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zaurg posted:Looking at a family summer vacation. Wife picks out a couple homes to rent for a week in the Keys for around $2500-3000 for the week. I wasn't crazy about the idea so I came back with another option - a 4 night stay at the Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne for $1400-$2000 depending on the selection. I assume you are trolling, but the Ritz at Key Biscayne is seriously terrible. It is too expensive, 20 minutes away from any non-Ritz options for food and entertainment, and full of people who like to stay at the Ritz. If you want to spend money on a nice resort near Florida, go stay here instead http://www.grandlucayan.com/
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May 19, 2015 15:24
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I stayed at the Ritz Key Biscayne late last year and can echo your sentiment for the most part. Really nice rooms and a really nice private(ish) beach, however. They do run a pretty decent shuttle service to get to area bars/restaurants.
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May 19, 2015 15:28
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Stayed at a Ritz last month in Atlanta for a conference I attended and was really unimpressed. They seem to be coasting by on the name.
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May 19, 2015 15:45
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"Should I take out a wedding loan?" "Don't go into debt for a wedding, have one you can afford." "But we can afford it." "Then you don't need to go into debt for it." "But we just want some cushion to help pay for costs." " "Repeat ad infinitum.
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May 19, 2015 16:46
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Saros posted:Everything you need to know about this one is in the title. Except the part where "double the minimum payments" is only $70/month, dude must have got a 20 year term on the loan or something.
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May 19, 2015 21:47
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Rudager posted:Except the part where "double the minimum payments" is only $70/month, dude must have got a 20 year term on the loan or something. He's on the reverse perpetual annuity plan.
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May 19, 2015 22:17
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nickutz posted:Stayed at a Ritz last month in Atlanta for a conference I attended and was really unimpressed. They seem to be coasting by on the name. My buddy had his wedding at the Ritz in New Orleans a couple years back. They dropped like 70k on the wedding and were separated just under six months later. We also got kicked out of the place for making too much noise at 11 pm. Morgan Freeman was staying in the hotel and called the desk to complain.
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May 19, 2015 22:55
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Haifisch posted:"Should I take out a wedding loan?" "Don't go into debt for a wedding, have one you can afford." "But we can afford it." "Then you don't need to go into debt for it." "But we just want some cushion to help pay for costs." " I keep seeing things like this in p2p lending. Someone wants to be in debt for 5 years with large payments for a wedding for $25k+, or to borrow $6k for a ring. They actually want to waste 5 years of their life repaying one day or a ring. e: ^^^ I always wonder how much financial stress contributes to the divorce.
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May 19, 2015 23:03
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Rudager posted:Except the part where "double the minimum payments" is only $70/month, dude must have got a 20 year term on the loan or something. One of my FHA unsubsidized loans issued in 2007 seriously had like a 35 year pay back attached. I was blown away. It was just one of the randos that my school had me sign off on to keep going so at the time I wasn't paying much attention.
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May 19, 2015 23:12
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...rticle24483397/ Wal-Mart sales miss expectations as shoppers pocket savings quote:Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Tuesday became the latest U.S. retailer to report weaker-than-expected quarterly sales, saying consumers were pocketing tax refunds and savings from cheaper gasoline rather than buying unnecessary items. Wait a minute, what planet are we on? We can't let this thread die. Spend if you believe!
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May 20, 2015 08:27
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SpelledBackwards posted:Wait a minute, what planet are we on? We can't let this thread die. Spend if you believe! It's as if there are massive deflationary pressures that printing giant piles of money does nothing to change. Despite all of this there will always be someone selling the financial future for a lovely car/boat/dog/horse.
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May 20, 2015 11:00
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SpelledBackwards posted:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...rticle24483397/ Forgive me if I shed not a single tear at this news.
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May 20, 2015 12:16
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There's something special about a company being so big that when their revenues go down the obvious explanation is that consumers are saving their money and not spending it anywhere else.
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May 20, 2015 12:23
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My guess is that people are making more money and are just shopping at more convenient/expensive grocery stores.
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May 20, 2015 12:40
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:My guess is that people are making more money and are just shopping at more convenient/expensive grocery stores. Definitely this. Outside of a core group of Walmart diehards, I think most people loving hate it and stop shopping there at the first opportunity.
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May 20, 2015 12:45
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More likely they're still waiting in line to check out.
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May 20, 2015 12:46
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I wonder if there has ever been a analysis of the potential effects of just splitting the cash generated by quantitative easing among the populace instead of through banks. I imagine in my simplistic understanding it would be a huge economic shot in the arm.
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May 20, 2015 13:33
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Hell, they said that the amount they gifted to the banks was enough to pay off every outstanding mortgage. Now in an economy based on consumption, what kind of effect would you say freeing up a $1000-$2000/monthly payment in every household would have, as compared to shifting some zeros from the right of one bank's ledger to the right of another bank's ledger?
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May 20, 2015 13:57
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Weatherman posted:Hell, they said that the amount they gifted to the banks was enough to pay off every outstanding mortgage. Are you talking about the TARP loans? This sounds like BS, got any proof?
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May 20, 2015 14:03
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I assume he's at least partially talking about the 7.7 trillion dollars in loans story that takes a number, that is dubious to begin with, and then completely misrepresents it. Even if you take that number at face value, it's still not a gift and doesn't get you to the $13.5 trillion in outstanding mortgage debt in the US.
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May 20, 2015 14:42
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Weatherman posted:Forgive me if I shed not a single tear at this news. The unrealistic expectation of corporations to increase profits every quarter is exactly what is wrong with the US political and financial structures. It is common sense that there is only so much money and market share you can sap from consumers--but that thinking saturates every level of any business. I remember selling appliances years ago while I was in college for Lowes, and they had all these  SALES INCENTIVES that included credit card apps, etc. They were impossible to meet. Not only that, if you weren't increasing them over time, you were placed under review.I am aware of their obligation to shareholders to try to meet this goal, but it seems bizarre and impossible. The lobbying industry has given them carte blanche to bribe politicians for favorable tax situations and exemptions to maintain the status quo, but at some point this is unsustainable. /rant
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May 20, 2015 15:05
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Weatherman posted:Hell, they said that the amount they gifted to the banks was enough to pay off every outstanding mortgage. Now in an economy based on consumption, what kind of effect would you say freeing up a $1000-$2000/monthly payment in every household would have, as compared to shifting some zeros from the right of one bank's ledger to the right of another bank's ledger? I think it would cause a step-function increase in house prices and rents, and then everyone taking out a new mortgage to try and trade up.
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May 20, 2015 17:10
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I'm not sure I get the Wal-Mart hate. If you dislike big box retailers, then ok - Wal-Mart is one of them. But aren't they actually pushing retail wages higher? Granted, they're only doing it because the job market is making them - but still, I think their average hourly pay is a couple of dollars more than Target and I don't hear a lot of Target-hate (unless you're Canadian).LeeMajors posted:The unrealistic expectation of corporations to increase profits every quarter is exactly what is wrong with the US political and financial structures. Case in point, of the top 10 companies to work for - 6 are privately owned. The bottom 10 companies - 1 is privately owned. Owning stock is great. Working for a company that issues stock, not so much.
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May 20, 2015 17:46
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LeeMajors posted:The unrealistic expectation of corporations to increase profits every quarter is exactly what is wrong with the US political and financial structures. Basically: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/11/28/maximizing-shareholder-value-the-dumbest-idea-in-the-world/
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May 20, 2015 17:57
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Krispy Kareem posted:I'm not sure I get the Wal-Mart hate. If you dislike big box retailers, then ok - Wal-Mart is one of them. But aren't they actually pushing retail wages higher? Granted, they're only doing it because the job market is making them - but still, I think their average hourly pay is a couple of dollars more than Target and I don't hear a lot of Target-hate (unless you're Canadian). Eh most of the Walmart hates comes from people that just hate the atmosphere, which could mean they just hate the way the store looks or they hate the type of people that shop/work there. I'm gonna admit I see much better looking people at Target, the local grocery store and even Aldi. Price/Quality outweighs everything to me and I've personally had some bad experiences with their vegetables. barf: Sephiroth_IRA fucked around with this message at 18:07 on May 20, 2015 |
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May 20, 2015 18:02
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Krispy Kareem posted:I think their average hourly pay is a couple of dollars more than Target I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Wal-mart is the obvious target because they are the biggest, and the lists of richest people are filled with Waltons. Wal-mart is also generally a really lovely place to go to, so that helps. Bad with money is buying general merchandise at Wal-mart because it's made like poo poo.
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May 20, 2015 18:03
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:Eh most of the Walmart hates comes from people that just hate the """"atmosphere"""". I think that word means different things to different people though. I love Aldi and every bag of potatoes I've bought there has been rotten on the inside. The last time I took pains to grab a good bag and my wife still threw out half of them. Their not-from-concentrate OJ is awesome and their wine is cheaper than Trader Joes. Inept posted:I'm pretty sure that's wrong. Wal-mart is the obvious target because they are the biggest, and the lists of richest people are filled with Waltons. Wal-mart is also generally a really lovely place to go to, so that helps. I know Wal-Mart's decision to increase hourly wages prompted similar moves from other retailers. As for average hourly wages...Google says Wal-Mart is $12.96 and Target is $9. However, the Target result specifically says cashier. When I searched for Wal-Mart's cashier wages it came up as $9 as well. I'm just trying to figure out if Wal-Mart hate is really valid anymore. I was listening to a NPR story about food deserts and one of the contributors mentioned an area without grocery stores, but with a Wal-Mart - and then dismissed the largest grocery store chain in America with, "but that's got issues of its own." I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, I'm just confused why it gets so much grief when there are plenty of other low-paying retail and grocery stores. Antifreeze Head posted:Like the Great Value in-store brand? Store brands are generally worse for everything with the possible exception being some Costco stuff. But if your plastic cling film needs are that extreme, I guess you are stuck buying Saran Wrap. Crap, I'm starting to sound like a Wal-Mart shareholder so I'll stop talking about them, but White Cloud 3-ply is the loving poo poo. Krispy Wafer fucked around with this message at 18:18 on May 20, 2015 |
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May 20, 2015 18:13
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Aldi is closer and better anyway.
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Inept posted:Bad with money is buying general merchandise at Wal-mart because it's made like poo poo. Like the Great Value in-store brand? Store brands are generally worse for everything with the possible exception being some Costco stuff. But if your plastic cling film needs are that extreme, I guess you are stuck buying Saran Wrap.
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May 20, 2015 18:15
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Krispy Kareem posted:Crap, I'm starting to sound like a Wal-Mart shareholder so I'll stop talking about them, but White Cloud 3-ply is the loving poo poo. If you're a good little BFC poster and invest in S&P 500 index funds (or large cap index funds, or total stock market index funds, or...) then you are indeed a Wal-Mart shareholder! Preach the gospel, brother.
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May 20, 2015 18:23
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Krispy Kareem posted:I love Aldi and every bag of potatoes I've bought there has been rotten on the inside. Return them.
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May 20, 2015 18:24
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Maybe it's just an illusion but the workers at Target always seem kinda relaxed compared to Walmart's. I get the impression that a Walmart worker probably works a little harder and has to put up with a lot more crap than someone at Target.
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May 20, 2015 18:28
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Wal-mart also generally treats its employees terribly, regardless of wage. That and the atmosphere of their stores are why I refuse to go in there. Something like 5 stores across the nation closed recently sure to "plumbing" issues, but there is evidence that they are actually closed because the employees were disgruntled and looking to unionize.
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May 20, 2015 20:28
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:Basically: I like it. I often find myself thinking "What have the shareholders ever done for me or for this company lately?" Some brave ones 40 years ago at our IPO took a chance on us, and became bazillionaires for their troubles. Besides that...?? Funny they mention Jack Welch. Dude ran up GE like crazy, and then got involved hawking the Jack Welch brand with a for-profit university offering an online MBA that's not accredited. He's going to be remembered in 50 years like Donald Trump, as someone with nothing to envy. Screw them both.
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May 20, 2015 20:30
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:Basically: Excellent. It just never made sense to me. The common sense approach to business is a) people should be compensated fairly b) turn a profit c) there are market forces beyond your control that you can try your best navigate responsibly Other than that, compensating CEOs to increase profit margins asymptotically and firing them with huge severance packages seems fallacious, irresponsible and frankly extra--strength stupid. It's just this weird 'shareholder responsibility' that doesn't seem to make sense. gently caress capitalism.
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May 20, 2015 21:01
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I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of the other customers. I turn up my nose and tut-tut through Target's doors.
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May 20, 2015 21:24
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Phrasing posted:I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of the other customers. I turn up my nose and tut-tut through Target's doors. The store itself sucks total poo poo. A disorganized mess only a middle school dropout could negotiate.
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May 20, 2015 21:28
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Dale Sveum posted:Wal-mart also generally treats its employees terribly, regardless of wage. That and the atmosphere of their stores are why I refuse to go in there. I worked at Walmart as a part time hourly associate for nearly three years and never noticed either of your statements to be true. The managers were actually pretty great, our store was clean, orderly and well lit. I don't shop there anymore because it isn't convenient for me at all, but I hold no ill will toward the company.
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May 20, 2015 21:44
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LeeMajors posted:The store itself sucks total poo poo. A disorganized mess only a middle school dropout could negotiate. Seriously the layout is awful in every Walmart I've been in. They're enormous stores and yet they still manage to make the aisles a claustrophobic nightmare.
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May 20, 2015 21:56
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Dessert Rose posted:Seriously the layout is awful in every Walmart I've been in. They're enormous stores and yet they still manage to make the aisles a claustrophobic nightmare. They want merchandise density and people to be exposed to a lot of items as they wander around. Nothing about it is an accident.
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May 20, 2015 22:25
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Wal Mart has some pretty lovely business practices that have a tendency of ruining their suppliers. http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know
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May 20, 2015 22:38
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