The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Trudie on October 08, 2015, 07:45:50 PM
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Today was one of those days at work in which I worked mightily, proposed real solutions to problems, and sat on a conference call wanting to reach out and strangle the mofo on the other end for his utter ignorance of the law (accounting, employee benefits) -- things he should understand given his senior management position (in which he manages a large staff). I sat there thinking, "I make a third of the money as these codgers, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, I end up compensating for their ineptitude quite a bit actually." And then for about the fifth time in as many hours I fantasized about walking out.
I usually just rise above. I tell myself I'm a relative short timer. I just keep my nose to the grindstone. I max my 401K and soak up the bennies I do have. Five more years... Five more years... Max out the bennies... But I get tired of the bullshit...
Today, for instance, the topic of conversation was an ACA compliance issue. Rather than deal with the pressing matter at hand (which needs to be solved; the compliance clock is ticking) he tries to mask his ignorance of the law by launching into diatribe about "these employees ought to write letters to their congressmen about screwing with their health care." Yep, that really solves the problem immediately at hand.
I just wanted to say, "Actually, I just wrote an ACA thank you letter to the same congressmen, because it means that I won't have to put up with your bullshit until I'm 65."
How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room, yet you have to bite your lip? Do you imagine their heads exploding? Do you take out voodoo dolls? Do you pray for non-health-threatening calamities to their personal property that are not ruinous, but really inconvenient?
I need some humor!
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i just shut the hell up and thank the lord i have a cushy office illuminati job. you want to have something to actually complain about go try landscaping or serving tables or any of the other shitty peasant jobs the general populous has to do. try explaining the concept of pto or wfh to a service industry worker. be grateful.
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I sometime calculate how much I am getting paid per hour to sit there and nod along. Usually the number is enough to keep me in my seat until the end of the meeting/call.
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Every fucking day, Trudie. I had a dream last year that I stood up at my desk, stuck up both middle fingers, and swiveled around shouting "FUCK ALL OF YOU!" And this was to people I mostly like.
Today is apparently the day I write in a dozen threads about how much I no longer care about working hard. Maybe try that? Just don't work as hard?
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I sometime calculate how much I am getting paid per hour to sit there and nod along. Usually the number is enough to keep me in my seat until the end of the meeting/call.
Funny, I do the same calculation to get along when I have bad days at work even though I know the number. I start calculating hourly before tax. Then, I apply taxes. Next, I start to account for benefits, 401k match, and so on. After all this process, I am grateful that I have a nice job. I also skip meeting quite often if I don't need to be involved. I communicate to my boss and coworkers that I don't like to spend much time in meetings because it is a poor way to allocate my time. Most of people agree but keep attending them.
Another technique that I am using to enjoy my job is to try to improve to be a better leader and manager even tough I don't have direct reports. I am reading books and listening to podcast about leadership. I use work as a lab to apply these ideas from books to keep me engage and motivated to keep moving forward at my work. It is amazing that these concepts can be apply in my day by day life, and, consequently, I become a better person.
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Every fucking day, Trudie. I had a dream last year that I stood up at my desk, stuck up both middle fingers, and swiveled around shouting "FUCK ALL OF YOU!" And this was to people I mostly like.
Today is apparently the day I write in a dozen threads about how much I no longer care about working hard. Maybe try that? Just don't work as hard?
My dream is to get up one day and leave on "errands" and not come back. As I'm leaving the parking lot I'll roll down my window and yell, "FUCK YOU, FUCKERS!" In fact, I'm going to trademark that phrase.
"FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
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"I make a third of the money as these codgers, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, I end up compensating for their ineptitude quite a bit actually."
How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room....?
Hmmmm, just to be the devils advocate - How are you the smartest in the room and make 1/3 the money?
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"I make a third of the money as these codgers, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, I end up compensating for their ineptitude quite a bit actually."
How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room....?
Hmmmm, just to be the devils advocate - How are you the smartest in the room and make 1/3 the money?
Maybe a long term employee who was stagnant through career, became an "expert" in his field, which made him too valuable to that segment of the company to be promoted. So instead of job hopping, he focused on putting his best efforts and work extremely hard for a group of individuals who don't recognize talent or hard workers.
So either he is pigeon holed, loyal to his company in turn who is not loyal to him, or a patsy
Just a guess
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"I make a third of the money as these codgers, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, I end up compensating for their ineptitude quite a bit actually."
How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room....?
Hmmmm, just to be the devils advocate - How are you the smartest in the room and make 1/3 the money?
I assume the 2/3 are sales. Could be wrong.
I think I'm learning that smarts don't always equate to bucks. Small company, controlled by a very old school board, in which the "underlings" clean up messes all the time for the GM -- that's how. You see, there's the GM, and then there's a bevy of actually super-qualified people who clean up the messes and have technical skill, but we don't go to board meetings and negotiate all the goodies for ourselves. That's how. Also, rural area. Not a lot of option to move around... otherwise would have been gone a long time ago. (But in fairness, bennies are excellent.)
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"I make a third of the money as these codgers, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed. In fact, I end up compensating for their ineptitude quite a bit actually."
How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room....?
Hmmmm, just to be the devils advocate - How are you the smartest in the room and make 1/3 the money?
I assume the 2/3 are sales. Could be wrong.
I think I'm learning that smarts don't always equate to bucks. Small company, controlled by a very old school board, in which the "underlings" clean up messes all the time for the GM -- that's how. You see, there's the GM, and then there's a bevy of actually super-qualified people who clean up the messes and have technical skill, but we don't go to board meetings and negotiate all the goodies for ourselves. That's how. Also, rural area. Not a lot of option to move around... otherwise would have been gone a long time ago. (But in fairness, bennies are excellent.)
I was going to suggest airing your resume, but if there is nothing in the area it is a moot point.
When I was trapped in a job that was beneath me I eventually figured out I could just adjust my level of effort down to the pay/level of the job. Do what is needed, nothing more. Stop giving a fuck. Semi-retire on the job.
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I think you're right Regulator. I actually make a decent salary/bennies. I was just sounding off my frustration with what those at the top make, and yet sometimes they choose to remain ignorant of laws/regulations necessarily to properly run the business.
I'm downshifting, for sure. Plan is to do tax and contract work when I FIRE. I'll use the current employer to get my CPE (I'm a CPA) and keep up-to-date. I do learn things from their eff-ups though, so there's that. I can definitely fix things.
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Everyday on the way to work I wonder what new, horrible nightmare I am in for today. This is an exception. Most jobs I have had were just time sucks. Few have ever been something I actively disliked versus just being annoyed that I'm not out doing something more fun or productive.
If you don't like your job, just suck it up until FIRE. If you *hate* your job, find a new one ASAP.
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I would have said "yes, me too" when I was at my old job. New job (about 1.5 years in) makes me think I can be a "SWAMI."
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"FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
I might use your trademark farewell next week at my Annual General Meeting. Two of our senior executives on the board have been fired and replaced by some assholes who, the rumour says, have been tasked to "clean up the mess"...As I am the CEO, I am probably next on the list. I don't care, and in fact, I really really hope it will happen, as I have been suffering from the one-more-year syndrome and need a good kick to leave this soul-sucking joke of a job. If it happens, I will miss some of the perks, one of which is -aside from the good paycheck and having nothing much to do, being able to live in my office for the past two years without anyone's knowledge or suspicion...But my numbers are good, I am essentially FI thanks to a very frugal lifestyle and staying on track with our pre-RE budget. "FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
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"FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
I might use your trademark farewell next week at my Annual General Meeting. Two of our senior executives on the board have been fired and replaced by some assholes who, the rumour says, have been tasked to "clean up the mess"...As I am the CEO, I am probably next on the list. I don't care, and in fact, I really really hope it will happen, as I have been suffering from the one-more-year syndrome and need a good kick to leave this soul-sucking joke of a job. If it happens, I will miss some of the perks, one of which is -aside from the good paycheck and having nothing much to do, being able to live in my office for the past two years without anyone's knowledge or suspicion...But my numbers are good, I am essentially FI thanks to a very frugal lifestyle and staying on track with our pre-RE budget. "FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
Good luck!!!
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I would have said "yes, me too" when I was at my old job. New job (about 1.5 years in) makes me think I can be a "SWAMI."
What's a "SWAMI?"
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"FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
I might use your trademark farewell next week at my Annual General Meeting. Two of our senior executives on the board have been fired and replaced by some assholes who, the rumour says, have been tasked to "clean up the mess"...As I am the CEO, I am probably next on the list. I don't care, and in fact, I really really hope it will happen, as I have been suffering from the one-more-year syndrome and need a good kick to leave this soul-sucking joke of a job. If it happens, I will miss some of the perks, one of which is -aside from the good paycheck and having nothing much to do, being able to live in my office for the past two years without anyone's knowledge or suspicion...But my numbers are good, I am essentially FI thanks to a very frugal lifestyle and staying on track with our pre-RE budget. "FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Tm
Good luck!!!
Yeah, DITTO! But if you use it, you owe me a drink:-)
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Do you also cook in your office?
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Trudie, if I were you (and knowing what I know about your finances), I would've retired yesterday.
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FUCK YOU FUCKERS needs to go in the Mustachian bumper sticker thread ;)
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How do ya'll cope when you realize you're the smartest one in the room, yet you have to bite your lip? Do you imagine their heads exploding? Do you take out voodoo dolls? Do you pray for non-health-threatening calamities to their personal property that are not ruinous, but really inconvenient?
If I'm the smartest one in the room, I find a different room.
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@mozar - Thanks for the lift.
And yes.... If I'm the smartest one in the room I should find a different room. Not too smart, eh?
What's holding me back is that I live in a college town in a rural area. Great for the hubs. less so for me. I have plenty of options if we re-locate (contract work, etcetera), but very few if I just up and quit. I do keep my ear to the ground for other options. I have also decided that I will not work at the college he works at. Given his position there would be inevitable conflicts.
On a more serious note -- so please don't pile on with flippant comments -- I want to stay intellectually engaged while my husband is still working and we're living where we do. Just quitting and working at a coffee shop would not work for me, I think. I mean, it could if I had some mental challenge to balance it out with. I've explored working with some of the firms in town as a seasonal employee, but they have their regulars. When my spouse retires we plan to relocate to a larger town, and I have no doubt there will be more contract/temp firms. It's just the next five years and staying current with my skills that I think about.
Joking aside, I think I should shut down this thread and post another about real strategies for transitioning from A to B. The truth is, the next five are more worrisome to me than retirement.
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Do you also cook in your office?
Whaaa?
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I sometime calculate how much I am getting paid per hour to sit there and nod along. Usually the number is enough to keep me in my seat until the end of the meeting/call.
My clients have hired me because I understand and can guide them through the regulatory processes that they "must" meet. Then they don't do what's required. They will never be audited, so they don't follow the rules they are meant to. Day after day and week after week I sit in meetings and listen to them talk about how they're going to do things. Sometimes I speak up and say "that is not permitted" and then one person in particular belittles and demeans me in front of the entire room by telling everyone that "the rules don't apply and are irrelevant" (and that therefore anything I try to do is irrelevant). It's really difficult to put up with. Sometimes I completely zone out and start doing the math. I am paid much more than these guys, but they've had stable secure jobs for so long that they will retire before I do and they'll have benefits. All I'll have is what I can save up in the next few years. So I just do the math and try to figure out how much longer I have to put up with it.
I can't wait to use the "FUCK YOU, FUCKERS!" phrase. let me know where to send the check!!
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FUCK YOU FUCKERS needs to go in the Mustachian bumper sticker thread ;)
I heartily approve. And so it is decreed by The Goblin Chief.
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I sometime calculate how much I am getting paid per hour to sit there and nod along. Usually the number is enough to keep me in my seat until the end of the meeting/call.
My clients have hired me because I understand and can guide them through the regulatory processes that they "must" meet. Then they don't do what's required. They will never be audited, so they don't follow the rules they are meant to. Day after day and week after week I sit in meetings and listen to them talk about how they're going to do things. Sometimes I speak up and say "that is not permitted" and then one person in particular belittles and demeans me in front of the entire room by telling everyone that "the rules don't apply and are irrelevant" (and that therefore anything I try to do is irrelevant). It's really difficult to put up with. Sometimes I completely zone out and start doing the math. I am paid much more than these guys, but they've had stable secure jobs for so long that they will retire before I do and they'll have benefits. All I'll have is what I can save up in the next few years. So I just do the math and try to figure out how much longer I have to put up with it.
I can't wait to use the "FUCK YOU, FUCKERS!" phrase. let me know where to send the check!!
Trudie, creator of "FUCK YOU, FUCKERS!" Tm has decided that it may be used liberally as long as you do one random act of kindness for someone who REALLY needs it each time you use it.
Interestingly, the same person who was been a crab yesterday (and embarrassing to boot) apologized to me in an email today and actually thanked me for my effort. So, there's some self-awareness there.
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I infringed on your trademark 4 years ago. Do I owe you money now or something?
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I infringed on your trademark 4 years ago. Do I owe you money now or something?
I take mercy on those who self-report. And I stand down to anyone who dare use it!
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I would have said "yes, me too" when I was at my old job. New job (about 1.5 years in) makes me think I can be a "SWAMI."
What's a "SWAMI?"
IIRC, it is "satisfied working advanced mustachian individual." This is from a MMM blog post about what to do if you are FI and you like your job. It was published a while back. Idk what is advanced about said mustachian. Pete just probably needed a vowel there. Maybe it should be swimi, a satisfied working independent mustachian individual, independent as in FI...
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I also skip meeting quite often if I don't need to be involved. I communicate to my boss and coworkers that I don't like to spend much time in meetings because it is a poor way to allocate my time. Most of people agree but keep attending them.
If you weren't a short-timer, I'd advise against this strategy. But, since you're out in 5 years anyway, it probably doesn't matter. A lot more goes on in meetings than you'd really think. I've gotten 5-figure bonuses in the past where one of the primary reasons was "speaking up in meetings". (Not saying that meetings aren't often worthless and annoying, but I see them as a necessary part of corporate life.)
ykphil, I want to hear more about how you live in your office undetected!
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Do you also cook in your office?
I wouldn't call it cooking, but I have a micro-wave, toaster, top of the line espresso machine, and mini-fridge. Life in the office is really sweet. Our office used to be the building owner's bachelor pad, complete with bathroom, mini-kitchen, and lots of storage where I keep my stuff including my bike, and is built on bedrock with our own rock wall, it is pretty cool and unusual. One of my close friends comes over regularly, and we joke that I should open a clandestine bar after hours, or organize boxing match and poker games at night. I'll post a photo of my office setup, it is really cool.
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yep this just happened to me i'm pretty burnt out in my current position and i'm actually in the process of moving to a different section of my company. I'm headed to the field monday and to startup a project at a manufacturing plant and have a personal obligation sunday. We have more than enough people onsite now and the site manager calls me friday and says we're gonna have a go no go on whether you get to attend said personal event on sunday. we many need you here 24 hours earlier. to which i about replied well then you can go ahead and do the job i was supposed to do the following 2 weeks and i'll go work for this other section later fuckers.
what does 24 hours actually accomplish .. next to nothing... do they really need me... no we have a guy there in my stead... am i the better option ... yes... but this happens all the time. sometimes i want to just stop being good so they stop requesting me. but thats not my personality.
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Google up "FYYFF" - a motorcycle forum called AdvRider has used this as a greeting and has stickers.