|
|
Post by foghorn on Jan 29, 2018 13:09:48 GMT -5
We had memberships (business and otherwise) at Sams, personal at BJ's (no Costco near us but I have friends).
If you think you'll eat both jars of olive tapenade,great. For us it was usually murphy's law--when we stocked up the party had to be cancelled etc. As we are making stabs at regulating our weight, having oodles of frozen seafood or beef didn't make a lot of sense. We buy fresh at a local grocer, and farmmarkets in the spring/summer. Cost isn't that much more and we support local ag.
Yes there are good deals but there are good deals at many stores--Rite Aid whacks 20% off prices if you are a member of their free customer group, etc.
You can certainly make the membership for any of the big box stores pay, but in our case it's an effort and a distance and long lines so rather get my cheese in amounts we'll use than the 6 lb chunk.
Whatever floats your boat. I guess mine is wood and scull powered, but that works for me. You want kevlar that needs protection from the sun, can be a bear to repair, and get charged extra, be my guest.
|
|
|
|
Post by acttwo on Jan 29, 2018 19:46:38 GMT -5
And I am in the top 1% of savers at CVS: great deals on paper towels, TP, cereal and they give Bonus Bucks! But when I was there yesterday, they seem to have stopped carrying my make up, so this may be a deal breaker... Maybe you can get a palletful of the stuff at Costco. Do NOT tempt me! The beau lives in terror that someday I will do just that! LOL |
|
|
|
Post by bayou on Jan 29, 2018 20:19:30 GMT -5
We use both Costco and Sam's Club. In recent years, they have been increasing the amount of organic items they stock. We're big fans of organic chicken, grass-fed beef, and organic vegetables (OK, that's my wife). We also buy a ton of Smart Water (which doesn't work by the way), and everything else we normally got at other stores. Only drawback, is that no matter what we buy, by the time we check out it always seems we've spent $200. They were giving away Smart Water at a race expo for a race I ran last year and for the first time in my life, I wanted to return something I received for free. Ughhh!!! As for how much you spend, I have found that whether you go in for 1 think or 25 things, you spend $200. |
|
|
|
Post by ssa on Jan 30, 2018 6:32:43 GMT -5
As for how much you spend, I have found that whether you go in for 1 think or 25 things, you spend $200. Oh, so it’s like Target. |
|
|
|
Post by JudgeKnot on Feb 6, 2018 10:47:13 GMT -5
Are you someone who hates being tied up in traffic during the commute? This might help you decide where you DON'T want to live. www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/02/06/yep-l/1088205001/Yep, Los Angeles has the world's worst traffic congestion — again. Drivers in and around the City of the Angels spent 102 hours battling 2017 traffic congestion during peak hours, INRIX's 11th annual report said. |
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Feb 6, 2018 23:38:56 GMT -5
What I would find useful from this thread is not the pros and cons of various locations, which I can research myself and which are highly dependent on individuals' needs (East Craplandia: great schools! West Craplandia: a wide array of trails for mountain biking!). Rather, what I would like to know is the nature of the individual offices. In my experience, even in an organization mostly staffed by people of good will, there are some branches/offices/departments that are toxic places to work. Whether this is because of some obscure institutional reason or simply because of a bad boss, there are some offices where the smartest thing to do is stay far, far away. Are there any locations that have a reputation for being bad places to work, especially when compared with other offices? It could well be that the Mt. Pleasant office is a joy to work in, but the office in downtown GreatWeatherLowTaxesVille is staffed by people who are miserable. So, any cities I should take off my large GAL based on these criteria? I asked this question 5 years ago. I'm still waiting for a response. |
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Feb 7, 2018 0:57:39 GMT -5
I asked this question 5 years ago. I'm still waiting for a response. I find it hard to believe that the _only_ reasons there are so many people on the transfer list is because people want to be closer to their families or because people want to live in a different major metropolitan area. The fact is nobody is going to publicly trash their office on this board. I like my office and expect to be here for a number of years BUT if I hated it I wouldn't come on here and run it down. That sort of behavior has a way of getting back to people. You look like a jerk and you still have to show up on Monday. I'm not saying everything is hunky dory in all of OHO. I'm saying don't count on insight into a particular office's culture on here. If you have a specific office to ask about then you can post on here and maybe someone will PM you. My experience asking about specific offices was 0 PMs. But hey times change and people have different experiences. |
|
|
|
Post by jagvet on Feb 7, 2018 15:57:01 GMT -5
Sam's Club near me has a self-checkout, which is great, because most customers avoid it--no line. Costco did something to its gas station, so there's no longer a big line to save 30-40 cents a gallon. We belong to both.
|
|
|
|
Post by pumpkin on Feb 7, 2018 19:02:10 GMT -5
The fact is nobody is going to publicly trash their office on this board. I like my office and expect to be here for a number of years BUT if I hated it I wouldn't come on here and run it down. That sort of behavior has a way of getting back to people. You look like a jerk and you still have to show up on Monday. I'm not saying everything is hunky dory in all of OHO. I'm saying don't count on insight into a particular office's culture on here. If you have a specific office to ask about then you can post on here and maybe someone will PM you. My experience asking about specific offices was 0 PMs. But hey times change and people have different experiences. I understand the desire not to trash your own office, but warning others about the horrors at your former office seems the charitable thing to do. Are you suggesting that this board isn't anonymous enough to protect those who might want to be candid about the failings of their individual work site? Seems like there are plenty of judges who are willing to say some rather harsh things about management at SSA and the agency as a whole. Yes. Trust me on this. |
|
|
|
Post by SPN Lifer on Feb 7, 2018 19:26:01 GMT -5
OHO offices with low morale.What I would like to know is the nature of the individual offices. In my experience, even in an organization mostly staffed by people of good will, there are some branches/offices/departments that are toxic places to work. Whether this is because of some obscure institutional reason or simply because of a bad boss, there are some offices where the smartest thing to do is stay far, far away. Are there any locations that have a reputation for being bad places to work, especially when compared with other offices? I asked this question 5 years ago. I'm still waiting for a response. I find it hard to believe that the _only_ reasons there are so many people on the transfer list is because people want to be closer to their families or because people want to live in a different major metropolitan area. The fact is nobody is going to publicly trash their office on this board. I like my office and expect to be here for a number of years BUT if I hated it I wouldn't come on here and run it down. That sort of behavior has a way of getting back to people. You look like a jerk and you still have to show up on Monday. I'm not saying everything is hunky dory in all of OHO. I'm saying don't count on insight into a particular office's culture on here. If you have a specific office to ask about then you can post on here and maybe someone will PM you. My experience asking about specific offices was 0 PMs. But hey times change and people have different experiences. I understand the desire not to trash your own office, but warning others about the horrors at your former office seems the charitable thing to do. Are you suggesting that this board isn't anonymous enough to protect those who might want to be candid about the failings of their individual work site? Seems like there are plenty of judges who are willing to say some rather harsh things about management at SSA and the agency as a whole. As alluded to by Pumpkin and as discussed in numerous threads (especially in the polls), there should be zero expectation that anything posted on this board cannot be attributed to an ALJ or ALJ candidate as a specific named individual. We live in the age of data analytics. As to the substantive question of identifying OHO offices with low morale, the solution is quite “simple”: (1) Identify offices with (recent?) high turnover. (2) Determine whether that exceeds what would be expected given the “objective” desirability of the locale. Ultimately this is a test of your skill in determining the “true” value of living in a city, to transcend your own subjective prejudices. Do that, and the low-morale outliers will stick out like sore thumbs.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2018 21:00:26 GMT -5
It’s also a moving target. Like any other office, the staff, management, and judges change over time. As for the transfer list, I’ve heard absolute horror stories about one of the most popular destinations for potential transferees...don’t use that as a guide.
Basically, worry about the cities and not the offices.
|
|
|
|
Post by SPN Lifer on Feb 7, 2018 21:11:15 GMT -5
I am not the person to ask, because I like to think I could live anywhere (except places subject to floodwater inundation).
Similarly, I prefer to imagine I would transcend the low morale of colleagues, support staff, and supervisors, rather than falling to their level.
Optimism and enthusiasm are their own reward.
You are as happy as you want to be, however daunting the challenges.
|
|
|
|
Post by rp on Feb 7, 2018 21:47:59 GMT -5
It’s also a moving target. Like any other office, the staff, management, and judges change over time. As for the transfer list, I’ve heard absolute horror stories about one of the most popular destinations for potential transferees...don’t use that as a guide. Basically, worry about the cities and not the offices. Well said. |
|
|
|
Post by lucy on Feb 7, 2018 22:24:49 GMT -5
It’s also a moving target. Like any other office, the staff, management, and judges change over time. As for the transfer list, I’ve heard absolute horror stories about one of the most popular destinations for potential transferees...don’t use that as a guide. Basically, worry about the cities and not the offices. Well said. True, but on the other hand, I’m in a city that hardly anyone would see as desirable, but the office itself is so great that I am hesitant to consider transferring. What was it Forrest Gump said life was like? |
|
|
|
Post by SPN Lifer on Feb 7, 2018 22:42:47 GMT -5
“My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” Forrest Gump (1994). |
|
|
|
Post by Pixie on Feb 8, 2018 0:09:12 GMT -5
True, but on the other hand, I’m in a city that hardly anyone would see as desirable, but the office itself is so great that I am hesitant to consider transferring. What was it Forrest Gump said life was like? Good for you. |
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Feb 8, 2018 18:11:04 GMT -5
The fact is nobody is going to publicly trash their office on this board. I like my office and expect to be here for a number of years BUT if I hated it I wouldn't come on here and run it down. That sort of behavior has a way of getting back to people. You look like a jerk and you still have to show up on Monday. I'm not saying everything is hunky dory in all of OHO. I'm saying don't count on insight into a particular office's culture on here. If you have a specific office to ask about then you can post on here and maybe someone will PM you. My experience asking about specific offices was 0 PMs. But hey times change and people have different experiences. I understand the desire not to trash your own office, but warning others about the horrors at your former office seems the charitable thing to do. Are you suggesting that this board isn't anonymous enough to protect those who might want to be candid about the failings of their individual work site? Seems like there are plenty of judges who are willing to say some rather harsh things about management at SSA and the agency as a whole. As pumpkin said "Yes". The thing is saying something rude about the Agency or it's bureaucracy may cause the powers that be some heartburn but as a sitting judge as long as it's not slanderous or bigoted there isn't a whole lot they can do and they have bigger problems that judges being jerks on the message Board. BUT if I talk crap about my office and word gets back to them then I might find my beloved SCT reassigned or that my computer issues don't get resolved or that I'm the last one to know there are donuts in the break room. If my office were already unpleasant I'm not dying the death of a thousand cuts by making it worse just so I can tell you all my HOCALJ gives me grief about ALPO. Which she doesn't BTW. |
|
|
|
Post by Gaidin on Feb 8, 2018 18:12:22 GMT -5
True, but on the other hand, I’m in a city that hardly anyone would see as desirable, but the office itself is so great that I am hesitant to consider transferring. What was it Forrest Gump said life was like? The grass is always greener over the septic tank. |
|
|
|
Post by numbersix on Feb 8, 2018 22:10:40 GMT -5
I asked this question 5 years ago. I'm still waiting for a response. I find it hard to believe that the _only_ reasons there are so many people on the transfer list is because people want to be closer to their families or because people want to live in a different major metropolitan area. I actually find it easy to believe. Your work is solitary. You work from home two days a week, or more. You have great protections as a federal employee. On some city lists, half of those on it have turned the transfer opportunity down for years. People particularly camp on the Florida city lists. The city you land in is the key, regardless of the office dynamics. |
|
|
|
Post by Ace Midnight on Feb 8, 2018 22:13:51 GMT -5
I love my current office. I have to transfer back home because of family. That's pretty much the end of the analysis. Nothing is more important to me than my family.
ETA: And I love my old office, too.
|
|
