Author Topic: Coming Back Into the Fold  (Read 2891 times)

mrigney

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Coming Back Into the Fold
« on: June 26, 2014, 08:10:10 AM »
I've been away from the MMM forums for a couple of months. Life has been incredibly hectic. Busy at work, had a new baby, bought a new house (renting out the old one, so I guess I have a passive income stream now...woohoo!). We've probably made some less than mustachian decisions in the house process. Bought a cheaper house (house is about 15% less, but more sq. ft, bigger yard so more room to grow our own food, closer to friends so no more driving 25 minutes across town), but are spending a chunk remodeling the kitchen (had to be done if we were going to buy the house). I would've preferred to throw it our student loans, but am willing to take the cheaper mortgage (about $150 less per month) in the long-term for the short term expenditure, especially with the student loans at 2.625%.

I feel like my ability to be energized for mustachianism wanes when I step away from the forums for extended periods. I have one friend who is on board with me, but beyond that, there's not a whole lot of support in my local community. My wife is naturally frugal (more so than me), but doesn't necessarily care about FIRE and/or doesn't see it as particularly achievable.

Great to be back, by the way!
How do other mustachians maintain their focus and drive when they're disconnected from the community here?

arebelspy

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Re: Coming Back Into the Fold
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2014, 08:53:17 AM »
Glad you're back!  :)

How do other mustachians maintain their focus and drive when they're disconnected from the community here?

I participate in the community because I enjoy it, but the community doesn't change my habits or who I am.  They're habits for a reason.

If your spending changes, then the Mustachian mindset isn't set in.  That's the area you need to work on.

I feel like my ability to be energized for mustachianism wanes when I step away from the forums for extended periods. I have one friend who is on board with me, but beyond that, there's not a whole lot of support in my local community.

It's interesting to me that you feel you need "support" for it.  I'd suggest you think about why this is.

Assuming you aren't a smoker, do you need "support" to not smoke?  Do you go "well my wife doesn't smoke, and my friends don't, so that's really helping me not pick up a cigarette?"

No.  You just don't smoke.  That's part of who you are.

Now someone who was a former (addict?  user?) smoker may need that support, at least initially.  But hopefully they get past the point of needing cheerleaders, right?

You may be at that consumerism stage of wanting to blow money for no reason, and need the support to not.  Luckily you have the frugal wife, and the friend on board.  That's terrific.  But what you need to be asking yourself is: how do I move past the stage of needing support, to where mindsets and habits are set in?

That's the stage you want to get to, IMO.  :)

Welcome back.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Coming Back Into the Fold
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2014, 11:27:02 AM »
I agree with arebelspy, but I'm still at the same point you are, and have been for years.  Maybe it's a personality type?  Maybe it just takes a lot more time for mustachianism to be fully ingrained for some of us?  Probably both and they're linked together.  The more time I spend reading the MMM and ERE blog posts and forums, the more it drives my desire to lower expenses and shorten my time to FIRE.  I do alright without, but we can always be doing better and having this network just helps me see a little more clearly.  Also, I need to spend more time here now that I'm living in San Francisco than I did when I was living in Ohio.  Being surrounded by high cost of living and crazy consumerism eventually leeches its effects into me over time.

 

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