Author Topic: Well you people have really done a number on me  (Read 4991 times)

KTG

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Well you people have really done a number on me
« on: February 15, 2018, 07:31:20 AM »
A couple of evenings ago I went to the Apple store in the mall to have my battery replaced (taking advantage of their $30 battery replacement offer). While waiting, I walked over to Starbucks for a tall White Chocolate Mocha, pretty much my favorite coffee drink over the years. I've been doing amazingly well not treating myself to much since the new year, and have been saving money, so I thought, "go for it. You don't do this often." So I pay and the cost doesn't really hit me, although I could feel the Mustachian in me disapprove, and that first sip was delicious.

So this morning I was getting my keys, wallet, and so on on my way out to work, and in the mix is the Starbucks receipt: $4 and change. I was so disgusted I paid $4 something for a cup of coffee.

Now I consider myself fortunate: I work in an office that provides free coffee. Its office coffee, but its free. And I even drink it black. And I am very thankful for it as I have worked in other places that didn't provide coffee, and I would end up stopping at you know where on my way in.

At home I typically treat myself to the nice stuff, but I only drink a cup a morning on the weekends at home. So not a big deal.

But man how things have changed because of my eyes opening. I really feel dumb about that coffee. It's really sunk in how much I am paying for that, regardless how delicious it is, and how much you spend over time on things like that.

Will prob treat myself to it again some day, but are in no hurry.

ketchup

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2018, 07:57:56 AM »
Bravo.  You can probably find a copycat recipe for whatever Starbucks drink online.  My girlfriend likes the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, and I've managed to replicate that at home for about 40 cents a servings.

How was the Apple battery replacement dance?  I heard about the $30 offer, and planned on taking advantage of it towards the end of the year since that's when it expires, but over the past couple weeks my phone's battery seems to have gone completely to shit and lasts about half as long as before for seemingly no reason (no phantom background app activity or anything).  I've only had the phone since Black Friday 2016, so it seems insane that it might already benefit from a replacement.  I've heard that they won't do it for $30 unless they somehow deem the battery already bad - is that the case?

Bird In Hand

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2018, 07:59:54 AM »
First, I'll agree that SB specialty drinks are stupidly expensive.

But man, if you're wracked with guilt and/or self-loathing because you spent $4 on a rare treat (assuming every few months)...that ain't good either.  I hope you can find the happy middle ground where you make wise and frugal spending choices 99% of the time, but also allow yourself to enjoy an overpriced $4 cup of coffee now and then without worrying about it -- or making it a frequent habit.

Bird In Hand

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2018, 08:02:44 AM »
Also, there's an amusing irony to getting worked up about a $4 treat while you just paid $30 to have your $600/year (I'm guessing) phone fixed.  ;)

KTG

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2018, 08:21:52 AM »
Quote
How was the Apple battery replacement dance?  I heard about the $30 offer, and planned on taking advantage of it towards the end of the year since that's when it expires, but over the past couple weeks my phone's battery seems to have gone completely to shit and lasts about half as long as before for seemingly no reason (no phantom background app activity or anything).  I've only had the phone since Black Friday 2016, so it seems insane that it might already benefit from a replacement.  I've heard that they won't do it for $30 unless they somehow deem the battery already bad - is that the case?

Yeah it was a bit of a pain in the ass. I went there, they were too busy and I didn't want to wait, so I scheduled an appointment. Went to my appointment to hear that they were out of batteries and they would call me when they came in. It took like a month from beginning to end.

However, if you have an older phone, like I do (6 Plus) and want to extend it's life, there is no better way to do it. I got the phone soon after it was first released, and they said my battery was still at 87% good which I thought was crazy. But its normally close to $90 to replace it, so why not?

And I will admit that over the last year, Apple has really f'd up its operating system. The Apple Store said a new battery would help with the freezes, but we'll have to see.

Quote
Also, there's an amusing irony to getting worked up about a $4 treat while you just paid $30 to have your $600/year (I'm guessing) phone fixed.  ;)

Maybe, but I did buy this phone awhile ago, but then again, I would prob buy the 8 if I didn't have this. I do a LOT on my phone. I have books on my phone, I read the news, track my mustachian empire, banking, watch youtube etc etc all on that phone. I use it more than anything else I own. So the cost per use is pretty stellar, and as I said its a 6 plus, which is an older phone. I am not the kind of person who cycles out their phone as soon as a new one comes out. Before the 6 I had the 4.

So if I can extend the life of my 6 for $30 versus buying a whole new phone... I'll take it.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2018, 08:26:07 AM by KTG »

ketchup

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2018, 08:28:43 AM »
Quote
How was the Apple battery replacement dance?  I heard about the $30 offer, and planned on taking advantage of it towards the end of the year since that's when it expires, but over the past couple weeks my phone's battery seems to have gone completely to shit and lasts about half as long as before for seemingly no reason (no phantom background app activity or anything).  I've only had the phone since Black Friday 2016, so it seems insane that it might already benefit from a replacement.  I've heard that they won't do it for $30 unless they somehow deem the battery already bad - is that the case?

Yeah it was a bit of a pain in the ass. I went there, they were too busy and I didn't want to wait, so I scheduled an appointment. Went to my appointment to hear that they were out of batteries and they would call me when they came in. It took like a month from beginning to end.

However, if you have an older phone, like I do (6 Plus) and want to extend it's life, there is no better way to do it. I got the phone soon after it was first released, and they said my battery was still at 87% good which I thought was crazy. But its normally close to $90 to replace it, so why not?

And I will admit that over the last year, Apple has really f'd up its operating system. The Apple Store said a new battery would help with the freezes, but we'll have to see.
Blech, what a pain.  I'll probably just deal with it until late in the year.  Mine's a 7 and only 15 months old, so I'll probably try other approaches before going nuclear.

The Apple store used to be so easy to deal with before they were selling a bajillion iPhones per year.  I remember bringing my iPod mini to one in ~2005 to fix an issue and they just replaced it on the spot, whole thing took like 10 minutes, no appointments or BS.

Bird In Hand

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2018, 08:37:54 AM »
Quote
Quote
Also, there's an amusing irony to getting worked up about a $4 treat while you just paid $30 to have your $600/year (I'm guessing) phone fixed.  ;)

Maybe, but I did buy this phone awhile ago, but then again, I would prob buy the 8 if I didn't have this. I do a LOT on my phone. I have books on my phone, I read the news, track my mustachian empire, banking, watch youtube etc etc all on that phone. I use it more than anything else I own. So the cost per use is pretty stellar, and as I said its a 6 plus, which is an older phone. I am not the kind of person who cycles out their phone as soon as a new one comes out. Before the 6 I had the 4.

So if I can extend the life of my 6 for $30 versus buying a whole new phone... I'll take it.

Hey man, no judgment.  I know a lot of people feel that they get good value from their phones.  I like mine, but my employer pays for it.  Just don't beat yourself up over this rare $4 SB treat, and don't make it a frequent habit.

Travis

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2018, 08:44:52 AM »
First, I'll agree that SB specialty drinks are stupidly expensive.

But man, if you're wracked with guilt and/or self-loathing because you spent $4 on a rare treat (assuming every few months)...that ain't good either.  I hope you can find the happy middle ground where you make wise and frugal spending choices 99% of the time, but also allow yourself to enjoy an overpriced $4 cup of coffee now and then without worrying about it -- or making it a frequent habit.

Somewhat agree here. It's good that it was a conscious thought process.  Significant changes in lifestyle (diet, exercise, spending money) are all habits that take rewiring of the brain to be sustainable and that takes time.  If you haven't been at the Mustachian life for very long, keep feeling your way through and figure out what works best for you.  A treat once in a while isn't a bad thing as long as you're aware that it's a treat and not a relapse into old bad habits. 

bluebelle

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2018, 09:18:57 AM »
hey - I'm proud of you for choosing to replace the battery rather than getting a new phone....I'm still on an Iphone 5, so the battery deal doesn't apply to me.  I know way too many people in real life that insist on chasing the next iphone (to the point of setting their alarm for 3am when the iphonex was coming out, seriously, WTF).

I realize what forum I'm on, but we need to get small simple pleasures in life now, and remember to live now rather than banking on someday.

The only thing I'll say is you probably would have gotten just as much please out of a small rather than a tall (whatever SB insists on calling a small).  Studies show that it's the first few tastes that give us the pleasure.

ketchup

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2018, 09:32:41 AM »
The only thing I'll say is you probably would have gotten just as much please out of a small rather than a tall (whatever SB insists on calling a small).  Studies show that it's the first few tastes that give us the pleasure.
I'm pretty sure a tall is a small. :P

bluebelle

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2018, 09:57:55 AM »
The only thing I'll say is you probably would have gotten just as much please out of a small rather than a tall (whatever SB insists on calling a small).  Studies show that it's the first few tastes that give us the pleasure.
I'm pretty sure a tall is a small. :P
I had to go look it up (not a starbucks person, never understood the attraction).....their tall is what I'd call a medium.  Although, I had assumed a 'Tall' was a large, who knew?

Anyway, I went and looked it up:
Unsatisfied with existing sizes Short, (8 ounces), Tall (12 ounces), Grande (16 ounces), Venti (20 ounces), and Venti Iced (24 ounces), Starbucks is launching the 31-ounce Trenta. The Trenta will cost fifty cents more than the Venti Iced, and will similarly only be available for iced drinks. We guess it's hard to keep drinks that large warm? Or maybe it's a liability to serve that much hot liquid?

alanB

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2018, 10:20:11 AM »
The only thing I'll say is you probably would have gotten just as much please out of a small rather than a tall (whatever SB insists on calling a small).  Studies show that it's the first few tastes that give us the pleasure.
I'm pretty sure a tall is a small. :P
I had to go look it up (not a starbucks person, never understood the attraction).....their tall is what I'd call a medium.  Although, I had assumed a 'Tall' was a large, who knew?

Anyway, I went and looked it up:
Unsatisfied with existing sizes Short, (8 ounces), Tall (12 ounces), Grande (16 ounces), Venti (20 ounces), and Venti Iced (24 ounces), Starbucks is launching the 31-ounce Trenta. The Trenta will cost fifty cents more than the Venti Iced, and will similarly only be available for iced drinks. We guess it's hard to keep drinks that large warm? Or maybe it's a liability to serve that much hot liquid?

Most people don't know about Short because it is not on the menu.  If you have the (free) reward card and you buy a Short you still get free refills.  Technically you can even get a refill of a different drink, like a huge tea.  I have heard that they do not always let you do that though.

KTG, if you like the crazy drinks they give you one free drink per year around your birthday.  Maybe find a few coffee-loathers and sign them up too, get their free drinks - one per signup and one per year.  Is that enough? ;)

deek

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2018, 10:26:33 AM »
I still have the iPhone 5s and it's just now starting to go bad. "Invalid SIM" almost daily and a fair amount of lag. Still works for me though.

Wonder if I'm better off getting the 6 or 7. Will probably go 7 and keep that until she dies.

Tris Prior

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2018, 10:27:00 AM »
Ugh, I have to get this done too; I've actually been holding off on updating the OS on my 6 because my friend did that to her 6 and suddenly had horrible battery life and speed problems. And it dies in the cold pretty often even if I leave the house with a full charge. The Apple store here is just such a PITA to deal with; it's so hard to get an appointment.

Still, $29 for a battery replacement is better than a new phone. I like my 6 fine, exploited my friend's Apple store employee discount to get it at a good discount, and I need a method of taking credit card payment at art shows. So I'm going to run it into the ground, just like I used to do with cars when I owned them. If $29 helps me do that, awesome. It would not do to have the thing crap out at a show while I'm trying to run someone's card.

And, fwiw, I'm the same way re fancy coffee drinks. I allow myself one PSL and one Christmas Starbucks per year and I'm completely disgusted by the price every time. I used to not think twice about it. Now that we have free pretty-good coffee at work, paying for it seems obscene.

Bird In Hand

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2018, 10:42:11 AM »
And it dies in the cold pretty often even if I leave the house with a full charge

That started happening to my wife's 6s/plus after the iOS update.  Everything was working perfectly, then the update, then the phone just dies every time she takes it out in the cold.  Very annoying.

FireHiker

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2018, 11:32:19 AM »
I have an SE and need to get the battery done this year too. I'm going to wait until later in the year I think since I don't have a problem with it yet.

I say good for you for being disgusted by the coffee cost! It just shows how much your mindset has changed. It's okay I think to "treat yo self" every once in awhile as long as it is a conscious choice and is well within your budget. The important thing is that you've broken out of the routine of getting the expensive coffee regularly as a habit without taking the cost into consideration.

I had a conversation yesterday with a co-worker who was talking about the Starbucks rewards. Boy have they worked him! We get free Starbucks at work in a fancy espresso machine (the machine was probably at least $1300 from what I've seen looking around online). He stopped and got Starbucks yesterday because there is a "3 day in a row bonus" and he had gotten something for one of his kids the day before and was planning to be in an airport today, so he went and got coffee yesterday to get the 3 day reward. But, they also got a fancy $$$ brand new truck last year because they "needed" it as a tax write off for his wife's business. I can't even remember the last time I got a coffee out. I used to stop at Starbucks 3-5 times a week. I'm horrified looking back, but at least it's in the past now and not the present, and I stopped that habit as soon as we had good coffee at work, well before finding MMM.

Tris Prior

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2018, 11:34:21 AM »
And it dies in the cold pretty often even if I leave the house with a full charge

That started happening to my wife's 6s/plus after the iOS update.  Everything was working perfectly, then the update, then the phone just dies every time she takes it out in the cold.  Very annoying.

Is that after the battery replacement? Or has she not done that?

Car Jack

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2018, 11:39:45 AM »
I'm running my 4s with ios 7.1 which is, by the way, the double secret way to avoid the apple planned obsolescence battery self destruction plan.  Even better, I got it from my last employer for free.  :D

Bird In Hand

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2018, 12:30:42 PM »
And it dies in the cold pretty often even if I leave the house with a full charge

That started happening to my wife's 6s/plus after the iOS update.  Everything was working perfectly, then the update, then the phone just dies every time she takes it out in the cold.  Very annoying.

Is that after the battery replacement? Or has she not done that?

Oh -- sorry for the confusion.  She has not had the battery replacement done yet.

alanB

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2018, 12:46:21 PM »

I had a conversation yesterday with a co-worker who was talking about the Starbucks rewards. Boy have they worked him! We get free Starbucks at work in a fancy espresso machine (the machine was probably at least $1300 from what I've seen looking around online). He stopped and got Starbucks yesterday because there is a "3 day in a row bonus" and he had gotten something for one of his kids the day before and was planning to be in an airport today, so he went and got coffee yesterday to get the 3 day reward.

I got a free starbucks gift card from my work once - something like $30 - so I dabbled in the rewards to maximize the value.  Some of them are easy, like buy one thing and you have almost enough to get a free drink.  The best free drink is trenta cold brew, no ice.  I can stretch that thing out for a few days. 

The coffee at your work may be free.. and taste the same... and actually be the same... but where is the sense of accomplishment??  Maybe if the machine said, "good job, you've earned this coffee."


BTDretire

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2018, 01:53:00 PM »
 My will was broke down and I drove to our local Baskin Robbins for Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice cream in a waffle cone.
They are just to expensive, but I went there anyway.
I made my order and she said we don't have the waffle cones.
 I was shattered, and said, never mind.
I wasn't going to pay that price if I couldn't get exactly what I wanted.
 I guess I should have checked to see if this was a permanant change or if they
were out.
 Just so you know, on the 31st of the month they have 1/2 price ice cream.
Even that is more than I want to pay.
But that Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice cream is awfully GOOD!
                                    :-)

FireHiker

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Re: Well you people have really done a number on me
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2018, 02:21:16 PM »
The coffee at your work may be free.. and taste the same... and actually be the same... but where is the sense of accomplishment??  Maybe if the machine said, "good job, you've earned this coffee."

Ha ha, thanks for the laugh :)

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!