Helping someone become more mustachian

[FastStache]

I'm helping my wife become more mustachian and she has given me a limit of 2 articles a day that she will read.

She understands the financial side of it, but wants to help minimize her time on cooking, prepping, etc.

The main areas of focus should be on limiting purchases in general, food, and electricity use.  I look forward to any links you guys can provide.

[rmendpara]

Not sure what stage of conversion she's at, but don't get lost in the weeds before you solidify the big picture:

- Agree on a common goal (early retirement, enough savings so you can slow down at work, loads of assets so you can live like a King, etc)
- Set up annual NW/debt payoff/etc targets, and then start tracking progress. If you're +/- a few months, you're fine, but if you are behind and falling further behind, then review your budget and see how to adjust

Once you agree on the goals, then get into the nitty gritty stuff.

Others probably disagree, but if you are hitting your savings targets, and your NW and debt and whatever else are tracking reasonably well toward your goals, then stop worrying about it.

Being frugal is great, but once you've won the game, stop playing.

[Cheddar Stacker]

I agree that a big picture goal should be reached. I also think it's best to focus on the things that will have the biggest impact (house/cars/401k's) but to answer your specific request:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/06/17/get-rich-with-the-secret-food-stash/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/06/27/my-new-1000-annual-return-on-investment-clothes-dryer/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/07/18/how-not-to-use-your-air-conditioning/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/08/01/a-millionaire-is-made-ten-bucks-at-a-time/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/08/23/grocery-shopping-with-your-middle-finger/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/09/01/what-is-thermal-mass-and-how-can-it-make-you-money/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/09/30/is-a-costco-membership-worth-the-cost/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/22/what-is-hedonic-adaptation-and-how-can-it-turn-you-into-a-sukka/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/12/05/muscle-over-motor/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/29/killing-your-1000-grocery-bill/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/14/the-worlds-most-efficient-air-conditioner/
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/10/08/how-to-go-from-middle-class-to-kickass/

Some are food, some are energy usage, some are related to limiting purchases, and some are just a few of my favorites. All of these were found quickly just scanning this for future reference:
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/all-the-posts-since-the-beginning-of-time/

Good luck, and let us know if any one post really clicks. I'd like to provide the "best" post for my wife to read as well, but I haven't really found it yet.

[FastStache]

Thanks for the replies. I like the concept of agreeing in the big picture first. We are already saving a lot more than anyone we know, and we are financially secure for any unexpected expense. But, there is a lot of room for improvement and we do need to agree on what that is.  I do have a plan to really get into a position of strength and then I can cool off. To me that is about 1 to 1.5 years away if we follow the gameplan I have in my head.

Focusing on the big things is definitely a great idea, as I'm probably not going to complain over a hundred bucks a month at this point if it keeps things nice and calm.

I've tried powerpoint presentations, discussions, online calculators, but has anyone had success using other methods?

[Cheddar Stacker]

It sounds like she is open to reading mmm posts on her own. I would find the very best ones you can that you think will speak to her the most and provide those.

[Thegoblinchief]

If she needs help with the homemaking side of it, I'd plug NWEdible, a blog by a fellow Mustachian who's currently writing a book. It's focused quite a bit on gardening, but she has good recipes and productivity tips as well.

In longer form, An Everlasting Meal is a wonderful book/cookbook that's changed the way I plan meals. Independence Days is another good read.

She could also join the forums herself. There are plenty of old threads about optimizing grocery budgets, or she can start her own thread :)