Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[ixtap]

My parents have helped my sisters financially but not me since I didn't need it.

I didn't gain anything from reading a Dave Ramsey book and saw that I was saving more money than he suggested (lots of my coworkers are big Dave Ramsey fans).

The first one happens a lot.

People tend to give a lot of financial advice when we happen to mention travelling full time. Dave Ramsey is not going to help anyone retire in their 40s (or before 40, in my husband's case) to travel the world, no matter how much he has helped my cousin get out of debt.

DH was on track to contribute so much to after tax 401K that he wouldn't have been able to max out pre tax and get full match for the year. Evidently, the new paychecks will finally cover expenses and we need to figure out what to do with our taxable savings again.

[Linea_Norway]

I seldom buy lunch at the office. Today I went there to pick up the fruit basket for my department and I saw they has brownie that looked very tempting. I checked the balance on my card (which is on my door card, so I'm always wearing it) and it still had a high balance on it. Then I was tempted to buy a piece. I selected "cake" on the screen and the screen didn't make a beep and didn't make a visible move. So I press once more. Then I remember that, maybe it was registered after all. And indeed, my cake was there. So I press "pay" and then find out I paid for 2 brownies. The cafeteria personnel could not undo the transaction. I was encouraged to take two, as I had paid for it.
The price for 2 pieces of brownies is about the price of a whole package of ready-to-go brownie mixture in the shop.
So, 3 1/2 USD splurged on brownie today. At least, the 2 pieces tasted well.

[gaja]

I checked the online bank, and it is clear that DH is heading for a (bipolar) high. The last few days he has used his card at 7 different grocery stores, and two hardware stores. But it is difficult for me to explain, and him to understand, why it is important to stop this shopping spree when the total spent is less than $40, and everything is stuff we need.

[Sibley]

I checked the online bank, and it is clear that DH is heading for a (bipolar) high. The last few days he has used his card at 7 different grocery stores, and two hardware stores. But it is difficult for me to explain, and him to understand, why it is important to stop this shopping spree when the total spent is less than $40, and everything is stuff we need.

"Because while we needed this stuff, and it was only $40 total, that doesn't mean that the PATTERN is healthy."

Is he medicated? Can you communicate with him/dr the coming high?

[gaja]

I checked the online bank, and it is clear that DH is heading for a (bipolar) high. The last few days he has used his card at 7 different grocery stores, and two hardware stores. But it is difficult for me to explain, and him to understand, why it is important to stop this shopping spree when the total spent is less than $40, and everything is stuff we need.

"Because while we needed this stuff, and it was only $40 total, that doesn't mean that the PATTERN is healthy."

Is he medicated? Can you communicate with him/dr the coming high?

Yep; heading for the shrink today :)

I am (slowly) getting through to him. But in the middle of the stress of bipolarity, it is a relief that frugality is getting so ingrained that a spending spree is just a few bucks. In my world, this is a big win!

[Sun Hat]

... in the middle of the stress of bipolarity, it is a relief that frugality is getting so ingrained that a spending spree is just a few bucks. In my world, this is a big win!

@gaja, I'm so happy for you that you're winning this battle! I've heard stories about my BIL's father's spending when he's on a manic high, and it's heartbreaking. It's good to know that communication and vigilance can help build better habits even under the stress of bipolar disorder.

[Sibley]

I checked the online bank, and it is clear that DH is heading for a (bipolar) high. The last few days he has used his card at 7 different grocery stores, and two hardware stores. But it is difficult for me to explain, and him to understand, why it is important to stop this shopping spree when the total spent is less than $40, and everything is stuff we need.

"Because while we needed this stuff, and it was only $40 total, that doesn't mean that the PATTERN is healthy."

Is he medicated? Can you communicate with him/dr the coming high?

Yep; heading for the shrink today :)

I am (slowly) getting through to him. But in the middle of the stress of bipolarity, it is a relief that frugality is getting so ingrained that a spending spree is just a few bucks. In my world, this is a big win!

Thank goodness for doctors and effective medications. Wish everyone were as on top of things as you are! Hope the meds, whatever they are, work efficiently to smooth the ride. (My neighbor is dx'd bipolar, causing havoc, I need to go file a police report, just spent $1500 on a camera system to document her brand of crazy, will end up with a restraining order at some point is my guess)

[gaja]

Thank you for the kind comments!

We are very happy with the current medications and psychological help. It was much more challenging before he got the diagnosis, especially when he was put on anti depressants that triggered mania. But since his mania of choice is diy, the cost has never been crazy high, and a lot of the stuff can be sold for good prices afterwards. Our biggest problem has really been the aftermaths of the highs, because the low periods can be so full of anxiety that post goes unopened and bills go unpaid. We have agreed that bills and budgeting is my job, so it is almost never an issue anymore.

He is closer to a type 2, that a type 1, but based on family history that can change. I really hope we will avoid psychosis. A neighbor got that, and their spouse got into trouble because they didn’t have access to all the personal accounts. I think I can keep us floating for a long time on my income, but am considering getting some sort of signed power of attorney, just in case.

[ixtap]

The only thing I hate more than selling things on Craigslist is the idea of throwing out functional things. They just aren't functional for our needs.

[Linea_Norway]

I currently have a state pension where my employer and me pay a fixed percentage of my salary to the pension fund. My employer is now introducing a new pension, that pays in 7% of your income up to a certain amount and 20% over that amount. My salary is normally about 10% above that limit. Those percentages are about the highest you can get in Norway for that type of pension. Most companies do 5% - 8%. And the worst only 2% - 3%.

From next month I will be working only 80%, which is to save my health and sanity. Then my salary will drop by 20% and I will not reach that amount to receive the 20% pension. :-(

At least, it won't be for long hopefully, as I hope to FIRE in 2019 or 2020.

[ixtap]

I currently have a state pension where my employer and me pay a fixed percentage of my salary to the pension fund. My employer is now introducing a new pension, that pays in 7% of your income up to a certain amount and 20% over that amount. My salary is normally about 10% above that limit. Those percentages are about the highest you can get in Norway for that type of pension. Most companies do 5% - 8%. And the wordt only 2% - 3%.

From next month I will be working only 80%, which is to save my health and sanity. Then my salary will drop by 20% and I will not reach that amount to receive the 20% pension. :-(

At least, it won't be for long hopefully, as I hope to FIRE in 2019 or 2020.

Your pension benefit increases as a percentage as you earn more?

[lemanfan]

Your pension benefit increases as a percentage as you earn more?

We have a similar situation in Sweden. For white-collar pension setups the employer contribution is normally (or "often but not always") 4,5% of the salary up to a certain point, and 30% of the salary above that.  The reason for this "knee" in the curve is that the public pension system built in to the tax system stops adding more pension benefits at that knee. So to "ensure" that people get a pension that is closer to a certain percentage of their working income, the employer contributions increase when the public pension stops increasing.

The reason why I said "most but not always" is that this is based on the collective bargaining agreement in place for white collar jobs here in Sweden and companies who are not a part of those agreement often follow that model anyway.  Blue collar unions have negotiated a slightly different setup for them if I understand correctly.

So the total salary cost for an employer in Sweden is typically:

- Normal pre-tax salary (which is taxed between 30% and 58% before it reaches the person)
- "Social fees" or "Employer fees" or 31,42% of the pre-tax salary (this includes the tax based pension contributions)
- Pension contributions of at least 4,5% of the pre-tax salary to private solutions, typically in insurance companies where the employee can select his own funds to invest in.

This means that for a high earner, an increase in base salary of 1000 SEK will cost the employer 1000 + 314 + 300 = 1614 SEK, while only 420 SEK will end up in the bank account of the employee (and 300 in their pension account, less fees from the insurance companies)

Then there are other more hidden costs for the employer like vacation rights (minimum 5 weeks / year), illness (where the employer pays for the first two weeks, basically and then the government takes over) and a bunch of more or less mandatory insurances.

( For any swedes reading this, the model I refer to is the defined contribution model of ITP1.  If you're old enough and work at a company that uses the defined benefit-model of ITP2, the employer contributions to the pension system can be significantly higher.  )

[Freedomin5]

Here’s an MPP that just crossed my mind today:

In 2015, I selected my username as a reminder that I wanted to FIRE in 5 years (i.e., 2020). Unfortunately, through hanging out on this forum, I’ve learned so many ways to increase investment income, successfully ask for raises, and minimize expenses, that our net worth has grown exponentially especially over the last couple years, and we are now on track to FIRE in four years.

You guys made my username a lie. You made me a liar. Thanks a lot.

[Bracken_Joy]

Here’s an MPP that just crossed my mind today:

In 2015, I selected my username as a reminder that I wanted to FIRE in 5 years (i.e., 2020). Unfortunately, through hanging out on this forum, I’ve learned so many ways to increase investment income, successfully ask for raises, and minimize expenses, that our net worth has grown exponentially especially over the last couple years, and we are now on track to FIRE in four years.

You guys made my username a lie. You made me a liar. Thanks a lot.

This is a good one! Definitely a MPP =D

[pdxmonkey]

Here’s an MPP that just crossed my mind today:

In 2015, I selected my username as a reminder that I wanted to FIRE in 5 years (i.e., 2020). Unfortunately, through hanging out on this forum, I’ve learned so many ways to increase investment income, successfully ask for raises, and minimize expenses, that our net worth has grown exponentially especially over the last couple years, and we are now on track to FIRE in four years.

You guys made my username a lie. You made me a liar. Thanks a lot.

Well it's 2018 so 4 years is 2022 and 2023 is 5. With a permanent name based on a modifier to the calendar and a moving calendar your name was always going to end up a lie unless you're always planning just five more years until you die. Better just get a new account with the year in it so you can accurately place the blame next time ;)

[RWD]

Here’s an MPP that just crossed my mind today:

In 2015, I selected my username as a reminder that I wanted to FIRE in 5 years (i.e., 2020). Unfortunately, through hanging out on this forum, I’ve learned so many ways to increase investment income, successfully ask for raises, and minimize expenses, that our net worth has grown exponentially especially over the last couple years, and we are now on track to FIRE in four years.

You guys made my username a lie. You made me a liar. Thanks a lot.

Well it's 2018 so 4 years is 2022 and 2023 is 5. With a permanent name based on a modifier to the calendar and a moving calendar your name was always going to end up a lie unless you're always planning just five more years until you die. Better just get a new account with the year in it so you can accurately place the blame next time ;)

Just update the username each year to make a countdown:
Freedomin5
Freedomin54
Freedomin543
Freedomin5432
Freedomin54321
Freedom!

[Imma]

Got gifted a few packs of holiday themed paper napkins by a relative.
Packed my boyfriend's lunch and since it was something sticky I put a paper napkin in his lunchbox.
He takes the unused napkin home saying he didn't need it because he could wash his hands at work and use a fabric towel.
How am I going to use all of those free paper napkins if we're too frugal to waste them????

( will take a pack with us when we're going on a trip in a few weeks).

[techwiz]

How am I going to use all of those free paper napkins if we're too frugal to waste them????

Google some cool paper napkin craft ideas.... you might have to wait until holiday season to use some of the ideas, but that gives you lots of time to practice that should used them up.  Also check out Napkin Decoupage.
   

[Imma]

How am I going to use all of those free paper napkins if we're too frugal to waste them????

Google some cool paper napkin craft ideas.... you might have to wait until holiday season to use some of the ideas, but that gives you lots of time to practice that should used them up.  Also check out Napkin Decoupage.
   

Napkin decoupage is what the relative who gave them does. She buys the napkins for the pattern, then uses two or three and doesn't need the rest of the pack. But I googled it again and still got some good ideas. Thanks! I haven't done napkin decoupage in about 20 years.

[shelivesthedream]

I found some jeans on the street. I took them home, washed them at 90 and tumble dried, and put them on this morning. They are the most divinely comfortable jeans I have ever owned, and just the style and colour I would have tried to buy (and have proper pockets!). People are sure to ask where I got them from. Including my husband. Help!

[Trifle]

I found some jeans on the street. I took them home, washed them at 90 and tumble dried, and put them on this morning. They are the most divinely comfortable jeans I have ever owned, and just the style and colour I would have tried to buy (and have proper pockets!). People are sure to ask where I got them from. Including my husband. Help!

"I picked them up at this little spot on X street" ?   "I picked them up second hand" ?

This is a great MPP, @shelivesthedream -- fabulous!   

[Loren Ver]

I found some jeans on the street. I took them home, washed them at 90 and tumble dried, and put them on this morning. They are the most divinely comfortable jeans I have ever owned, and just the style and colour I would have tried to buy (and have proper pockets!). People are sure to ask where I got them from. Including my husband. Help!

This made my day!

[shelivesthedream]

Mr SLTD: What if they're infested with heroin?!?
Me: Raises eyebrow.

[chaskavitch]

I found some jeans on the street. I took them home, washed them at 90 and tumble dried, and put them on this morning. They are the most divinely comfortable jeans I have ever owned, and just the style and colour I would have tried to buy (and have proper pockets!). People are sure to ask where I got them from. Including my husband. Help!

That is the best luck I've ever heard of, congratulations :)

All of my most comfortable jeans have been second or third hand, honestly.  There must be a few people out there built almost exactly like me who break them in perfectly first, then give them away.

Mr SLTD: What if they're infested with heroin?!?
Me: Raises eyebrow.

My DH would definitely be convinced they were full of bedbugs and used needles, no matter how well I washed them.  He might even call them "your bedbug pants". 

[LennStar]

Mr SLTD: What if they're infested with heroin?!?
Me: Raises eyebrow.

That would explain the enthusiasm about them!

[merula]

I found some jeans on the street. I took them home, washed them at 90 and tumble dried, and put them on this morning. They are the most divinely comfortable jeans I have ever owned, and just the style and colour I would have tried to buy (and have proper pockets!). People are sure to ask where I got them from. Including my husband. Help!

"They were a gift." Because they were, the universe gifted you supremely comfortable jeans.

[a-scho]

I am now the reluctant owner of a homemade 16 piece carrot cake with cream cheese frosting because the entire homemade cake cost me 2.28 versus one slice of a grocery store version at 2.50.

[Trifle]

I am now the reluctant owner of a homemade 16 piece carrot cake with cream cheese frosting because the entire homemade cake cost me 2.28 versus one slice of a grocery store version at 2.50.

Ooh.  Can you take it to work?  That's my usual default solution with desserts, leftover Halloween candy, etc. 

[Ladychips]

You can also freeze individual slices.  Enjoy that cake for a long time!

[nessness]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

[Slow&Steady]

When my husband and I were young and it was just the 2 of us (and even when it was just us and little kids), almost all of our waste was recycled or composted so we regularly had less than a trash bag full of waste for the weekly trash pick-up day. We both also worked a LOT of hours are weren't home very much. We purchased a huge, double roll of trash bags from Sam's/Costco and that damn box moved with us like 4 or 5 times before we used them all.  During that time of our life we were moving yearly.

When I first realized that we had been dragging that box around for so long I figured there was no way that it lasted that long.  However, 1 bag every 1-2 weeks is only 26-52 bags a year so a double roll of like 300 or whatever it was will totally last years!  Assuming you don't use multiple trash bags every week.  Sometime in the middle of that box of trash bags I had a nephew doing a fundraiser with trash bags and my SIL was baffled when I told her I hadn't bought trash bags in years and there was no way I was going to buy this fundraiser bags just to store them for a couple years until I actually need them.

There are now 7 of us in the house and I am exhausted reminding teenagers what is recyclable and what isn't, we are at the multiple trash bags every week point and it pisses me off to be adding that much crap to the landfill!

[ketchup]

The previous owner of my last house left behind a gas range with a broken igniter, you had to light it with a match.  He also left behind a hilarious amount of matches (hundreds at least, possibly thousands).  We never ran out in the ~3 years we lived there.

[Imma]

The previous owner of my last house left behind a gas range with a broken igniter, you had to light it with a match.  He also left behind a hilarious amount of matches (hundreds at least, possibly thousands).  We never ran out in the ~3 years we lived there.

My greataunt lived through the Depression and WWII and was frequently hungry as a child. As a result, she always kept a lot of food in the house. When she died in 2012, I found a large glass jar in her basement with dozens of boxes of matches in it. I took the jar home and in 2018 I'm still not even halfway through it.

[rantk81]

My grandmother vividly remembered the Great Depression as a child. When she was still alive, I remember interviewing her for a school project in grade-school. I asked her several questions about the Great Depression.  It really left a mark on her, and really influenced her for the rest of her life.  I wonder if the more recent financial crisis is going to have a similar effect on some folks in this generation who fell on very hard times...

[Freedomin5]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

Not exactly environmentally-friendly, but can't you just double bag your trash? We do that all the time because we use Chinese-quality trash bags.

[dragoncar]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

Not exactly environmentally-friendly, but can't you just double bag your trash? We do that all the time because we use Chinese-quality trash bags.

PSA: this also works for cheap, thin contraception

[Alfred J Quack]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

Not exactly environmentally-friendly, but can't you just double bag your trash? We do that all the time because we use Chinese-quality trash bags.

PSA: this also works for cheap, thin contraception

If babies are your goal, than by all means: double down!

[Linea_Norway]

As my bank has stopped supporting a transaction tracking system per end 2018, I am now tracking my transactions in an excel sheet. Normally this is not much work, usually a couple of transactions a week and clearly marked as electricity, insurance, etc.

Now we are back from a 4 day city trip where I payed many of the small bills, because my bank card can easily pay with a chip holding close to the machine. Now that I'm back I need to make sence of like 10 or so transactions per day. Typically, buying breakfast in a grocery shop, beers on a terrace, icecreams and other small stuff. We have behaving like typical tourists instead of being Mustachians.

[Greenback Reproduction Specialist]

Having to go to the bank to cash my pay check so my boss gets off my back for not doing it sooner, ya know like right after I got the check a few weeks ago.

[Sibley]

Having to go to the bank to cash my pay check so my boss gets off my back for not doing it sooner, ya know like right after I got the check a few weeks ago.

I take it they don't do direct deposit?

[Hirondelle]

As my bank has stopped supporting a transaction tracking system per end 2018, I am now tracking my transactions in an excel sheet. Normally this is not much work, usually a couple of transactions a week and clearly marked as electricity, insurance, etc.

Now we are back from a 4 day city trip where I payed many of the small bills, because my bank card can easily pay with a chip holding close to the machine. Now that I'm back I need to make sence of like 10 or so transactions per day. Typically, buying breakfast in a grocery shop, beers on a terrace, icecreams and other small stuff. We have behaving like typical tourists instead of being Mustachians.

I'm having the opposite problem. I visited a cash-based country so my spending is clearly marked as 4 ATM visits. However I didn't track spending AT ALL so now I have no clue how much of my holiday spending was food, accomodation, transport or activity related :(.

[Dave1442397]

Having to go to the bank to cash my pay check so my boss gets off my back for not doing it sooner, ya know like right after I got the check a few weeks ago.

I know a guy who stopped cashing his checks just for fun, because he didn't need the money. The company finally came to him when they were doing the books at the end of the year and figured out where all the extra money came from.

[PhilB]

Having to go to the bank to cash my pay check so my boss gets off my back for not doing it sooner, ya know like right after I got the check a few weeks ago.

I know a guy who stopped cashing his checks just for fun, because he didn't need the money. The company finally came to him when they were doing the books at the end of the year and figured out where all the extra money came from.

I saw this from the other side of the fence when I was an auditor.  One client had a whole rash of uncashed cheques messing up their bank reconciliation.  It turned out that the MD's wife acted as receptionist whenever the full-time receptionist was away.  The money was peanuts to them so she could never be bothered to go and bank the cheques!

[dragoncar]

Having to go to the bank to cash my pay check so my boss gets off my back for not doing it sooner, ya know like right after I got the check a few weeks ago.

I take it they don't do direct deposit?

And the bank doesn't take e-deposit?

[barbaz]

When she died in 2012, I found a large glass jar in her basement with dozens of boxes of matches in it. I took the jar home and in 2018 I'm still not even halfway through it.

I require approximately 6 matches per year: 3 for making chestnut animals, 2 for fixing drill holes, and one for lighting candles when I can’t find one of my dozens of lighters.

[ixtap]

After googling KBB values and Carmax and autotrader and... FB is convinced I am in the market for a new car. At first they figured I must just need a new version of what I sold, but now they are throwing everything at me.

[ketchup]

After googling KBB values and Carmax and autotrader and... FB is convinced I am in the market for a new car. At first they figured I must just need a new version of what I sold, but now they are throwing everything at me.

My favorite is when you buy something and then every ad is suddenly for it.  You just bought this thing, want ANOTHER!?

Because who can't use an extra toilet seat, car alternator, 10x10x6 dog kennel, or TV?

[Zaga]

After googling KBB values and Carmax and autotrader and... FB is convinced I am in the market for a new car. At first they figured I must just need a new version of what I sold, but now they are throwing everything at me.

My favorite is when you buy something and then every ad is suddenly for it.  You just bought this thing, want ANOTHER!?

Because who can't use an extra toilet seat, car alternator, 10x10x6 dog kennel, or TV?

My favorite is right after buying a hot water tank we got a ton of adverts for hot water tanks...from the place we bought that one from.  Um, how about delay that 10 years and try then!

[K-ice]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

I “inherited” a roll of restaurant grade Saran Wrap from a roommate. We joked that it lasted 2 MSc & 1 PhD.

[Linea_Norway]

When we bought our house, the previous owner left us a mostly-full box of trash bags. They're thin and tear easily, but I didn't want to waste them so decided to use them anyway. But we don't go through that many trash bags, so 14 months later we're still using those trash bags, and I'm still cursing them almost every time I take out the trash. I long for the day we finally run out and I can go buy the Costco trash bags I like lol.

I “inherited” a roll of restaurant grade Saran Wrap from a roommate. We joked that it lasted 2 MSc & 1 PhD.

Our community provides many, many roles of biodegradable bags for green waste. We have gotten way more than I'll ever need. So I use them for many purposes, like the bathroom trash can and when camping. But there was a time when the quality was very bad. Two out of three bags were torn apart, just trying to carefully tear it off the roll, while in the past you could just tear them of without paying attention. I hate these newer bags. Currently they have another brand that works fine again. But I still have several of these old roles that need to be used up.