Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[Just Joe]

My laptop Lithium ion battery is swelling. Never a good sign. I looked for a replacement online, but there were some bad reviews about non-OEM batteries. I checked on Dell.com. Can’t find it. I contacted Dell support. “I’m sorry, your laptop is so old that we don’t support it anymore.  But can we interest you in a new computer with a fancy glossy screen?”  The computer is 6 years old, which is pretty good for a laptop, and it has been getting kind of slow, but I was hoping to eek out another 6-12 months. Maybe I’ll just steal one of the kids’ Covid laptops.

It's really frustrating that OEMs quit making the batteries and/or charge an arm and a leg, and it's really hard to find a high-quality third-party battery.  Been there, done that, several times.

Any tips on a good source for a battery? I just need something that will last 6-12 months so that I can put off the new purchase a little longer.

I wish I had some good tips, but sadly, I've never been successful in finding a high quality third-party laptop battery.

I bought one for my XPS off Amazon (seller batterymon).  It’s been fine for the last year.  Of course you can’t guarantee their quality is consistent and I didn’t run extensive tests.  But probably worth a shot

I bought a battery from BatteryPlus for a laptop. Seems like it was a Duracell branded battery even. No problems. Was for a relative's laptop.

Mine is a 2012 Samsung. Still works dandy on Kubuntu Linux. The battery is starting to fade a little though. Hope I can find a good replacement for it too. I think if the hardware lasts I can squeeze another five years out of it. Use it for all the usual tasks - browser, media playback, picture editing, LibreOffice, etc.

[talltexan]

Sigh. My dad gave me money for Christmas. MPP? The only string attached is he said I can’t put it in my IRA or my kids 529s. I have to actually get myself something. And I really can’t think of anything I want right now.

What about a taxable brokerage account? :)

There's a thread on here, where people write about their BEST purchases (excluding investments). Scroll down that thing like it's the Sears Catalog.

[Sibley]

Sigh. My dad gave me money for Christmas. MPP? The only string attached is he said I can’t put it in my IRA or my kids 529s. I have to actually get myself something. And I really can’t think of anything I want right now.

What about a taxable brokerage account? :)

There's a thread on here, where people write about their BEST purchases (excluding investments). Scroll down that thing like it's the Sears Catalog.

I think I listed a certain yellow catnip filled cloth banana on that thread.... the cat still loves it. I have lost track of how many I've purchased and ultimately thrown out, half the stuffing gone. At least 5 floating around the house right now.

[Freedomin5]

Today's MPP:

Contract renewal time is upon us, and I was chatting with a coworker about signing a new contract with the company. He had noticed that his new contract stated the same salary that he is currently receiving, though we are supposed to receive a COL increase by a certain percentage each year. He asked me if I had received a salary increase in my new contract, and I had to sheepishly admit that I don't know. He then suggested that I go to HR and ask for a copy of my signed contract so I can take a picture of it, and I had to sheepishly admit that I was too lazy to do even that because I don't really care that much about my salary. Also, this company is a good one and in my experience has treated its employees more than fairly, and I've always gotten my salary increase...I think. It made for a bit of an awkward conversation.

[GreenSheep]

Today's MPP:

Contract renewal time is upon us, and I was chatting with a coworker about signing a new contract with the company. He had noticed that his new contract stated the same salary that he is currently receiving, though we are supposed to receive a COL increase by a certain percentage each year. He asked me if I had received a salary increase in my new contract, and I had to sheepishly admit that I don't know. He then suggested that I go to HR and ask for a copy of my signed contract so I can take a picture of it, and I had to sheepishly admit that I was too lazy to do even that because I don't really care that much about my salary. Also, this company is a good one and in my experience has treated its employees more than fairly, and I've always gotten my salary increase...I think. It made for a bit of an awkward conversation.

That reminds me of a conversation I had with my husband the other day. I'm FIREd and he still works at a job he loves. I mentioned that I think he's due to get paid this Friday, and he said he didn't know... because the exact timing just doesn't matter. Thankfully, we're not in a position to be desperately awaiting his paycheck so we can get groceries.

[BicycleB]

I try to remove the lint from the dryer after each load, except when it's cold out.
Then, I imagine the lint somehow helps to slow the inflow of cold air from the outside vent into the dryer.
I mean, maybe?

That's why you remove the lint immediately before starting the dryer. You don't want summer hot air getting in either, right?

Another reason to air dry: I always have to wipe the top of the dryer after emptying the lint because it gets everywhere. Then I put the rag into the washer and the cycle continues...

Hahaha, @Morning Glory, I see what you did there. Made my mind spin. :)

[ixtap]

Today's MPP:

Contract renewal time is upon us, and I was chatting with a coworker about signing a new contract with the company. He had noticed that his new contract stated the same salary that he is currently receiving, though we are supposed to receive a COL increase by a certain percentage each year. He asked me if I had received a salary increase in my new contract, and I had to sheepishly admit that I don't know. He then suggested that I go to HR and ask for a copy of my signed contract so I can take a picture of it, and I had to sheepishly admit that I was too lazy to do even that because I don't really care that much about my salary. Also, this company is a good one and in my experience has treated its employees more than fairly, and I've always gotten my salary increase...I think. It made for a bit of an awkward conversation.

That reminds me of a conversation I had with my husband the other day. I'm FIREd and he still works at a job he loves. I mentioned that I think he's due to get paid this Friday, and he said he didn't know... because the exact timing just doesn't matter. Thankfully, we're not in a position to be desperately awaiting his paycheck so we can get groceries.

DH has no clue when he gets paid.

He will likely be switching to contact work soon. It is easy to set his dream hourly wage, with a bit of a bump from current gross. Much harder to know how low he is willing to go....

[Plina]

Today's MPP:

Contract renewal time is upon us, and I was chatting with a coworker about signing a new contract with the company. He had noticed that his new contract stated the same salary that he is currently receiving, though we are supposed to receive a COL increase by a certain percentage each year. He asked me if I had received a salary increase in my new contract, and I had to sheepishly admit that I don't know. He then suggested that I go to HR and ask for a copy of my signed contract so I can take a picture of it, and I had to sheepishly admit that I was too lazy to do even that because I don't really care that much about my salary. Also, this company is a good one and in my experience has treated its employees more than fairly, and I've always gotten my salary increase...I think. It made for a bit of an awkward conversation.

That reminds me of a conversation I had with my husband the other day. I'm FIREd and he still works at a job he loves. I mentioned that I think he's due to get paid this Friday, and he said he didn't know... because the exact timing just doesn't matter. Thankfully, we're not in a position to be desperately awaiting his paycheck so we can get groceries.

I have a directly opposite approach. I always get paid 25th if it is not during the weekend. In the morning I transfer the money that are not going to the bills to a saving or investment account. So before the stock exchange open I have set my buy orders. The bills are set to be withdrawn the 26th. So basically I have about 30-50 dollars left the 26th for same spontaneous digital transfers. No lazy employees for me.

[zolotiyeruki]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

[chaskavitch]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

My husband gets paid biweekly and I'm paid twice monthly.  I just budget with two of his paychecks/month, and then the two or three months a year that we get THREE paychecks in a month it's exciting, haha.  I add the money to my chunky longer-term funds in our budget.

It would be really annoying to switch from one to the other, though.  And your individual paychecks are smaller.

[Sandi_k]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

So get two weeks ahead in your bank account, so you have the entire "monthly nut" ready to disperse. Then, when the bi-weekly deposit happens, you already have two weeks of cushion in it, and you're always two weeks ahead.

That allows you to go back to monthly bill pay - which I agree is much nicer!

[NorthernIkigai]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

So get two weeks ahead in your bank account, so you have the entire "monthly nut" ready to disperse. Then, when the bi-weekly deposit happens, you already have two weeks of cushion in it, and you're always two weeks ahead.

That allows you to go back to monthly bill pay - which I agree is much nicer!

We both get paid monthly, but on different dates. We only do the shuffling-money-into-the-household-bills-and-groceries-account move at the start of each month.

[ixtap]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

My husband gets paid biweekly and I'm paid twice monthly.  I just budget with two of his paychecks/month, and then the two or three months a year that we get THREE paychecks in a month it's exciting, haha.  I add the money to my chunky longer-term funds in our budget.

It would be really annoying to switch from one to the other, though.  And your individual paychecks are smaller.

I did this when I was broke. That occasional third check was the only thing that ever made it to savings, even if it was often drained for car repairs or such by the time the next one came around...

[fuzzy math]

I changed my W4 and retirement withholding at the end of the year to max out my accounts and get closer to even on my taxes. Remembered to change my retirement accounts back but not my W4. I have an extra $4k going towards my federal taxes this month *headdesk*

[Freedomin5]

Today's MPP:

Contract renewal time is upon us, and I was chatting with a coworker about signing a new contract with the company. He had noticed that his new contract stated the same salary that he is currently receiving, though we are supposed to receive a COL increase by a certain percentage each year. He asked me if I had received a salary increase in my new contract, and I had to sheepishly admit that I don't know. He then suggested that I go to HR and ask for a copy of my signed contract so I can take a picture of it, and I had to sheepishly admit that I was too lazy to do even that because I don't really care that much about my salary. Also, this company is a good one and in my experience has treated its employees more than fairly, and I've always gotten my salary increase...I think. It made for a bit of an awkward conversation.

That reminds me of a conversation I had with my husband the other day. I'm FIREd and he still works at a job he loves. I mentioned that I think he's due to get paid this Friday, and he said he didn't know... because the exact timing just doesn't matter. Thankfully, we're not in a position to be desperately awaiting his paycheck so we can get groceries.

DH has no clue when he gets paid.

He will likely be switching to contact work soon. It is easy to set his dream hourly wage, with a bit of a bump from current gross. Much harder to know how low he is willing to go....

I also have no clue what I get paid or when I get paid.

To make it even more complicated, my salary is paid out in RMB, which stays the same every month. However, the company offers a benefit to expats by offering to wire transfer as much of your salary as you want to your home country for free (company pays the transfer fees), so I've opted to transfer 100% of my salary since we live off my husband's salary here. The amount that hits my Canadian account changes from month to month depending on the exchange rate. So I really have no idea how much money I'll be receiving each month. Also, the payment may hit my account anytime between the 10th and the 30th of each month.

As long as I get paid an amount that is within a certain range, I don't sweat the details.

[Sugaree]

This year, my employer switched our paychecks from monthly to biweekly (26 pay periods per year).  What I've heard is that it makes things easier for the hourly/part-time employees.

It's annoying because we budget monthly, and yet our income will no longer match up neatly.  Grrr.

I've been bi-weekly for years.  What I've got set up is basically creating a hypothetical checking register in Excel for the year and that lets me know which bills need to be paid from which check.  I've reached the point where everything is automated now, so payday is just a matter of checking to make sure everything went where it was supposed to go. 

[DadJokes]

When filling in W-2 information in free tax software, I get this popup message:

Box 12 Amount Seems High
The amount(s) entered in Box 12 of this W-2 are more than the amount of wages entered in Box 1 of this W-2. If this is correct, simply continue with your return by clicking Continue below. If this is NOT correct, go back to the Wages (Form W-2) screen, correct either the Box 1 or Box 12 amount, and save the change(s) you make.

"You invest more than you keep, so something is clearly wrong."

[dandarc]

Well done. Kind of like the "investment calculator won't let me slide past a 20% savings rate" thing but even more impressive.

[markbike528CBX]

When filling in W-2 information in free tax software, I get this popup message:

Box 12 Amount Seems High
The amount(s) entered in Box 12 of this W-2 are more than the amount of wages entered in Box 1 of this W-2. If this is correct, simply continue with your return by clicking Continue below. If this is NOT correct, go back to the Wages (Form W-2) screen, correct either the Box 1 or Box 12 amount, and save the change(s) you make.

"You invest more than you keep, so something is clearly wrong."

Dangit DadJokes...  I have been retired for 3 years so I had to look up a W-2 form to get the joke.  I'll never get those minutes back :-)

[ixtap]

I forgot to consider that CA taxed the HSA seed money when I adjusted the 401k contributions two weeks ago. It doesn't matter, that isn't enough of a difference to max out the 401k any earlier, but still, on likes to be right, ya know?

[DeniseNJ]

I forgot to consider that CA taxed the HSA seed money when I adjusted the 401k contributions two weeks ago. It doesn't matter, that isn't enough of a difference to max out the 401k any earlier, but still, on likes to be right, ya know?

You forgot bc only CA and NJ tax you HSA contributions.  Dirty dogs.  I don't know why I let dh talk me into moving to NJ.

[ixtap]

I forgot to consider that CA taxed the HSA seed money when I adjusted the 401k contributions two weeks ago. It doesn't matter, that isn't enough of a difference to max out the 401k any earlier, but still, on likes to be right, ya know?

You forgot bc only CA and NJ tax you HSA contributions.  Dirty dogs.  I don't know why I let dh talk me into moving to NJ.

Since I have only ever had an HSA in CA, that isn't the reason I forgot. I literally just looked at the  straight up difference between 60% and 80% of gross and decided that the last paycheck covered the difference, plus we would bring home something for the tax savings. Well, since the previous check had the first quarter's seed money, that tax savings was more significant that I expected. I don't mind CA taxing the contributions, its the capital gains, when our HSA provider doesn't track basis. The built an office on campus when megacorp switched to them as a provider, but they can't be bothered to add in basis tracking?!?

[LennStar]

When filling in W-2 information in free tax software, I get this popup message:

Box 12 Amount Seems High
The amount(s) entered in Box 12 of this W-2 are more than the amount of wages entered in Box 1 of this W-2. If this is correct, simply continue with your return by clicking Continue below. If this is NOT correct, go back to the Wages (Form W-2) screen, correct either the Box 1 or Box 12 amount, and save the change(s) you make.

"You invest more than you keep, so something is clearly wrong."

Dangit DadJokes...  I have been retired for 3 years so I had to look up a W-2 form to get the joke.  I'll never get those minutes back :-)

Mustachian People Problem: I, as a German with no more connection to the US than the internet, probably know more about US savings/retirement taxes than the average American.

[dandarc]

When filling in W-2 information in free tax software, I get this popup message:

Box 12 Amount Seems High
The amount(s) entered in Box 12 of this W-2 are more than the amount of wages entered in Box 1 of this W-2. If this is correct, simply continue with your return by clicking Continue below. If this is NOT correct, go back to the Wages (Form W-2) screen, correct either the Box 1 or Box 12 amount, and save the change(s) you make.

"You invest more than you keep, so something is clearly wrong."

Dangit DadJokes...  I have been retired for 3 years so I had to look up a W-2 form to get the joke.  I'll never get those minutes back :-)

Mustachian People Problem: I, as a German with no more connection to the US than the internet, probably know more about US savings/retirement taxes than the average American.

That's the way it is on a lot of things with regards to the average American.

[Fish Sweet]

I almost spent $10 at Starbucks today to get the equivalent of two free drinks worth of rewards. Would've been a good deal... but I just didn't feel like thinking so hard about what to buy to get exactly $10 worth, and did I even want to eat/drink that much sugar today anyway, their meal offerings are only okay and not worth the money, and what would I even want to spend my reward points on down the line, it's been so long since I've gone to Starbucks that I have no idea what seasonal offerings they have and...

Anyway, spending the money involved too much thinking so I stopped and did not. :) Laziness can be a great best money-saving tool.

[LennStar]

Anyway, spending the money involved too much thinking so I stopped and did not. :) Laziness can be a great best money-saving tool.

Ahaha, it surely is!
Every time people ask me if I don't want to do X, e.g. travel, I think about how stressy it is to put everything in the luggage, arrive at the airport and all that things happening there (or 10 hous of bus travel) and getting used to the hotel and...
I say no. It's more relaxing to chill at home.

Even worse is "shopping" as a hobby. It's something I can't get my head around however I try. Do all the work of looking around, carrying the stuff, finding a place for it and ultimately throw it away - you would need to pay me quite a sum to make me do it, not let me lose some of my precious little workers!

[Catbert]

I almost spent $10 at Starbucks today to get the equivalent of two free drinks worth of rewards. Would've been a good deal... but I just didn't feel like thinking so hard about what to buy to get exactly $10 worth, and did I even want to eat/drink that much sugar today anyway, their meal offerings are only okay and not worth the money, and what would I even want to spend my reward points on down the line, it's been so long since I've gone to Starbucks that I have no idea what seasonal offerings they have and...

Anyway, spending the money involved too much thinking so I stopped and did not. :) Laziness can be a great best money-saving tool.

Starbucks selected the $10 amount very carefully.  There are a lot of $4.75 or $4.95 drinks on the menu so that two drinks are less than $10. 

[Imma]

Anyway, spending the money involved too much thinking so I stopped and did not. :) Laziness can be a great best money-saving tool.

Ahaha, it surely is!
Every time people ask me if I don't want to do X, e.g. travel, I think about how stressy it is to put everything in the luggage, arrive at the airport and all that things happening there (or 10 hous of bus travel) and getting used to the hotel and...
I say no. It's more relaxing to chill at home.

Even worse is "shopping" as a hobby. It's something I can't get my head around however I try. Do all the work of looking around, carrying the stuff, finding a place for it and ultimately throw it away - you would need to pay me quite a sum to make me do it, not let me lose some of my precious little workers!

And in our corner of the world at least half of the year it would be too cold to go without a coat but if you're carrying stuff and going into shops you're going to be hot again and you'll want to take your coat and your gloves, scarves and hat off. Then you need to go through the whole ritual again and try not to loose a glove somewhere in the shop! And then a few months a year it's suddenly hot and you need to slather on suncream every 5 minutes or you'll burn.

And at the end of the days your legs are swollen from standing around, and your feet and shoulders hurt because they're not used to carrying this much stuff. A hike would be less exhausting!

There's one type of shopping trip I like. Our local bookshop has a cafe in the basement. We go there, order a coffee, get a table, take off coats/handbag/winter gear, take turns to browse the shop while the other sits down with the stuff, finish our coffee, pay for books and go home. Unfortunately due to Covid this hasn't happened in a loooong time. The coffee is not cheap there, but it's very good, and the profit margin on the coffee and treats allows to bookshop to keep their large shop in a prime location in the city, so it's for a good cause.

[rantk81]

And in our corner of the world at least half of the year it would be too cold to go without a coat but if you're carrying stuff and going into shops you're going to be hot again and you'll want to take your coat and your gloves, scarves and hat off. Then you need to go through the whole ritual again and try not to loose a glove somewhere in the shop! And then a few months a year it's suddenly hot and you need to slather on suncream every 5 minutes or you'll burn.

Oh that is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine!  Stores that crank up their heaters to a ridiculously high level in winter, when everyone is wearing a coat.  Do I really want to be walking around shopping in an 80F-heated store, while wearing my coat (because it's far below freezing outside)?  It's so ridiculous.

[Morning Glory]

And in our corner of the world at least half of the year it would be too cold to go without a coat but if you're carrying stuff and going into shops you're going to be hot again and you'll want to take your coat and your gloves, scarves and hat off. Then you need to go through the whole ritual again and try not to loose a glove somewhere in the shop! And then a few months a year it's suddenly hot and you need to slather on suncream every 5 minutes or you'll burn.

Oh that is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine!  Stores that crank up their heaters to a ridiculously high level in winter, when everyone is wearing a coat.  Do I really want to be walking around shopping in an 80F-heated store, while wearing my coat (because it's far below freezing outside)?  It's so ridiculous.

The ac in summer is just as bad, especially if you've been outside a while and gotten used to the heat.

[SpaceCow]

And in our corner of the world at least half of the year it would be too cold to go without a coat but if you're carrying stuff and going into shops you're going to be hot again and you'll want to take your coat and your gloves, scarves and hat off. Then you need to go through the whole ritual again and try not to loose a glove somewhere in the shop! And then a few months a year it's suddenly hot and you need to slather on suncream every 5 minutes or you'll burn.

Oh that is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine!  Stores that crank up their heaters to a ridiculously high level in winter, when everyone is wearing a coat.  Do I really want to be walking around shopping in an 80F-heated store, while wearing my coat (because it's far below freezing outside)?  It's so ridiculous.

This is why I just leave my coat in the car. Sometimes my loved ones tease me for walking around without a coat, but if you're just walking from the parking lot to the store, what's the difference? It's not the end of the world being cold for a minute or two.

[Plina]

And in our corner of the world at least half of the year it would be too cold to go without a coat but if you're carrying stuff and going into shops you're going to be hot again and you'll want to take your coat and your gloves, scarves and hat off. Then you need to go through the whole ritual again and try not to loose a glove somewhere in the shop! And then a few months a year it's suddenly hot and you need to slather on suncream every 5 minutes or you'll burn.

Oh that is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine!  Stores that crank up their heaters to a ridiculously high level in winter, when everyone is wearing a coat.  Do I really want to be walking around shopping in an 80F-heated store, while wearing my coat (because it's far below freezing outside)?  It's so ridiculous.

The ac in summer is just as bad, especially if you've been outside a while and gotten used to the heat.

What is more ridiculous is that coffee shops are like fridges. I have walked out of several without ordering because they have been so cold I could not imagine sitting there freezing.

[Fomerly known as something]

I use personal capital to aggregate my net worth.  It’s annoying me right now with a 1 more step, add your home message.  I rent right now, I have no home to add.

[LD_TAndK]

I have so many goddamn credit cards I have to refer to a spreadsheet to remember which one to use for maximum rewards in which category.

[TomTX]

I use personal capital to aggregate my net worth.  It’s annoying me right now with a 1 more step, add your home message.  I rent right now, I have no home to add.

Message pops up repeatedly? Put down that you have a home, value $1

[okisok]

Personal Capital let me put down $0 as my home value when I was renting.

On that note, there is an on-going annoyance on their bar graph in my account. When I did buy a house, I entered the home value and the mortgage info on the same day. The home value processed immediately but the mortgage account information didn't process for several days. Now there is a huge jump in net worth for a few days that throws off the graph.

[DeniseNJ]

I have so many goddamn credit cards I have to refer to a spreadsheet to remember which one to use for maximum rewards in which category.

Write it on the card in sharpie or on a piece of masking tape on the card. :)

[rantk81]

I have so many goddamn credit cards I have to refer to a spreadsheet to remember which one to use for maximum rewards in which category.

Write it on the card in sharpie or on a piece of masking tape on the card. :)

I've simplified my life by not chasing anything that requires remembering rotating categories for an extra one percent or so... So my rules are fairly simple

Target RedCard - Only used at Target stores or Target.com (5%)
Amazon Prime Store Card - Only used at Amazon.com (set as default payment method) (5%)
CapitalOne CC - Exclusively used when traveling internationally (1% + no foreign txn fees)
Fidelity CC - Everything else (2%)

Not hard to remember, since 2 of the 4 cards are branded with the only place I use them :)
Could I earn 3% or 5% occasionally on specific spending categories, if I chased after some other cards?  Yeah.  Do I spend enough in any one of those categories to make it worth my effort? No.

[Siebrie]

My bank has started a rewards programme for using their bank card (debit). However, it's still in its infancy and has many bugs.

There is a 3% cashback when using your debit card at a certain supermarket, but this reward needs to be reactivated every month, is only valid for 1 shop per month, and has many exclusions. The supermarket is also more upscale, and so it's rare that I actually shop there every month. Anyway, I usually get about €0.78 back :). Then, in December they had a reward of €15 back on a €35 shop, valid for just a week. This, I took advantage of, but the reward never materialised, and any communication was met with standard, uninspired, uninvestigated replies.

The rewards programme also includes takeaway.com, giving a 4% cashback when used through the app. December had 1 week of 8% cashback. I have now ordered 4 times, and the cashback never materialises. For communication results, see above.

I have stopped using the rewards programme; the hassle is not worth the minimal cashback.

[SwordGuy]

My bank has started a rewards programme for using their bank card (debit). However, it's still in its infancy and has many bugs.

There is a 3% cashback when using your debit card at a certain supermarket, but this reward needs to be reactivated every month, is only valid for 1 shop per month, and has many exclusions. The supermarket is also more upscale, and so it's rare that I actually shop there every month. Anyway, I usually get about €0.78 back :). Then, in December they had a reward of €15 back on a €35 shop, valid for just a week. This, I took advantage of, but the reward never materialised, and any communication was met with standard, uninspired, uninvestigated replies.

The rewards programme also includes takeaway.com, giving a 4% cashback when used through the app. December had 1 week of 8% cashback. I have now ordered 4 times, and the cashback never materialises. For communication results, see above.

I have stopped using the rewards programme; the hassle is not worth the minimal cashback.

If you've got the documentation, report them to the news media and then the local prosecutor for fraud.

[TomTX]

Today's MPP: Just got a 5% raise - which is unusually high for my area of .gov. I kicked ass in 2021.

However, it takes 3 years to fully propagate to my pension payout ("High 3") and I'm planning to RE next year!

[kenner]

My bank has started a rewards programme for using their bank card (debit). However, it's still in its infancy and has many bugs.

There is a 3% cashback when using your debit card at a certain supermarket, but this reward needs to be reactivated every month, is only valid for 1 shop per month, and has many exclusions. The supermarket is also more upscale, and so it's rare that I actually shop there every month. Anyway, I usually get about €0.78 back :). Then, in December they had a reward of €15 back on a €35 shop, valid for just a week. This, I took advantage of, but the reward never materialised, and any communication was met with standard, uninspired, uninvestigated replies.

The rewards programme also includes takeaway.com, giving a 4% cashback when used through the app. December had 1 week of 8% cashback. I have now ordered 4 times, and the cashback never materialises. For communication results, see above.

I have stopped using the rewards programme; the hassle is not worth the minimal cashback.

If you've got the documentation, report them to the news media and then the local prosecutor for fraud.

Not sure about news media, but I've contacted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau twice for credit card issues and both times have had a response from a 'vice president' within two days.  I tend find titles worthless when it comes to banks, but I also got all of the money/credits that they were withholding on very short order so if you've got the documentation it might be worth a try.

[parkerk]

My MPP this week - I started a new job earning 3x what I was earning at my previous job, but at that job I was an independent contractor and didn't get any tax withheld.  So tax withholding now that I'm a real employee means that my take-home pay is only about 2x my previous pay.  So what if I get a big refund next April instead of a big tax bill?  I want more money nowwwww...

[TomTX]

My MPP this week - I started a new job earning 3x what I was earning at my previous job, but at that job I was an independent contractor and didn't get any tax withheld.  So tax withholding now that I'm a real employee means that my take-home pay is only about 2x my previous pay.  So what if I get a big refund next April instead of a big tax bill?  I want more money nowwwww...

File an amended W-4 (presuming you are in the USA)

[pasadenafr]

My MPP this week - I started a new job earning 3x what I was earning at my previous job, but at that job I was an independent contractor and didn't get any tax withheld.  So tax withholding now that I'm a real employee means that my take-home pay is only about 2x my previous pay.  So what if I get a big refund next April instead of a big tax bill?  I want more money nowwwww...

Also assuming you're in the US, update your W4 so you don't over-withhold (just be careful not to under-withhold too much). I tinker with mine a couple times a year, and I'm owed a whopping $87 tax refund this year.

[glacio09]

I have one of the most petty problems ever and I feel that this is one of the few places I can express my annoyance without y'all judging me for being a monster. I'm getting married in a week and we're setting up the prenup which will be just a simple this is what I have, this is what you have, if we divorce that comes off the the top and everything else is split 50/50. My issue is that we have similar savings accounts but I have ten times as much in investments as him (hence the prenup). And the market is down. For the fifth straight day. With the lowest worst month since Covid started. It's the one time before retirement that it actually could make a difference to me how much is in that account and I'm down 30k from it's high.

Thanks. I need to get that off my chest.

[Dollar Slice]

It's the one time before retirement that it actually could make a difference to me how much is in that account and I'm down 30k from it's high.

Just think of it as an extra incentive to make your marriage work ;-)  Maybe fate really wants you to stay together! (Alternately, take out a quick loan to inflate your assets and hope no one notices...)

My MPP: the new grocery store in the neighborhood has sent out a series of $10 off $40 coupons, but between being single, having a fully stocked pantry and freezer (due to Omicron worries over the winter), and ongoing stomach problems severely reducing my appetite, I have a hard time coming up with a $40 food shop every week...

[zolotiyeruki]

My MPP:  I have two teenagers old enough to work, and I've been encouraging them to contribute to their Roth IRAs while they're young.  And they've both done so over the past year. And they've both lost (on paper) money in the recent dip.  I'm debating whether to encourage them to invest more (they have more sitting in the bank) or to let ignorance be bliss...

[moof]

Working on taxes and found out we went fell into the Roth phaseout range, and now I have to do extra paperwork to deal with the excess contributions.  Bother.

[ixtap]

Working on taxes and found out we went fell into the Roth phaseout range, and now I have to do extra paperwork to deal with the excess contributions.  Bother.

At least you know the full routine. DH recharacterized, and left the non deductible contribution sitting there until it had doubled...

Which brings me to our MPP, between MBR with no growth, DH finally dealing with that tIRA and my closing my solo 401k, Turbo tax keeps asking if I am really, really sure that with all that 1099R income we entered everything correctly and owe nothing?!