frugal uni librarian donates $4mm

[someguy]

https://boingboing.net/2017/10/11/la...portsball.html

This is an interesting read. Reminds me of some of our members here

[candrew]

Not only a remarkable story from the standpoint of his amassing a $4 million nest egg on a librarian's salary, but that he also managed to live to 78 years of age in spite of a diet that included eating microwaved frozen meals every night.

[Sunset]

Also remarkable how the University administrators dreamed up a story to justify their splurge spending of his donation, on something that is (IMHO) frivolous and will not help University students learn/study unlike the library.

An important lesson to all, if you are donating a sizable sum of money and don't want it "wasted", make it restricted.

[Teacher Terry]

That was really terrible. Too bad he did not have some fun with some of his $.

[Elbata]

All that sacrifice. To be dishonored this way is disgraceful.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candrew Not only a remarkable story from the standpoint of his amassing a $4 million nest egg on a librarian's salary, but that he also managed to live to 78 years of age in spite of a diet that included eating microwaved frozen meals every night.

Well, my Dad has been eating frozen dinners for a very, very long time and he's 90 years old. So....

[Sunset]

I'm not a dietitian, but I've seen people eat cereal for supper because they are "too lazy" to cook supper.
I'll admit cooking every night is a drag, sometimes I don't want to do it, but I'd slit my wrists before I'd eat cereal for supper.
I will occasionally eat a tv dinner when I want a quick lunch (at work I always ate them as it's better than a sandwich), not those cheap $1.00 budget ones, but Lean Cusine or Marie Calendars, which I often see on sale for $2.50->$3.00

When I see some old person mid-eighties, eating a donut for lunch because of not knowing how to cook (male fellow) and probably no interest in cooking, I recommend tv dinners.

Maybe the industry should rename them from tv dinner, to Quick Dinner to be more acceptable

[audreyh1]

By the time Dad reached mid-80s he had lost interest in cooking for himself. He had been widowed for 20 years, so knowing how to cook for himself was not the problem.

He drove out for breakfast and lunch, and had cereal for dinner. He wasn't very hungry at night, so cereal for dinner was just fine. He would usually add fresh fruit.

[bigcmagor]

My wealthy uncle died and left a handsome piece of his trust to the local senior center. They always welcomed him even though he appeared destitute and un-kept. He knew the center was operating on a shoestring and he wanted to ensure it's survival. Turns out the center was a satellite branch of a not for profit in a nearby town. The board wanted to get their hands on the funds for other projects, so they closed the local center and swept the funds back into the parent organization's account. Seems one has to be very clear on their giving intentions or the outcome can be quite different than planned.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 By the time Dad reached mid-80s he had lost interest in cooking for himself. He had been widowed for 20 years, so knowing how to cook for himself was not the problem. He drove out for breakfast and lunch, and had cereal for dinner. He wasn't very hungry at night, so cereal for dinner was just fine. He would usually add fresh fruit.

That is some of my Dad's issues..he just isn't that hungry. I have breakfast w/ him once a week and he does OK with that meal, and we have dinner w/ him once or twice a week, but he eats WAY less than we do. We tend to leave a couple of servings of leftovers with him, and he will "make them last" for almost a week!

[someguy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candrew Not only a remarkable story from the standpoint of his amassing a $4 million nest egg on a librarian's salary, but that he also managed to live to 78 years of age in spite of a diet that included eating microwaved frozen meals every night.

I thought his "longevity" was even more amazing in light of his apparent lack of social bonds. I mean 21,000 movies would have to be nearly 20 years of watching 6 hours of movies a day 365 days a year. Or one movie a day continuously and without fail for 57 years!

But really sad how little the beneficiaries apparently felt they needed to honor him. Like others have said, a real lesson in gifting.

[socca]

It would be interesting to compare the proportion of university spending going to athletics, administration, & academics compared with 40 years ago. I won't be making any unrestricted gifts to universities because my gut feeling is that not enough is going to academics; too bad I don't have any data to back up my gut.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 That is some of my Dad's issues..he just isn't that hungry. I have breakfast w/ him once a week and he does OK with that meal, and we have dinner w/ him once or twice a week, but he eats WAY less than we do. We tend to leave a couple of servings of leftovers with him, and he will "make them last" for almost a week!

Dad didn't even want to mess with leftovers at home anymore. He stopped bothering to heat those up. Just the cold cereal.

Dad can put away quite a bit of food if it's someone else's cooking! But not at every meal of course.

He was eating pretty full meals when he went out. He was getting pretty skinny though, but I think he has gained a little weight now that he is getting regular meals at assisted living.

[brett]

My father made his own spaghetti sauce and meat balls from scratch. Big batches that he would freeze into individual servings. He ate spaghetti three nights a week a washed it down with a glass a red wine. If guests tired of spaghetti he would offer them rigatoni instead.

I think that the tomatoes,the olive oil, the chemical free Italian crusty bread, and the red wine in moderate amounts contributed to his longevity and to his relative good health up until his passing.

[latexman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candrew Not only a remarkable story from the standpoint of his amassing a $4 million nest egg on a librarian's salary, but that he also managed to live to 78 years of age in spite of a diet that included eating microwaved frozen meals every night.

It's all those preservatives doing double duty after consumed!

[candrew]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Well, my Dad has been eating frozen dinners for a very, very long time and he's 90 years old. So....

+1

I hear you! My dearly departed grandfather lived a good life to the ripe age of 93. His daily diet included plenty of bourbon and puffing on stogies.

[flyingaway]

I would use my money for me and my family mainly, and give to those who are in need myself.

[MooreBonds]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Maybe the industry should rename them from tv dinner, to Quick Dinner to be more acceptable

LOL - I don't think the industry has referred to them as "TV Dinners" since interior decorating changed away from the old "wood veneer wall paneling in the family room" days! But I do occasionally think of them as TV Dinners, too, every now and then, even though I'm only 40.

Quote:

Originally Posted by socca It would be interesting to compare the proportion of university spending going to athletics, administration, & academics compared with 40 years ago. I won't be making any unrestricted gifts to universities because my gut feeling is that not enough is going to academics; too bad I don't have any data to back up my gut.

While I agree that the focus is too much on athletics, I think the school's first argument is going to be that (for certain schools) the ROI is relatively high, given the lucrative media contracts that result from football. And I'm sure they also argue that it's "marketing" for the school, to get the school's name out there to all prospective students (and again, in SOME cases, they are correct, because I'm sure many schools would never be seen among the hundreds of others were it not for their football team. Of course, that doesn't mean that one school is worth a hill of beans for the major you want..but hey, I've heard of it!)

But, then you get into spend creep, because if you have a nice stadium, you have to have a nice new gym/student center where those football players work out, train, and have their locker rooms in. And while you're building that new gym/student center, might as well spend just a few bucks for some more rooms here, some more facilities over there, etc..

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MooreBonds .... But, then you get into spend creep, because if you have a nice stadium, you have to have a nice new gym/student center where those football players work out, train, and have their locker rooms in. And while you're building that new gym/student center, might as well spend just a few bucks for some more rooms here, some more facilities over there, etc..

Plus you need to pay the coach a big salary, I was shocked to read this one, over $9 Million per year (I wonder if you need a degree to get that job ?).

https://thebestschools.org/features/...llege-coaches/

So the football really becomes a separate endeavor, much like a separate company within the College.
If the football was really a profit center, you should see it funneling money back to the College and paying it's way itself. Much like as you would expect if the College had any other business they claimed brought in money.

[CaliKid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I'm not a dietitian, but I've seen people eat cereal for supper because they are "too lazy" to cook supper. I'll admit cooking every night is a drag, sometimes I don't want to do it, but I'd slit my wrists before I'd eat cereal for supper. I will occasionally eat a tv dinner when I want a quick lunch (at work I always ate them as it's better than a sandwich), not those cheap $1.00 budget ones, but Lean Cusine or Marie Calendars, which I often see on sale for $2.50->$3.00 When I see some old person mid-eighties, eating a donut for lunch because of not knowing how to cook (male fellow) and probably no interest in cooking, I recommend tv dinners. Maybe the industry should rename them from tv dinner, to Quick Dinner to be more acceptable

We eat cereal sometimes for dinner. Tastes great, cheap and easy. To each his own... but slitting wrists seems like a bit strong to me.