You Know You're Getting Mustachian When..

[mobilisinmobili]

A thread for those amusing moments you're noticing during your transformation.

I went out for all-you-can-eat sushi from a spontaneous invite and for the first 10 minutes of the meal just kept thinking of how much meat of grocery store bought meals I could purchase with the same amount of money. I could get 6-8 meals out of this!

[DebtDerp]

Your boss tells you he got a new BMW and you feel sorry for him...

[Zoot Allures]

You hear people talking about their tax refunds like it's free money.

[Paul der Krake]

...people ask if you've gotten a DUI or a license suspension.

...you know the normal, discounted and super discounted prices of every item in your fridge, for every store in a 5 mile radius.

...have no idea what the APR of your credit cards are

...people ask you at random if you're here to apply for a job

...wonder by how much the nice tailwind affects your MilesPerBurrito average

...you are posting in this forum

[nubbs180]

Your family is driving home tired and hungry from an all day outing and, after giving yourself the okay to go to a restaurant, none of the options sound worth the price, so you go home and make pancakes.

[spider1204]

Your fresh out of college and find yourself giving retirement advice to coworkers twice your age.

[BPA]

The teenagers at your high school think you are insane for walking 3.2 km (2 miles) to work, because they all take the school bus.

Those same teenagers joking threaten to slash your tires and ask where you park your car and you point to the bus stop.

You are the only staff member to park your bike in the bike racks along side the students'.

Every time you make a lentil dish, you think of Jacob and his laments about how you don't need to eat lentils to retire early.  He just likes dal!!!

Your kids get excited when they see a really good deal on ice cream.

You don't get why your colleagues don't think that $40k/year is enough to live on in retirement.

[tomatoprincess]

You wince when ppl buy coffee for roll up the rimmmmmmmmmmm

[Nords]

... you retire early and people think it's because you can't hold a job.

... you buy your clothes at the thrift store.  Your relatives/neighbors/friends see how you're dressing and worry that you're going to ask them to lend you money.

... you don't feel responsible enough or mature enough to own/maintain/insure any car that costs over $5000 $10K $15K.

[directionseeker]

Your colleagues tell you about the "great deal" and "best discount/rebate/offer" they get from their credit card while you are earning money on the same card they are getting.........

[mobilisinmobili]

.. your gf and you high five each other while saying 'buy it for life!'

.. you excitedly begin discussing once-a-month-cooking and can't wait to use your glass containers for bulk paleo cooking for health and cost lowering.

[Mr HighFalutin HillFolk]

cheerio y'all.

if you've EVER ridden your bike 10 miles uphill (both ways) in the snow while towing a trailer AND picking up fares.......

you might be growing a money mustache!

[mpbaker22]

... You don't understand why people are concerned about getting furloughed 1 day/week
... You wished you would get furloughed
... You own more stock than your co-workers who are 20 years older.

... you buy your clothes at the thrift store.  Your relatives/neighbors/friends see how you're dressing and worry that you're going to ask them to lend you money.

I don't understand this.  I shop exclusively at thrift stores for clothes (except socks, underwear, etc.).  I also routinely get comments in the office about being best dressed, looking sharp, etc.

[mobilisinmobili]

... You don't understand why people are concerned about getting furloughed 1 day/week
... You wished you would get furloughed
... You own more stock than your co-workers who are 20 years older.

... you buy your clothes at the thrift store.  Your relatives/neighbors/friends see how you're dressing and worry that you're going to ask them to lend you money.

I don't understand this.  I shop exclusively at thrift stores for clothes (except socks, underwear, etc.).  I also routinely get comments in the office about being best dressed, looking sharp, etc.

Well it just depends on what you buy at the thrift store. Most of the best dressed people I know do a lot of thrift store shopping actually.

[melidesau]

You groan inwardly (and sometimes even out loud) every time your friends try to invite you to dinner...

and then when you remember the same friends are funding their restaurants with student loans, the groan turns into a devious chuckle.

[Dee18]

You've gotten so used to setting the heat at 55 at night that you find yourself thinking in the morning, why turn it up to 62 when I'll be leaving in 90 minutes to go to work....so you just leave it at 55.

[BPA]

You scour kijiji or craigslist to find bicycles for people you know.

When you throw food out, you mentally calculate how much that cost and give yourself a face punch.

When you hear that yet another friend's car was stolen from the Lime Ridge Mall parking lot, you think, "Good thing I rarely go to the mall" or in my case, "Glad I don't have a car to worry about."

[acanthurus]

...when you read other personal finance forums and are shocked at the bad advice (I'm looking at you, /r/personalfinance).

[Jamesqf]

You see a well maintained 1989 Chrysler LeBaron parked at work and feel a desire to own it.

Wouldn't call that a Mustachian car.  Now maybe a nicely-maintained '89 Honda CRX.

Now I don't know if this counts as Mustachian or not, but as I turned into the grocery store parking lot tonight, the car ahead of me was a 1960 Chevy station wagon: http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/1960_Chevy_Kingswood.html  Not a restored "classic", either, but obviously hard used, and with evident body rust.

[Adventine]

... when all your officemates are talking about their latest salary loans, and you absolutely cannot relate

... when you refuse well-meaning friends' offers to drive you home, because you know the train will be faster and cheaper

... when you earn twice as much as your sister, but she has twice as many clothes as you do

[mustachecat]

When you think a 50% savings rate is a good start.

When you have to resist telling people who make bad decisions that maybe they need a punch in the face. ;)

[KimAB]

I've always been this cheap, but examples lately- turn all the soft and leftover veggies into delicious soup and serve it with biscuits made from sour milk...  and they were delicious, too!

Mourn the loss of DS #1's co-worker. Aww...  FIRED!  What are we going to do without our daily Brandon stories??  For example, Brandon was hungry and complaining that all he had at his house was carrots and what can you make with carrots?  DS commented that it was two days until payday so what was he going to do after he got paid (hint...  grocery shop...)  Brandon said he was going to finish paying off his $800 phone...  blink... blink...  My kid is saving WAY more than 50% of what he makes, obviously!

Against my better judgement I started washing nearly everything (not lumberyard clothes) in cold AND turned down the water heater AND turned down the furnace and proudly announced to the family that the bills are $85 less this month than they were last month.  I like to think it was all due to my efforts, but it was rate change/ warmer weather and me.  Still $85 less is a lot!

[Undecided]

...have no idea what the APR of your credit cards are

I suspect there are many financially irresponsible people who don't know the APRs of their credit cards! Willful ignorance is invaluable in developing money problems.

[michaelrecycles]

...when your visits to the Mr. Money Mustache forum are on par with or supersede your visits to Facebook.

[Nords]

... you buy your clothes at the thrift store.  Your relatives/neighbors/friends see how you're dressing and worry that you're going to ask them to lend you money.

I don't understand this.  I shop exclusively at thrift stores for clothes (except socks, underwear, etc.).  I also routinely get comments in the office about being best dressed, looking sharp, etc.

Yes, but when you no longer have to shop for the office then you can make up whatever dress code you want.  Mine is "surf geezer".

Tropical living also gives you more flexibility.  I rarely wear shoes (once or twice a month) and I haven't shopped for socks during this millennium. 

[KimAB]

I suspect there are many financially irresponsible people who don't know the APRs of their credit cards! Willful ignorance is invaluable in developing money problems.

What I meant is I don't know what that term means.  I don't have any credit cards.

[Jamesqf]

I suspect there are many financially irresponsible people who don't know the APRs of their credit cards! Willful ignorance is invaluable in developing money problems.

What I meant is I don't know what that term means.  I don't have any credit cards.

Well, that's not very Mustachian.  Just think of the 1-5% cash back rewards you're missing.  For anyone with the self-discipline to a) not spend more than they would if paying cash; and b) pay the balance on time, credit cards are free money.

[Paul der Krake]

...have no idea what the APR of your credit cards are

I suspect there are many financially irresponsible people who don't know the APRs of their credit cards! Willful ignorance is invaluable in developing money problems.

My point was that some people out there who actively seek lower credit card APRs thinking they're getting a deal. It's only 11% instead of 25%! Sure it's progress, but to us Mustachians who never pay a dime in interest, it doesn't matter whether the APR is 5% or 5000%.

[Undecided]

...have no idea what the APR of your credit cards are

I suspect there are many financially irresponsible people who don't know the APRs of their credit cards! Willful ignorance is invaluable in developing money problems.

My point was that some people out there who actively seek lower credit card APRs thinking they're getting a deal. It's only 11% instead of 25%! Sure it's progress, but to us Mustachians who never pay a dime in interest, it doesn't matter whether the APR is 5% or 5000%.

"In 'The Act of Creation', Arthur Koestler provides a brilliant analysis of the mechanism of humour. He argues persuasively that humour results from the collision of incompatible frames of reference." http://soler7.com/IFAQ/Humour.htm

[Paul der Krake]

Oops? I fail at the internets.

Good read, the clinical analysis of the jokes was awesome.

[kisserofsinners]

...That little smug feeling when your co-workers complain about money while eating breakfast and lunch out of the cafeteria everyday.

...Why yes, i *do* spend more time here than on Facespace.

...You must regularly bite your tongue to get through any financial advice offered to you by your parents, while simultaneously running simulations about what to do when they figure out they're fucked.

[kisserofsinners]

...people ask if you've gotten a DUI or a license suspension.

...you know the normal, discounted and super discounted prices of every item in your fridge, for every store in a 5 mile radius.

...have no idea what the APR of your credit cards are

...people ask you at random if you're here to apply for a job

...wonder by how much the nice tailwind affects your MilesPerBurrito average

...you are posting in this forum

Brownie points to you friend!!! Well played.

[Use it up, wear it out...]

...You must regularly bite your tongue to get through any financial advice offered to you by your parents, while simultaneously running simulations about what to do when they figure out they're fucked.

+1

[StarswirlTheMustached]

... you've gone from debating a traditional wedding vs. elopement to elopement vs. an afternoon at the courthouse.

... when someone recommends a book, you check the library catalog instead of Amazon.

[jwystup]

... you've gone from debating a traditional wedding vs. elopement to elopement vs. an afternoon at the courthouse.

^ Relevant - we're taking a trip to vegas anyways and this is definitely something we're considering.

Also

...your new favorite thing after reading this is "MilesPerBurrito" (I'm so using that now)

...you're excited that you finally finished the drapes for the big front window since they'll hold the heat in way better now

...you just put gas in your tank for the first time since thanksgiving

...you're considering skipping your high school reunion and just making the 1-hour drive to hang out in nearby bars so as to not pay the freakin $70/couple they're charging for 3 hours of alcohol. I know that the bar across the street will have $1 wells that night since it's a Saturday, so I we could both drink for that time for under $10 (or just go out AFTER it ends) and the people I'd want to see will probably go to random bars when it ends at 9 anyways. I'm sort of torn just because it IS a reunion but at the same time I kinda didn't want to go brag about my life and listen to everyone else do the same.

[MountainMan]

Hate reunions.  I wasn't friends with most of my 1,200 member high school class, why would I pretend at it now?

[happy]

-You score a free load of wood for winter heating and the fact it needs to be split seems like a great opportunity for good some exercise
- When your friend starts talking about KFC, you realise you haven't eaten it for decades, and you can't remember the last time you ate takeaway
- You get excited when your big splurge night out cost $15 for bands and food for 3 people instead of $22
-Your most polite response is  to raise your eyebrows and smile faintly when your colleague tells you he can't possibly retire because he needs over $100k a year for basic living expenses.
- you are still eating rocket grown from a free pack of seeds some 3 months later
- your 7 year old car seems too new


 

[JanMN]

You have three completely unrelated things in the fridge and think "I can make dinner, no problem!"

[frugalcalan]

Love this thread :)  There hasn't been much "transformation" for me, since I've always been pretty mustachian (sans the label).

--------------------------------

- You start to enjoy that advertisements you encounter on ocassion, because they have become such a rare novelty

- All of your requested gifts are practical items that you would have eventually purchased for yourself

- While out at dinner for a friend's birthday, your boyfriend notes that you are probably judging him for ordering a $4 drink

- You have a tag in mint which keeps track of  how much aforementioned boyfriend "costs"

- You lose 50 pounds, and instead of thinking, "wooo, time to go shopping!"  you think, "ugh, shopping.  And there's no point in buying much, because I should shrink out of it in a few months."

[MrMoneyMullet]

Your boss tells you he got a new BMW and you feel sorry for him...

Yes! I wish there was a "pity" button on Facebook for all the people who post pictures of their new cars! It makes me sad for them...

[kisserofsinners]

...The site goes down and you think, "Now there is true leadership! He doesn't even pay to keep the best connection for this show."

[KatieSSS]

...You must regularly bite your tongue to get through any financial advice offered to you by your parents, while simultaneously running simulations about what to do when they figure out they're fucked.

+1

This is so me. I probably spend more time worrying about what to do when my parents can't afford to retire in their 70s than I do about my own retirement.

My addition:
- You stare, speechless when someone says, "yeah it is really expensive to eat in this city...you can't survive if you don't spend $20/day on food at least."

[acanthurus]

...when you type your info into a "How Much Should I Be Saving For Retirement" calculator, and it tells you zero.

[mobilisinmobili]

...when you type your info into a "How Much Should I Be Saving For Retirement" calculator, and it tells you zero.

Hahaha, awesome.

[MrMoneyMullet]

...when you type your info into a "How Much Should I Be Saving For Retirement" calculator, and it tells you zero.

Hahaha, awesome.

I think we have a winner!

[startingover]

You talk your Man out of buying YOU YOUR favorite pizza even though you have a coupon!!!

[BPA]

...when you type your info into a "How Much Should I Be Saving For Retirement" calculator, and it tells you zero.

Hahaha, awesome.

I think we have a winner!

I agree!  Fabulous!

[Zaga]

...You must regularly bite your tongue to get through any financial advice offered to you by your parents, while simultaneously running simulations about what to do when they figure out they're fucked.

+1

This is so me. I probably spend more time worrying about what to do when my parents can't afford to retire in their 70s than I do about my own retirement.

My brothers and I are already at this point, we have split up at various times making sure mom's not homeless.  It's so nice to be able to do this without it really impacting our lives though!  But I am glad that we don't have to worry about dad in addition.

[MrMoneyMullet]

...You must regularly bite your tongue to get through any financial advice offered to you by your parents, while simultaneously running simulations about what to do when they figure out they're fucked.

+1

This is so me. I probably spend more time worrying about what to do when my parents can't afford to retire in their 70s than I do about my own retirement.

My brothers and I are already at this point, we have split up at various times making sure mom's not homeless.  It's so nice to be able to do this without it really impacting our lives though!  But I am glad that we don't have to worry about dad in addition.

I wonder whether my parents will need financial support once they get to be elderly. They're in their 60s now, still working, and have never seemed to make very good deliberate choices with money. However, at this stage, this is the in the category of "Things I can't control" so it's no use to worry about it. I would offer them advice but I don't think they're likely to take it. Not from a whippersnapper like me.

[Ozstache]

... you arrive at your financial adviser's address in your car and see paid parking spots nearby but remember there is a shopping mall not 200 metres/yards away with free parking and park there instead.
... its too far to ride a bike there (20 miles) but you achieved 3.8 l/100kms (US 62MPG) driving there and back in peak hour traffic using your cunning hyper-miling skills.
... you completely avoid going into the mall when parking there and instead walk around the outside of it to get to your appointment.
... you're seeing the financial adviser to confirm calculations you have done yourself on your golden handshake entitlements and it turns out that you have more impressive and accurate spreadsheets than they do.