in a VIP booth of a cheesy club with a bunch of people I don't know paying shocking amounts for terrible cocktails. Yeah it's kind of fun at the time, but it's really not worth it in the long run. I've been disciplined recently, but every now and again I fall off the wagon.

This is actually my biggest difficulty in trying to maintain a mustachian lifestyle. I suppose it's easy to forego drinking with the friends and head home on a Friday night when you have a wife and kids waiting for you. But, dammit, I'm a single guy in my 30s! There is nothing more depressing than leaving after 3 drinks, just when the party is getting started.

gooki

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #21 on: June 13, 2013, 02:59:16 AM »
You sir need a hip flask.

mpbaker22

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #22 on: June 13, 2013, 08:28:55 AM »
Drinking and eating out constitute the largest chunk of my monthly budget.

First reaction - Is it really larger than your rent? :-O
Second reaction - Wait a second, my rent is $320/month.  My food and drink expenditure is usually about $320/month.  I'm in the same boat!

Fite4Rite2Party

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #23 on: June 13, 2013, 07:17:33 PM »
Drinking and eating out constitute the largest chunk of my monthly budget.

First reaction - Is it really larger than your rent? :-O
Second reaction - Wait a second, my rent is $320/month.  My food and drink expenditure is usually about $320/month.  I'm in the same boat!

I left out a tiny detail - my work pays for my housing, so I don't have a rent or mortgage payment.

Three largest monthly expenses (avg.)
1. Going out: $400
2. Groceries: $150
3. Lunch (at work): $140

MrsPete

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #24 on: June 14, 2013, 07:17:14 AM »
Hmmm . . . it occurs to me that I also spend more on food and drink than on housing. 
However, that's only because my house is paid-in-full. 
This is one of those situations in which statistics can be misleading -- at first glance, it appears I spend wildly on food and drink, which isn't really the case. 

Fite4Rite2Party

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #25 on: June 14, 2013, 09:43:52 PM »
I actually split "food and drink" into three categories. I've got "Groceries" which covers food that I buy in the grocery store and cook at home, and which is a necessity. Then I've got "Lunch (at work)" which covers grabbing lunch with my colleagues in my office building, which is not necessary, because I can always brownbag it (which I often do), but which I am willing to allow, because I keep it reasonable. The third is "Going out", which just means eating out for dinner and having drinks at bars, which is totally discretionary and unnecessary and which is still always the biggest chunk of my "food and drink" and of my overall monthly budget. It seems like a non-optimal use of funds when the discretionary and unnecessary category is the largest expense.

hybrid

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Re: Payday lunch
« Reply #26 on: June 16, 2013, 04:54:04 AM »
It just doesn't make sense, but lots of people go every two weeks.
How many of our society's rituals actually make sense?

I had a professor in college whose pet saying was "Tradition is garbage."  And by that he meant that tradition just for tradition's sake is mindlessly following a ritual.  I get the happy hour after payday (within reason, as in if it were me I would stop after two or three beers max), folks are celebrating the fruits of their labor.  I don't get many other contrived holidays.  President's Day, for example, is the least favorite holiday at our firm.  Who wants a day off in February when it is too cold to do anything?  Could we please have Good Friday instead??? (Not that I look any paid day off from work in the mouth, but you get my drift).  Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, however, are my favorite holidays of the year because my family gets together. 

To each their own here, but I would submit that MMMs philosophy of constant optimization dictates you examine everything in your life and ask yourself "Does this make sense?".  Often times the answer will be "Hell yeah it does."  But I've also found that sometimes it does not.  I'll give one personal example.  In my 20s I started a tradition of an Easter cookout at my grandparents (and I am agnostic).  The real point of it was to get the family together and my grandparents loved family get-togethers.  So I would bring the grill and some steaks and it was a grand time.  Eventually my grandparents passed one by one and the tradition moved to my home.  The kids were older, so Easter Egg hunts stopped, and we often found ourselves watching the final round of The Masters as a family since the two occasions often coincided.  Long story short, about eight years ago I changed the tradition.  Now we celebrate The Masters instead of Easter.  Same family get-together, same fun, slightly modified to meet our tastes.