New job, new life, new stubble

[seamer]

Two months ago I left California (my home of 15 years) and moved to the upper Midwest for a new job.

I'd always been relatively frugal, but I hadn't realized my full potential. I decided to use the move to aim higher, so I left a lot of bad habits behind and chose to downsize my life.  This website is largely responsible.

OLD: 3bd/2.5ba, 1698 sq.ft. house (I'm single).
NEW: House just sold, now live in a 1bd/1ba apartment.

OLD: 10 miles from work. Filled my gas tank twice a month.
NEW: 2.5 miles from work and steps from the bus stop. On same tank of gas I bought when I started job 5 weeks ago.

OLD: Every room was furnished with shit I never sat, slept or ate on.
NEW: Kept what I need and sold or donated the rest.

OLD: Housing costs were 15.5% of my gross income, savings/investments were 25%.
NEW: Housing costs are 8.5% of my gross income, savings/investments is 57.6%.

Also: Zero debt, 400K net worth, 38 yrs old, the priceless realization that fancy stainless steel appliances don't clean/cook/cool better than plain white ones, and a new love for my 15-year-old bike.

Posting here because I wanted to see this typed out (thanks for humoring me), and if I did it on facebook, all the people with pics of their giant houses would think I was the one being an A-hole.

[mxt0133]

I would totally post that on Facebook, just focus on how much time you have now vs maintaining all the old stuff.

Congratulations on realizing you full frugal potential!

[Exflyboy]

Great job!

Frank

[seamer]

Thanks!

FIRE at 50 is the plan, but I still have some issues to work through. (Notice I didn't say anything about a lower cable bill.) The investment and savings ratio is helped by tax-deferred accounts that aren't as easy to tap pre age 59 1/2. Also, by opting to sell my house in CA I've taken on the uncertainty of future increases in housing costs.

However, what is most valuable is the choice to re-prioritize what's really important in life and to pursue that as a goal, rather than a new Lexus or some other bullshit. I previously viewed my frugality as basing spending choices on what I could live without, anchored in a belief that I "needed" certain things. Now, it's a choice of how I can best go about living my life.

[mozar]

congrats!

[couponvan]

Congratulations!

I wish we'd had MMM when we moved from CA 8+ years ago....Our story would be so much better. ;-)

Our big mistake was buying more house than we needed before we even had jobs because they were so cheap compared to CA.  Now we have facepunch worthy commutes with fantastic public schools....The bigger the house, the more to clean, the more to furnish, the more to clean, the more to update, the more to clean....

Bravo to you for renting vs. buying. Looking back, we should have rented until we found jobs. We do love our neighbors though!

[socaso]

I hope that's me very soon. We are moving away from SoCal and I'm really looking forward to a lower cost of living. Congratulations!

[sobezen]

Congratulations seamer! My own experience mirrors yours especially selling the house. Whereabouts in the upper Mid-West did you relocate to? From one Californian native to another, we understand all to well how rents can be high in the major cities. So how is your rent now? Overall, glad you significantly downsized and reduced your excess. So again, congratulations!

Cheers! :)

[seamer]

I am now in Michigan. Discovered that housing prices and property taxes in the town I live in are very high. So I decided to forgo the trendier areas and found a great deal on Craigslist. People told me it was "so far" from downtown/work. It's just under 3 miles, which is ridiculously close by California standards, and it's about a 20 minute bus ride (I get a free bus pass as part of my job). Grocery store is five minutes by bike. The same apartment 2 miles closer to work would be twice as expensive at least. The way I see it, the rental market is overvaluing proximity to downtown, so benefits like a quiet area and proximity to normal, non-Whole Paycheck grocery stores are undervauled and ripe for the taking.

My "commute" takes the same amount of time in minutes as it did in California, but I'm no longer the angry driver trying to figure out which freeway lane is moving fastest every day. Rent is $900/mo. Happy to give up the $1,300 mortgage payment plus sewer, garbage, homeowners' association, having to mow my lawn, etc.

[LeboLebo]

This is awesome. Congrats!

[seamer]

Just passed the 500K mark in net worth.

It includes accrued vacation and blue book value of paid off car in addition to savings and investments. Never thought I'd get here.

[thriftyc]

Just passed the 500K mark in net worth.

It includes accrued vacation and blue book value of paid off car in addition to savings and investments. Never thought I'd get here.

Nice work! Next stop 1 MILLION!

Thrifty

[couponvan]

Just passed the 500K mark in net worth.

It includes accrued vacation and blue book value of paid off car in addition to savings and investments. Never thought I'd get here.

Congratulations!  You're on you way...Just think, your little green employees should be adding $20,000 on average to your income every year for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!!

[SenoritaStache]

Hehe! How exciting!! Congrats on all your new freedoms!