primitives complain about office cheapskates

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8332700

Oh my.

joeunderdog  (1000+ posts)      Tue Dec-16-08 06:46 PM
Original message
 
Anyone work with a Office Cheapskate?

Before you flame me--I'm NOT talking about someone struggling financially.

Case in point: we are doing a holiday swap for a gift in the $15 range at my office. I don't know about where you're from, but around here, you can't get much that isn't pure junk for less money. We all make about the same money $40-50K+. Inevitably, during good times and bad, people object to the (once a year) cost. Instead of politely declining to participate, they try to force it down to $5 so that everyone essentially swaps crap from the dollar store.

Then there's the coffee fund--we have to provide our own. But it's $2-3/month for all you can drink. That's about what it costs for one CUP at Dunkin Donuts. Still, people are chronically in arrears several months--the same people all the time.

Don't even get me started about passing the hat for a bereavement bouquet.

It could be worse.

One could be working with Chief S itting Bull, the bird-smacking stoned red-faced primitive, and get from him a present of unneeded outdated office supplies.

evlbstrd  (1000+ posts)        Tue Dec-16-08 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
 
2. I AM the office cheapskate.

I never participate in gift exchanges, birthdays or showers of any kind.

Siwsan (7 posts)      Tue Dec-16-08 06:54 PM
Response to Original message
 
3. We adoped a family instead of giving each other gifts. Just about every department in the company does the same thing.

Coyote_Bandit  (1000+ posts)        Tue Dec-16-08 07:12 PM
Response to Reply #3
 
9. Last time I worked in a office that did that

I ended up being expected to contribute more to purchase a gift for a member of that family than I spent for all of the members of my own family.

There were as many adopted family members as there were employees in the office and not a single item on our adopted family wish list was priced below $250.

My family typically exchanges modest Christmas gifts usually spending no more than $50 per person.

So I ended up spending more on a luxury item for someone who was needy than I did for all my family members combined.

That was the last time I participated in getting gifts for an adopted family.

Now I contribute to the local food bank and to a toy drive which a local charity hosts in order to be able to distribute toys to less fortunate kids.

Hmmmm.  Bold area, above; the needy family must have been primitives.

Greedy bastards, the primitives.

Idealist Hippie  (1000+ posts)      Tue Dec-16-08 06:57 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. Our boss used to steal money out of the Employee Coffee Fund can. We caught him at it. 

He said it was a loan and he intended to pay it back. We asked him to put an IOU into the can, and he did. It was still there when I quit that job.

we can do it (1000+ posts)        Tue Dec-16-08 06:58 PM
Response to Original message
 
6. I Don't Think People Should Be Coerced Into Gift Exchanges

I think the coffee fund is another thing, totally silly not to pay for. I will not participate in any more office exchanges because of the cheepskates for one reason, you take the time to pick out something nice and you get some 7 year'old regift that smells like a moldy basement.

Greyskye  (1000+ posts)        Tue Dec-16-08 07:07 PM
Response to Original message
 
7. We do a pirate gift exchange every year

It's in the $10-$15 range. Booze is really popular, as you can get some fairly drinkable stuff in that price range, and you're pretty much guaranteed to stay in the game if you've got liquor.

Every year there is at least one horrible gift. Like a 1 foot tall toy soldier nutcracker. Or a ceramic clock in the shape of a white elephant. I've received both of those in years past. 

This year I ended up w/ a decent bottle of vodka, but a buddy of mine got a 5 pack of Heineken Light.  He opened 'em up and passed them around. 

A guy that used to work here was infamous for his cheapskate gifts. Once it was a bar of handmade soap.

ColbertWatcher  (1000+ posts)        Tue Dec-16-08 07:10 PM
Response to Original message
 
8. Just out of curiosity, do you collect on payday?

LisaM  (1000+ posts)      Tue Dec-16-08 07:24 PM
Response to Original message
 
10. We have a Secret Santa and you don't have to participate

there is no pressure at all, but this year, the first three items were supposed to be $1 or $2. That is virtually impossible. I bought an ornament that started out at $4.95 and was supposed to be 50% off. They forgot to give me the discount, and I felt stupid demanding it, but otherwise, it would have been way out of my price range.

One person had to split up a pair of salt and pepper shakers to keep under the limit.

One day, I wanted to decorate my person's doorway with mistletoe. I found a bunch of live mistletoe at a florist for $10, and carefully cut off 20% of it so that it would stay in the limit. It wasn't easy.

We have a department of about fifty, and many make very good money. I was trying to collect money for a gift card for one of our entry level people who'd recently gotten married. I really wanted to get it to $200, which would have been less than five dollars each if they'd all contributed. But it was all over the map. One person (perfectly well off) only wanted to put in $3. Others put in $20. Many declined to participate. It took me ten days to get it to $200 and until the very last minute, that would have meant putting in $35 of it myself.

[AllosaursRus]

One day, I wanted to decorate my person's doorway with mistletoe. I found a bunch of live mistletoe at a florist for $10, and carefully cut off 20% of it so that it would stay in the limit. It wasn't easy

This is disgusting!

Every time I am involved in one of these things, I look for something that will be a helluva good gag gift. I have never even looked at the price. Of course you could really go overboard, but it's pretty much between $5 and $25....

If you try and stick to an exact money amount you're an asshole!

Give me a break! Only a DUmbass would take it seriously!

The whole idea is to share some joy with your fellow employees, most I feel are my friends.

It's ridiculous to think you are at some kind of price limit for FRIENDS!

Last Christmas, I pulled one of my buddies that worked in the same dept. I bought one of those hellicopters you could manipulate with two levers. The whole thing was controlled by two cables. In other words, it was a table top toy! Cost me all of $15! I think our limit was $10.

Edit for explanation

[USA4ME]

joeunderdog
 
Anyone work?

That would have been a more accurate post.

I agree with AllosaursRus.  It supposed to be all in fun.  Only some dolt would say things like "I will not participate in any more office exchanges because of the cheepskates.  You take the time to pick out something nice and you get some 7 year old regift."  WTO, Scrooge.

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