I have to admit before MMM I was pretty smug about my finances. I was way more frugal than any of my peers, never had a budget or knew what my monthly expenses were because I easily saved more than half my salary and pretty much never bought fancy gadgets, clothes, beauty products, etc. I didn't have any friends that used a prepaid cell phone like I did. So I was feeling pretty good about myself.
But after reading the blog and forums, I realized that there are people who eat out once a month and consider that splurging. I eat out quite a bit (usually cheap restaurants) and have justified it to myself by thinking I like food a lot and it's worth the expense to me. But then I came to the obvious realization that if I get better at cooking, I can make healthier and delicious meals exactly the way I want to for much cheaper, which could significantly affect my finances and health for years to come. I know, totally obvious but it's funny the blind spots we have toward ourselves. I had always just thought, "Oh, I can afford it, it's convenient, I love food," and I don't think anyone but a Mustachian would have faulted me for it. But now I want to strive for greater Badassity after being inspired by you (MMM, Mrs. MM, and the forum members). It's like the latest MMM article - eating out is my bedpan, and I seriously just need to get out of bed and cook. Thank you for the inspiration that I haven't found anywhere else. It's been so strange for me to shift from a mindset of not really thinking about purchases if I have plenty of money in my bank account to consciously examining and thinking about why I want to make a purchase and whether it aligns with the principles I want to live my life by, no matter how big my stash is. I am so humbled by all of you Mustachians! Thank you!!
