Pay Yourself First or How did you create a savings plan that worked?

[Andre1969]

I'm starting to think about upping my 401k contribution a bit. Things are pissing me off at work (too many annoying co-workers throwing temper tantrums and getting away with it, and I'm just getting sick of it). Maybe if I do this, seeing my 401k grow all that much faster, and thinking about how much quicker it'll get to early retirement will make these arseholes more bearable!

[maddythebeagle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 I'm starting to think about upping my 401k contribution a bit.* Things are pissing me off at work (too many annoying co-workers throwing temper tantrums and getting away with it, and I'm just getting sick of it)

Go for it!

[retire@40]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 I'm starting to think about upping my 401k contribution a bit.* Things are pissing me off at work (too many annoying co-workers throwing temper tantrums and getting away with it, and I'm just getting sick of it).* Maybe if I do this, seeing my 401k grow all that much faster, and thinking about how much quicker it'll get to early retirement will make these arseholes more bearable!*

I'm curious. How is upping your 401(k) going to make your arsehole co-workers more bearable?

If you hate your co-workers then figure out a way to get away from them, or figure out a way to get them away from you. In a legal way, of course.

[BigMoneyJim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 Maybe [. . .] thinking about how much quicker it'll get to early retirement will make these arseholes more bearable!

Sorry, but in my experience it doesn't work that way. Looking forward to retirement just makes me wish I could stop working now.

But up the 401(k) anyway. There are many positive side effects.

On the other hand thinking about FI/RE helps me think more creatively about my current situation and frees me to try some different things. If I only had the courage...

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 I'm starting to think about upping my 401k contribution a bit.

Maxing out the 401(k)'s matched contribution is supposed to be a good thing!

Can't do much about the co-workers. But eventually temper tantrums earn the treatment they deserve...

[Andre1969]

Hey everyone, thanks for the advice and experiences. As it is, I've been someone on cruise control in this job anyway, and really do think about early retirement more often than I probably should! I am going to work on getting some attitudes adjusted here at work (legally, of course...I'm leaving the baseball bat and the two-by-four at home ).

It's funny, but the people that get me the most irritated here at work aren't supervisors or higher ranking people, but co-workers on the same level as me! There are a few here that are grubby, power-hungry little piss-ants that want to whine about everything, be miserable, and drag me down with them. And when I get some recognition by my supervisors or our customers, they get pissed, nasty, and jealous, and almost go out of their way to be nasty to me! When what they really should be doing is trying to work a little harder, and put more energy into their jobs than trying to be drama queens. I think the main reason the latest little tirade is going around is because I got nominated for, and won, a peer award. One of our customers, an upper-level manager, nominated me. And this is twice in four years I've gotten one, while none of them have even been nominated.

Plus, I'm the youngest one in here, and I think some of them are jealous of that. My closest co-worker is around 44, 9 years older than me, and I know she doesn't have diddly squat saved up. Every time we've switched companies, she'd cash in her 401k instead of rolling it over. And she'd adjust her income taxes so that she gets a big refund at the end of the year, but instead of investing it she'll blow it on a new leather sofa or a cruise or something! She's also refinanced her condo multiple times, and I know she's got to owe more on it today than she did when she bought it way back in 1990! Plus, she's only like 2 years into a 30 year mortgage. I try not to talk finances too much at work, because I know it creates bad will and jealousy, but they still figure things out sometimes. For instance, just in conversation I've mentioned my roommates, and they'll put two and two together, knowing that I recently sold a condo, and now I have two roomates where I'm at, and figure, oh, Andre's got it made! Not that I'm exactly living large, but also when some of my co-workers see how I dress (inexpensive), and lunch habits (rarely eat out), and they can figure that the 2000 Intrepid that I've had for almost 6 years has been paid off for awhile now, so it's not hard for them to figure out that I'm socking away for retirement. I'm sure that gets them jealous, to see someone that actually might make it and retire at a reasonable age!

I did a calculation, and figured that if I don't work any more overtime this year, but don't change my 401k contribution, I'd put in around $13,277. So it's not like I can really put too much more in this year, since it's limited to $14,000. Still, I'm changing my contribution rate to get me there! And, next year, when the limit goes to $15,000, I should already be set!

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Maxing out the 401(k)'s matched contribution is supposed to be a good thing! Can't do much about the co-workers. But eventually temper tantrums earn the treatment they deserve...

Well, maybe not. I know someone who is an expert at temper tantrums. Very little consequence as she is a high production person at the workplace. Lots of other people quit though.

[BigMoneyJim]

Anre1969, I think about retirement a lot, too, but I wouldn't say "more than I should". It's depressing and unmotivating sometimes, but it also sparks some creative thinking about my finances and career. I haven't been brave enough to do anything out-of-the-box yet, but if my traditional train is derailed I already have many alternate ideas on how to proceed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 It's funny, but the people that get me the most irritated here at work aren't supervisors or higher ranking people, but co-workers on the same level as me! There are a few here that are grubby, power-hungry little piss-ants that want to whine about everything, be miserable, and drag me down with them.

Yeah, I think I have it figured: Management hates hiring and training new people, so while on the surface they seem to be in control many are just treading water and hoping they won't have to hire your replacement and make things more or less easy for you. But coworkers and peer workers from other departments are the bears to wrestle with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Well, maybe not. I know someone who is an expert at temper tantrums. Very little consequence as she is a high production person at the workplace. Lots of other people quit though.

I have one of those. He thinks he runs the place and sticks his nose into everyone's business and gripes about everything. At his age I assume he enjoys being that way and is an expert at it. Once or twice I was ready to tell him exactly what I thought of him in front of other people, and at those instances he quickly backed down. He's good at this, all right...knows just when to get off the buttons.

If we continue the career/bad person talk we should probably start another thread. We mods keep participating in threadjacking. Bad mods, mad mods.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha Well, maybe not.* I know someone who is an expert at temper tantrums.* Very little consequence as she is a high production person at the workplace.* Lots of other people quit though.

It's tough to put a timer on tantrum tactics, but eventually management becomes aware that everyone else has to work almost as hard as the high-production tantrum thrower just to keep up with the body count.

At some point the question has to be asked: "Is this person worth all the collateral damage?"

Just keep feeding them more rope...

[maddythebeagle]

I have found the opposite on putting a financial plan together. I feel that it adds empowerment and I can put the petty things at work in perspective. My immediate coworkers are ok. Not a lot of temper tantrums, though. From what you say Andre, it sounds like there are a lot of good things at your job. Also, even if I was ready financially to FIRE today, I think it is still going to take some push out the door.

[Andre1969]

Thanks, Maddy, that's pretty much the response that I was trying to put together, but I just couldn't find the words! My job can get annoying sometimes, but for the most part the government customers that we support really look out for me, and they're a great bunch to work for. And a few years back, we had this self-righteous nut-job that was running around making everybody's life miserable. He was one of those types that was probably brilliant, but his people skills sucked. And if he came up with what he thought was a better way of doing things, but nobody wanted to accept his ideas, he'd literally throw a tantrum.

And it was almost like he'd go out of his way to find ways to annoy you. For instance, he had the habit of blowing his nose...loud and hard. But one day I came in here with a summer cold, and every time I coughed or sniffled, he had to comment on how it was getting on his nerves. He actually went so far as to go to another co-worker to say that he thought I was doing it on purpose. She kept that from me, until AFTER he got transferred out, because she probably figured that as far as he was pushing me, I'd probably punch him out. I mean, you can only poke at a sleeping bear so many times before you lose a body part!

But, he's gone now. Let's just say that he ran up against me one time too many, and lost. And now he's at some other project making new enemies! : And throwing tantrums. Some people just never get it.

At this point, even if I got really lucky and could retire tomorrow, I probably wouldn't. But, a little at a time, as my retirement and investments grow, the additional empowerment does feel nice. I wonder what my attitude's going to be when I finally get to the point that my nest egg is earning more per year than I do?

[Sheryl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 I did a calculation, and figured that if I don't work any more overtime this year, but don't change my 401k contribution, I'd put in around $13,277.* So it's not like I can really put too much more in this year, since it's limited to $14,000.* Still, I'm changing my contribution rate to get me there!* And, next year, when the limit goes to $15,000, I should already be set!

Good job Andre!* *I set my contributions to $700 per check ($1,400 per month) so by the end of October I'll be done.* My spending always goes up around the holidays - travel, gifts, parties, etc., so it's nice to have that extra money show up in the Nov. and Dec. checks.*

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords It's tough to put a timer on tantrum tactics, but eventually management becomes aware that everyone else has to work almost as hard as the high-production tantrum thrower just to keep up with the body count. At some point the question has to be asked: "Is this person worth all the collateral damage?" Just keep feeding them more rope...

Yup, the person was not worth the collateral damage. Should have been fired. The fall out was big and other good employees left.

[Gone4Good]

A nice summary of the advice in this thread might be:

1) Don't buy crap you don't need
2) Save the money you'd have spent on said crap
3) Retire early

[runchman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by . . . Yrs to Go A nice summary of the advice in this thread might be: 1) Don't buy crap you don't need 2) Save the money you'd have spent on said crap 3) Retire early

And I would add

2.5) sleep easy at night knowing you have a nice nest egg instead of mountains of debt eating at you.