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Old 01-08-2008, 09:46 PM   #21
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And according to my shoe repairman I wear soles evenly.
wow where do you find a shoe repairman these days? The last one in my area retired (died?) 10 years ago.
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Old 01-08-2008, 09:51 PM   #22
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I'm a dinosaur ...
Sorry, I had that one first. Get your own gig, please!
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Old 01-08-2008, 10:09 PM   #23
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Sorry, I had that one first. Get your own gig, please!
whoops ... my bad ...
what's left?
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Old 01-08-2008, 10:30 PM   #24
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Wife? Wife? This guy is married? That must be very interesting.
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Old 01-08-2008, 11:54 PM   #25
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Growing up in a big city with ethnic communities, it used to be common to see extended families. The grandparents taking care of the grandchildren, ...etc. I think that American culture has lost a lot as they moved away from that.
I agree completely. But the kids paid room and board. This character is just a world class leach.

Ha
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Old 01-09-2008, 07:27 AM   #26
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I also look at some of the budgets and wonder how they do it .Especially when I see a working women's clothes budget of $80.00 .When I was working my pantyhose budget alone was close to that .Plus I wonder where do they buy their underwear . My underwear needs replacement yearly .I can see buying things at Good will but going years without buying any clothing just amazes me . How do you all do it ? Especially if you are working at a job that doesn't have paid uniforms? Please enlighten me ?.
I can't do $80/year. I spend more than that on athletic shoes - 2 pair per year, like W2R, I don't scrimp there.

Probably about $500/year. The biggest expenses are shoes (including athletic shoes), undergarments and stockings.

Each year I supplement with a few new things and retire the stuff that is worn, torn, stained, etc. I buy on sale and at goodwill. I am also still wearing suits that I bought 20 years ago. Today I am wearing a 20+ year old shirt and jacket, 3 year old pants and 2 year old shoes.

Buying quality and maintaining the same weight goes a long way.
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Old 01-09-2008, 07:50 AM   #27
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This guy is a world class "nutter" (as the English would say).
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HaHa: I'm curious about these Birkenstocks
Old 01-09-2008, 07:56 AM   #28
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HaHa: I'm curious about these Birkenstocks

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About $150 of it was resoling my Birks.
I spend more on shoe soles than I do on tires for my car. And according to my shoe repairman I wear soles evenly.
Mike,
I know you are dancing and walking a lot, but the monetary amount caught my eye. "Original" Birkenstocks supose to last 50k miles walking. How much does it cost to re-sole Birks in SF? If you have more than one pair have you considered re-soling it with Vibram sole? (this one would be too stiff for dancing)

sailor,
a) whose clothes spending in 2007 was $44.95 pair of Keen sandals on sale.
b) whose family spent $1090.45 for children clothing (to be fair this includes "specialty equipment" too, like a balaclava or reef walking shoes or rash guard, etc).
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Old 01-09-2008, 07:58 AM   #29
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Buying quality and maintaining the same weight goes a long way.
That's so true .I have been the same weight for forty years give or take five pounds.
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Old 01-09-2008, 08:09 AM   #30
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True! There are many things that I would be too proud to do, and living with my parents (when they were alive) is one of them. Never did that after age 18, despite some rough years.
I suppose it depends on the people involved. After a divorce when I was 34 I moved in with my mother for 18 months several reasons, not all of them selfish. From my perspective it accomplished two goals: I got a cheap place to stay while I saved down payment for a house. The other issue was looking after her.

She was having a hard time keeping up the house by herself, and there's nothing like living there to see all the little things in a house that needed attention, many of which were 20-minute repairs/maintenance. Wives often call it a "honey-do list" - ALL of that stuff got done. While I was there I paid all the utilities, (house was paid for) and the short list is that I cleaned out 20 years of junk my packrat father had left behind when he died, repainted the entire interior, and fixed up the lawn and landscaping since she was planning on selling the house a few years later.

No one implied that I was leaching - it just seemed to be the arrangement that met both our needs at the time. And yeah, it was kind of uncomfortable being 34 and living with Mom. But I made sure that was a temporary arrangement. I stuck to the savings plan and in 18 months I was gone.
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Old 01-09-2008, 08:28 AM   #31
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Let's take a poll of all the ladies (single or married) on this board who would get hot and bothered over a guy living in a rented room? Uh...noone is raising their hands? My...why a surprise... I wouldn't even want this guy for a casual friend, frankly.
He reminds me of my Personal Investing professor in college who bragged he kept a strict record of every penny he spent daily...every penny...and--if we were his wife--he wouldn't let us (and I quote) "spend a penny." Mmmm...delightful lifestyle...

And where is our Board member "Lazygood4nothing" in this discussion? Isn't this somewhat his lifestyle?
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Old 01-09-2008, 08:30 AM   #32
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And according to my shoe repairman I wear soles evenly.
It's good to rotate regularly...

Thanks to not gaining much weight over the years, I still have a closet full of khakis and business-casual shirts left from the last time I had to dress for success.

For the last 9 years, my work attire has been short-pants, tees/polos, and $30 Reeboks from Kohl's...

Good practice for FIRE!
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Old 01-09-2008, 10:52 AM   #33
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Mike,
I know you are dancing and walking a lot, but the monetary amount caught my eye. "Original" Birkenstocks supose to last 50k miles walking. How much does it cost to re-sole Birks in SF? If you have more than one pair have you considered re-soling it with Vibram sole? (this one would be too stiff for dancing)
Sailor-I don't wear them to dance, just walking and normal walk around wear. I have 2 pairs of Londons which I rotate daily most of the year, and one pair of open Arizonas for summer. I just resole with normal Birkenstock soles, or those heel inserts when the ball and toe are still OK. It costs $22 to $42, depending on what has to be done. If they say a sole lasts 50K miles they are not paying attention! I wear a step counter, and I think I may walk 2000 -2200 miles/year on the Birks, and as you can see I go through a lot of soles to do that! I have a really good pair of Norwegian welt Merrill boots which I wear only on trails or in the city with snow on the ground, and those soles have held up very well.

I realize it would be cheaper to just buy cheap running shoes. But they wouldn’t keep my feet dry, and Birkenstocks cured my plantar fasciitis which was getting really troublesome so I am brand loyal. I even use Birkenstock inserts in my hiking boots.

I have wondered about putting a relatively light Vibram sole on one pair of Birks, so I can navigate better in bad weather. Have you tried this?

I have 2 pairs of dance shoes, which last almost forever because they never get outside pavement usage. For clubs and summer outside dancing I just wear a light pair of oxfords which also last a long time. Dancing is a very low wear item on shoes!

Ha
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Old 01-09-2008, 11:09 AM   #34
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This guy is truly a self-congratulatory leech.

He's pretty proud about how he manipulates people (women). I know someone like this. People avoid him because it doesn't take much to realize he is always sizing you up to see how he can get something from you.

Needless to say, I don't return his calls or e-mails. Neither do any of my friends.
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Old 01-10-2008, 09:05 PM   #35
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Let's take a poll of all the ladies (single or married) on this board who would get hot and bothered over a guy living in a rented room? Uh...noone is raising their hands? My...why a surprise... I wouldn't even want this guy for a casual friend, frankly.
He reminds me of my Personal Investing professor in college who bragged he kept a strict record of every penny he spent daily...every penny...and--if we were his wife--he wouldn't let us (and I quote) "spend a penny." Mmmm...delightful lifestyle...
I think it's difficult if not impossible to pass judgment on an abstract, unnamed person. Also, I'd feel sorry for excluding people for "hot and bothered" based on their renting status. Yet again, there's more focus on the external than what's on the inside; it may not be shape and size of body parts, but it's not far off. I'd much prefer renting a room to being in massive debt and spending behind means, yet I'd give him a chance as well (i.e., give both a chance). "Hot and bothered" isn't exactly how I'd choose to describe a lasting relationship and probably not even the precursor to one. Outsides aren't characteristic of insides.

It is easy to afford whatever you want. I think people are afraid to ask for things that they want; they assume that they won't get it. Americans are too used to seeing a price tag on things; even flea markets generally have priced items. Many so-called third world nations and developing nations do not do this; in this way, they truly know what free markets are.

Also, there's waste. Why purchase containers to store food? Cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. (more than just dairy) come in such containers. Why pay for electricity that you really don't use? Unplug the microwave when not in use. Do you really need to pay to keep the time? After all, the microwave isn't a clock. There's probably a reason why my electricity bill was always $16-28 dollars/month when I lived alone.
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Old 01-11-2008, 06:36 AM   #36
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I also see nothing wrong with going dutch or taking turns paying .Not for the first date but after that why should the guys always have to pay ? Especially now when we are usually making the same or more than them .Is this a regional thing ? Because in the Northeast going dutch or taking turns paying is common practice .
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Old 01-11-2008, 07:53 AM   #37
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Starter82, what bothered you most about that post? The phrase "hot and bothered" or the fact that you seem to agree with this guy's philosophy and are taking it personally?
This guy is a leech, a mooch, not only cheap but he lives off of other people and uses their money for his own personal satisfaction. He's a creep, and, yes, stupid women will spend time and even marry guys like him at times. But he is still a creep deep down.
And if you can find any redeeming features in his philosophy of life, well...good for you. I agree with a few things he says, but mooching off others is definitely not one of them. And if you can find some wonderful insides to this guy...well, you are far better at finding them than I have been. I say he is a mooch, leech and creep. Sorry.
Interesting that in the Northeast of this country going Dutch is accepted. It doesn't seem to work that way in the Midwest or the South yet. But I am not opposed to picking up the tab every once in awhile either. It equals things out more, I think. And, if we women want our economic freedom, we have to take some responsibility.
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Old 01-11-2008, 09:03 AM   #38
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Starter82, what bothered you most about that post? The phrase "hot and bothered" or the fact that you seem to agree with this guy's philosophy and are taking it personally?
This guy is a leech, a mooch, not only cheap but he lives off of other people and uses their money for his own personal satisfaction. He's a creep, and, yes, stupid women will spend time and even marry guys like him at times. But he is still a creep deep down.
And if you can find any redeeming features in his philosophy of life, well...good for you. I agree with a few things he says, but mooching off others is definitely not one of them. And if you can find some wonderful insides to this guy...well, you are far better at finding them than I have been. I say he is a mooch, leech and creep. Sorry.
Interesting that in the Northeast of this country going Dutch is accepted. It doesn't seem to work that way in the Midwest or the South yet. But I am not opposed to picking up the tab every once in awhile either. It equals things out more, I think. And, if we women want our economic freedom, we have to take some responsibility.
Come on Orchidflower, tell us how you REALLY feel.
BTW, drop dead gorgeous DD routinely pays her own way (20 YO GA gal) and always has. I've tried to convince her to go ahead and let the guys pay and save the old man and herself a few dollars. Nope. She will only allow them to pay if she considers the young man someone she's "dating", which to her means she's not dating anyone else. To me, this is backwards, but she's aways done what she wanted to do and been no problem to us, so whatever works for her. In a weird way I guess she's testing for a serious commitment, is he willing to carry the load for her.

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I think it's difficult if not impossible to pass judgment on an abstract, unnamed person. Also, I'd feel sorry for excluding people for "hot and bothered" based on their renting status. Yet again, there's more focus on the external than what's on the inside; it may not be shape and size of body parts, but it's not far off. I'd much prefer renting a room to being in massive debt and spending behind means, yet I'd give him a chance as well (i.e., give both a chance). "Hot and bothered" isn't exactly how I'd choose to describe a lasting relationship and probably not even the precursor to one. Outsides aren't characteristic of insides.

It is easy to afford whatever you want. I think people are afraid to ask for things that they want; they assume that they won't get it. Americans are too used to seeing a price tag on things; even flea markets generally have priced items. Many so-called third world nations and developing nations do not do this; in this way, they truly know what free markets are.

Also, there's waste. Why purchase containers to store food? Cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. (more than just dairy) come in such containers. Why pay for electricity that you really don't use? Unplug the microwave when not in use. Do you really need to pay to keep the time? After all, the microwave isn't a clock. There's probably a reason why my electricity bill was always $16-28 dollars/month when I lived alone.
Hey Starter82, will you marry me...oops, never mind, I'm already married.
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Old 01-11-2008, 10:19 AM   #39
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This guy is a leech, a mooch, not only cheap but he lives off of other people and uses their money for his own personal satisfaction. He's a creep, and, yes, stupid women will spend time and even marry guys like him at times. But he is still a creep deep down.
I see your point and I think most women do have higher standards than that, you're right. Before I met Frank on an internet dating website, some of my criteria for a date were that he HAD to have a job, a place of his own, and a car or some way of getting around town. The guy didn't have to be rich, but no way would I date a leech or mooch like that.

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Interesting that in the Northeast of this country going Dutch is accepted. It doesn't seem to work that way in the Midwest or the South yet.
As a native New Orleanian, Frank wants to (and does) pick up the tab when we go out. Sometimes he lets me pick up the tip. I always offer, and thank him afterwards. It is still customary for gentlemen in our 50-ish generation to pay the tab, decide where we're going, and drive the car down here.
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Old 01-11-2008, 10:28 AM   #40
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tightasadrum: I get your message loud and clear. I'm just too subtle for you?
AND, by the way, your DD sounds like a very, very smart girl. If she is really great looking, paying her own way gives her back the control that she feels she would give away by having the guy pay. Hence, she feels no obligation to...shall we say...pay him back in "any" way. (Sorry, this is reality talking here, parent.) She is a sharp cookie, and I would leave her alone. Sounds like you did alright by her, and she can take care of herself pretty well without interference.
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