I had been looking for a decent set of earplugs, and I ended up getting Etymotic earplugs a while ago after a friend recommended them. I was won over by the good reviews and the fact they are reusable instead of one-time use.

They run about $13 and they work great. The earplugs block out ambient noise but I can still hear people when they want to talk to me.

I stash these ear plugs in my jacket or travel bag so I remember to bring them with me when I go out.

Hearing loss can be avoided

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), hearing loss from loud noises is completely preventable. Still, the NIH estimates nearly 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 to 69 have noise induced hearing loss.

My opinion: avoid loud places. But if you regularly go to loud bars/clubs/concerts, buy good earplugs and wear them. It’s well worth the few dollars you’ll spend to have hearing protection. Your future self will definitely thank you.

More about noise-induced hearing loss: article from NIH about hearing loss

Do you or your friends wear earplugs? What brands do you recommend?

About a year ago, I transitioned from writing as a side activity into a full-time pursuit. I knew from the start it would be hard to do the work, but I was ready for this challenge.

What took me completely by surprise, however, have been the social challenges. While I have full confidence in what I am doing, I can tell people do not understand what the freelance lifestyle entails.

If I had to pinpoint it, I get the sense that people in office jobs generally do not respect independent workers. It did not bother me when I got that attitude from strangers I met at weddings. But one day I realized that the same contempt and disregard was coming from friends and family, with some notable exceptions who have been very supportive (you know who you are, and thank you).

Even for someone as independently minded as me, it was a bit much.

I was looking for some reassurance, and I happpened to come across a nice passage in a book I started reading. The book is called The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed. It is written by two freelancers, Joseph D’agnese and Denise Kiernan.

There’s a passage that I felt captured the negative attitudes people have towards freelancers:

“Freelance” is not a word that usually conjures up images of hard work, security, and financial success…In fact, the freelance lifestyle is often viewed by those in the nine-to-five world as–let’s be honest–kind of slack and self-indulgent. Any independent worker knows this is far from true. But this doens’t stop friends from the office calling in the middle of the day to ask, innocently, “What are you doing?”

Who, me? Oh, I’m just lying here, stretched out on the old sofa [watching TV]…

What do you think we’re doing. We’re working, you nit!

…

Contrary to popular belief, anyone who is supporting himself as a freelancer or self-employed anything is working. A lot. Not only that, but independent workers must toil harder than salaried employees managing their money, because no one else is doing it for them.

Over the last year, I have a newfound respect for freelancers, bloggers, and anyone who is doing independent work.

And for those of you in office jobs, perhaps go a bit easier on your freelancer friends. A small compliment and a little bit of support will go a long way and make their day.

Then there are the abysmal incentives that are dreamt up by sadistic bosses. This week there were news reports of a boss who made a contest where employees should guess which person is fired next.

William Ernst, owner of the Iowa convenience stores QC Mart, found a way to earn the title “the boss from hell.” (H/T: Ethics Alarm)

Here is an excerpt of the actual memo he Ernst sent to workers in March:

New Contest – Guess The Next Cashier Who Will Be Fired!!!

To win our game, write on a piece of paper the name of the next cashier you believe will be fired. Write their name [the person who will be fired], today’s date, today’s time, and your name. Seal it in an envelope and give it to the manager to put in my envelope.

…

If the name in your envelope has the right answer, you will win $10 CASH.

…

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

quoted in the Des Moines Register

To add insult to injury, the game was to be enforced by a set of secret shoppers who were to monitor behavior. You would get fired for infractions like wearing a hat, talking on a cell phone, not wearing the store uniform, or parking your car by the store pumps after hours.

And Big Brother doesn’t stop once they fire someone. After the first contest round, the game starts all over again.

It definitely sounds like William Ernst learned about motivating employees from Glengarry Glen Ross

We’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired.

The backlash from the game

Naturally people were upset about the game and fought back. Several employees expressed their criticism and a few left their jobs. They were not going to put up with a degrading and humiliating game.

The interesting part is the employees then filed for unemployment (story here). William Ernst appealed, saying the workers left voluntarily and were not entitled to the benefits. As I understand it, Ernst was worried because the extra claims count against his record as an employer, so he would have to pay more towards unemployment taxes.

Thankfully for the workers, there are exceptions to the rule. Workers can get unemployment benefits if an employer causes a worker to leave through discrimination or harassment.

This week a judge ruled the workers were entitled for unemployment. The judge called Ernst’s game as “deplorable” as it created a “hostile work environment.”

Ernst lost out big on this game. But hey, maybe he can win the $10 if he guesses that he’s the next one fired.

Extension: the game was a poor motivating tool

Ernst could have greatly benefited by understanding some economics and game theory.

Of course the game is humiliating. But even if you remove that, the rules do not create the proper incentives.

Ranking employees sounds like a good way to motivate people, but in reality, the competitiveness works in unintended ways.

A recent study looked at how “social tournaments” affect employee motivation. Here is what Iwan Barankay, a management professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton, says about employee ranking:

Many managers think that giving workers feedback about their performance relative to their peers inspires them to become more competitive — to work harder to catch up, or excel even more. But in fact, the opposite happens. Workers can become complacent and de-motivated. People who rank highly think, ‘I am already number one, so why try harder?’ And people who are far behind can become depressed about their work and give up.

Ernst’s game was a race to the bottom. If he had wanted to remind employees about the rules, he picked one of the worst ways to communicate that.

A simple nudge like having posters with eyes or giving a random reward is a much more effective and more fun way to use a game to encourage employees to follow the rules.

One day you relax and have a can of Coke, adding an extra 140 calories to your intake.

A few hours later you feel guilty and hop on the treadmill. You run until the calories burned reads 140 calories.

Will the exercise net out the extra calories you just ate? Why or why not?

(Assume the treadmill calorie count is accurate).

Calories burned vs net calories burned

I am not a health professional, but speaking mathematically I can say the calories do not net out.

The reason is the following: most treadmill calorie counts are TOTAL calories burned. They include not just calories from running, but also the amount of calories burned by your base metabolic rate–the calories you would have burned if you had just sat around on the couch.

As exercise for weight loss is about burning extra calories, we are interested in the marginal calories burned.

Basal metabolic rate

At the risk of being overly focused on the numbers, you can use this calculator to find your basal metabolic rate:

Discovery Health calculator: http://health.discovery.com/centers/heart/basal/basal.html

Find your basal metabolic rate based on your gender, weight, and height. Then you divide by 24 to see how much you are burning per hour in a day when you are just resting.

For example, if your basal metabolic rate is 1800, then that means you are burning 75 calories an hour (1800/24). (This might vary depending on time of day or if you are sleeping, so take this number as an approximation)

Treadmill calories burned

Now let’s return to the treadmill. Suppose you walk for half an hour and the treadmill says you have burned 140. But you know that includes your basal metabolic rate of burning calories. If you had sat around, you would have burned about 38 calories.

That means you only burn an extra 102 calories from the exercise–not enough to make up for the 140 calories from Coke.

Don’t take this too seriously

These are all approximations and I am sure health issues are more complicated. I am definitely ignoring a lot of biochemistry going on and I’ll be honest about that. I’m sure someone can point flaws in my argument or perhaps point out some useful diet/exercise resources.

Still, I think it’s a good idea to realize exercise calorie numbers are often inflated. Just as a dollar saved is better than a dollar earned (because of taxes), this article shows how it can be the case mathematically that a calorie not eaten is better than a calorie burned.

via images_of_money

I sometimes cringe when I hear how some people throw away their hard-earned money.

A few stories that come to mind are:

–Someone in credit card debt got a $100 tuition overpayment refund. He chose to use the money to buy a video game rather than pay off debt

–A friend bought a new computer which was $100 overpriced

–A friend buys a lot of Groupon’s he never ends up redeeming

Each time I hear a story I am conflicted. Should I point out their mistake and help them improve? Or should I let it go and just be a supportive friend?

There are no right or wrong answers here, but I do think there is a prudent course of action.

A lot of people will say it is best to speak up and help your friends out. They believe it is best to intervene and offer profound advice. I want to combat some of this logic and suggest why it is best to keep your opinions to yourself.

Reason to help: your friends want your unasked for advice
Reason to keep quiet: your friends want support

You would think your friends would be happy to know they are wasting their money. In fact, they probably just want you to reassure them they are not doing anything too crazy.

When my friend bought a new printer he couldn’t afford, he did not want to hear me spoil his mood. He wanted to show off how cool it was that he could print wirelessly.

I would not encourage bad behavior, but at the same time I am not going out of my way to point out every flaw. No one should be expected to be perfect, and your friends of all want your understanding.

Reason to help: it’s your responsibility to help
Reason to keep quiet: offer help when you are asked

I agree you have some obligation as a friend to be there in a time of need. But criticizing small purchases and poor habits is not the best way to give help.

Everyone has a responsibility to learn about money. You got smart about money by reading books, taking classes, and keeping up with news. It is fair enough to pass along information to friends and lead by example. It is another thing to take on other people’s daily problems.

And remember: if your friends want help, they can ask for it. Then it is definitely the right time to give a nudge in the right direction.

Reason to help: you are encouraging bad habits by not speaking up
Reason to keep quiet: friends have to take responsibility for their actions

It may feel like you are enabling bad behavior by not speaking up. But I think there is a difference between encouraging bad behavior–by telling bad advice–versus not giving your opinion.

Money is ultimately a personal decision. I am not one to judge when someone buys a luxury car or gets bottle service in a club. If someone wants to blow a week’s salary on a night out, that really is their choice.

I let people enjoy their money, and I hope they would let me enjoy my money.

Conclusion

Be very careful about speaking up.

Most of the time your friends are just sharing stories, and they really do not want your opinion to spoil matters.

You may offer some friendly advice from time to time, but make sure they are interested in hearing it. If they blame you for your advice later, then remember you should keep your distance the next time–your advice was unappreciated.

The only time I would really help out–as a friend should–is when someone comes to me asking for help. Then I think it is good to take the time and give your full effort.

Keep to yourself, and mind your own decisions.