Now that my new cable company is providing me with the works for less than $15 a month, including a digital video recorder, I find myself wasting more time watching television while doing other work.
One of the shows I can’t get enough of is The Office. While the characters are a bit exaggerated, there is a lot in their personalities that relates to real people in real businesses.
One of my co-worker’s favorite characters is Dwight Schrute. He’s a bit of an eccentric, but he’s the best salesman in the branch and he’s extremely loyal to his boss. He’s also completely ridiculous, and his philosophy on tipping is only one example.
Unlike the financial lessons from House, Dwight presents a multitude of examples of selfish and short-sighted financial decisions. On tipping:
Dwight drives a 1987 Pontiac Grand Am. He has restored the vehicle himself, a decision that might save him some money rather than going to a mechanic. On the other hand, his car reportedly gets only eight miles per gallon. His boss, Michael Scott, doesn’t appreciate the admiration that Dwight pours on. While Dwight thinks he’s doing the right thing, he’s a little out of touch with the interpersonal skills he needs in order to move forward at Dunder Mifflin.
Speaking of Michael Scott, he’s isn’t a shining example of a manager. In fact, he was one of the best salesmen at Dunder Mifflin, and that’s the basis on which he was made a regional manager. This actually translates well to real life: the best salesmen don’t always have the management skills. In The Office, Michael tries to lead by being a friend and using humor, but both types of attempts usually fall short.
He is also a bit selfish. For one holiday party, Michael organized a “Secret Santa” gift exchange with a spending limit of $20. He went above and beyond his own limit by purchasing a video iPod for his Secret recipient. However, when he was unsatisfied with the home-made gift from his Secret Santa, he decided to turn the gift exchange into a “White Elephant” (or “Yankee swap”), in which one person can “steal” the gift from another. Everyone obviously wanted the iPod, the only gift worth more than $20.
If there’s anything to learn from The Office, it’s not to be a selfish jerk about money.
Updated February 10, 2011 and originally published July 15, 2007. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
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For my Internet, landline, and cable I think I’m paying around $160/month. Ugh.
The best lesson is when Jim took the purse girl home with the Corolla. Lesson: When you’re cute and funny you can drive whatever you want.