Honest Answer: On a scale of 1-10, how mustachian are you?

[CommonCents]

...too much to repeat...

So with all the subtracting and adding, what number do you start with? And it seems to me that the adds and subtracts are for the wrong things (if we are going to end up with 10 as superMMM.

It's not perfect.  Maybe I'll make a separate thread for it after I get feedback here.  See my earlier comment:

Although I did that scale in the reverse accidentally, so 2 is good not bad :)

Except I don't think I am very mustachian. Earlier this year we were only saving 15%, now it is 30ish, come 2015 it will be closer to 40, but we have two cars, my husband has a 60 mile commute each way, I don't garden, we are trying to find a housekeeper.  But prior to the new job (when we were saving 15), we only had one car and no housekeeper.  I take what I find useful and pass on the rest and truly care if it is mustachian or not, as long as it works for my husband and I.

Well I forgot to add long commute.  I'll add it to my master list.  How about you add a point for each 25 miles over the first 10?  I'm not actually clear gardening saves much money from what I've read on those threads - more a hobby that is delicious and might not cost too much.  And you haven't gotten a housecleaner yet so despite having "bad" intentions you haven't yet acted on them.

[Gin1984]

...too much to repeat...

So with all the subtracting and adding, what number do you start with? And it seems to me that the adds and subtracts are for the wrong things (if we are going to end up with 10 as superMMM.

It's not perfect.  Maybe I'll make a separate thread for it after I get feedback here.  See my earlier comment:

Although I did that scale in the reverse accidentally, so 2 is good not bad :)

Except I don't think I am very mustachian. Earlier this year we were only saving 15%, now it is 30ish, come 2015 it will be closer to 40, but we have two cars, my husband has a 60 mile commute each way, I don't garden, we are trying to find a housekeeper.  But prior to the new job (when we were saving 15), we only had one car and no housekeeper.  I take what I find useful and pass on the rest and truly care if it is mustachian or not, as long as it works for my husband and I.

Well I forgot to add long commute.  I'll add it to my master list.  How about you add a point for each 25 miles over the first 10?  I'm not actually clear gardening saves much money from what I've read on those threads - more a hobby that is delicious and might not cost too much.  And you haven't gotten a housecleaner yet so despite having "bad" intentions you haven't yet acted on them.

That is because the two we had come by sucked.  I have not had the time to find another, lol.  I want that extra three hours a month, because I don't have much time. 

[Turkey Leg]

Between a 1 and a 2. DH isn't exactly on board (depends on the year), but we both make a lot of money. (DH: "I like new cars." Sigh.)

• We DO live on somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of what we make, but we only sock away 25% or so in our 'stache.
• The rest is given away to church (minimum 15% of gross to church) then more to charities and to help non-mustachian poor relatives (helping relatives doesn't count as charity). I know: Facepunch on the relatives! How will they ever learn?)

Our 'stache is at $1.1 million, which doesn't count assets like the house and the TWO cars (facepunch!). Our peers just think we're cheap, although I do tell the church not to give us a Thanksgiving/Christmas basket of food. :)

I'm thinking I might want to upgrade my clothes a bit so I don't pick up a security tail at the stores. DH and I get a kick out of this, 'though.

[firelight]

We are at 5-6.

Pros:
No debt
Save 50% gross
Max retirement accounts
Stay home mostly or do free activities
Cook at home most of the time
Don't buy much
Two paid off cars
Shop on craigslist for furniture before hitting the stores.

Cons
Don't have a budget
Travel - we take one big trip a year (min 3000)
We both drive to work - need to come home to baby at a moment's notice. Might change as she grows older.
Aren't very diy or hands on.
Spend a lot on takeouts if life gets busy
DH eats out for lunch

We are starting out and don't have as much saved as we like. I wish there was a one time allowance to back pay all the Roth and 401k to the limit. As you can tell, we were stupid not to max our contributions before. That is the main thing I kick ourselves about.

[Bardo]

I'm thinking 6.5, but I'd welcome any feedback.

The good:
 - Cut cable a couple of years ago (although I've cut it in the past and then got it again)
 - Stopped running the dishwasher
 - Consolidated laundry loads and do most in cold water now
 - Got energy efficient blinds that are amazingly effective (and in Central Texas that counts)
 - TV, dvd etc are on power strips and turned off on weekdays
 - Avoid heating/cooling until things get actively uncomfortable
 - Try to maximize walking/biking
 - Expanded cooking skills
 - Bring lunch to work every day
 - Opened Vanguard account and am in process of moving investments there
 - Retirement contributions maxed out
 - No expensive vacations the past couple of years (although there has been travel for family issues)
 - Paying more attention to asset allocation, instead of just sitting on too much cash
 - Drive a 2010 model 4 cyl. hatchback for which I paid cash
 - No credit card debt ever carried over
 - There is a mortgage on the house, but it is paid in advance with extra principal reductions each month
 - Every expense, my budget, and every component of net worth is tracked on the spreadsheet I love (that may just be the OCD kicking in however)

The bad:
 - A really nasty book accumulation habit.  I blame my upbringing!
 - A very long, ugly commute.  Unfortunately living close to work wasn't really an option.
 - Expensive phone data plan that I haven't done a good job managing
 - Still eat out a couple of times a week, although very rarely at very nice places (defined as where they bring the food to your table)
 - Home grocery bill is still higher than it should be
 - Still enjoy going to the movies


Anyway, great topic.  It's almost therapeutic to write  all this down!

[lostamonkey]

I think I am a 4.

Pros:
-I have a relatively higher savings percentage
-I follow the MMM passive index fund investment theory
-I have a fairly high NW for my age and have no debt
-I still drive the car that my dad gave me in high school which is fairly fuel efficient.

Cons:
-I don't own a bike
-I am paying far too much for rent
-I haven't optimized my allocation of assets to minimize tax
-I delayed a professional development opportunity which will delay raise/bonuses for 6 months and pissed off my boss. This was due to carelessness as I missed the date to apply for the opportunity.

[Dicey]

I can't come up with a number I'm happy with. I will say that I was far more Mustachian before I retired. Now that I'm FIRE, we can afford to let it out a bit. We still save, but we don't have to. It's actually a strange feeling. I've been FIRE for two years and I am still not quite used to it. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but after so many years of caution and moderation, it just doesn't feel natural yet.

For example, yesterday I needed some Almond Extract and some other random cookie-making ingredients. I went to the expensive natural foods store across from Costco. (They didn't have everything I needed, but Costco butter is still only $2.25 a pound!) I spent $18.41 on six ingredients. The Organic Almond Extract alone was $5.89! In the old days, I would have done without or waited until I was near a Winco. The luxury of just being able to buy what I need and not put it off or make do with something else is still something I marvel at.

Oh yes, I admit sheepishly, I am writing this while someone else cleans my house.  I never knew how wonderful it is for everything to be clean all at the same time. Sheer, unmitigated, luxurious bliss. And the tiniest twinge of guilt, but I'm working on that ;-) It was absolutely worth the effort to get to FIRE.

[NinetyFour]

Maybe a 9.

Pros:

* Savings rate of 80% so far for 2014.
* Have walked or biked to my workplace for 16 years.
* Completely cut out clown car driving around town for the past year (until a leg injury forced me to go back to doing some driving).
* Found out about an opportunity to defer income to my 403b account.  Will have deferred over $18,000 into this fund in 2014, and will max it out ($24,000) in 2015.
* 19.4% of my income goes to my 401a account.  (My employer sets that percentage; employer contributes 11.4% and I contribute 8%.)
* No cable, no TV.
* In cold weather months, my house is rarely warmer than 60 degrees F.
* No A/C.
* No clothes dryer. I hang everything to dry, year round.
* I wash 90% of my laundry in cold water.
* Brush teeth with baking soda.
* Wash hair with baking soda, and rinse occasionally with apple cider vinegar.
* On workdays, I shower at my workplace--saves on my water and gas usage at home.
* Drive a 2003 vehicle--has been paid off for several years.
* Refinanced my mortgage in 2013--since I rent out my main house, the mortgage interest deduction is good for my taxes.
* I have no other debt.
* Bring in about $10,000 per year in rental income.
* Live in about 400 square foot dwelling.
* I take lunch and snacks to work every day.  I also make my own coffee at work.
* Use Ting for my cell phone.  Average bill in 2014 has been $4.20 per month (thanks to several referrals).  I had Ting disable the data on my phone.
* Have spent $3 on clothes this year.
* Purchased a bike trailer, and use my bike and bike trailer to get to/from the ice hockey rink (with all my hockey gear).
* I cut my own hair.
* I can't remember the last time I bought a book.  I use my libraries A LOT!!
* Rarely do I eat out.  And I visit coffee shops much less often than I used to.
* In 2014, my debt decreased by $76,000, and my cash and investments increased by $57,000.
* I recycle everything that I can, and I compost everything that I can.

Areas for improvement:

* I should do more of my own bicycle maintenance.
* I think I am overinsured (car and home).  I will meet with agent tomorrow to discuss options.
* For the past few years, I have been spending about $1200 per year on my ice hockey hobby.  It has been great exercise and socialization, but it is pricey.  Right now, I am injured, so I'm paying medical bills instead of rink fees.
* I signed up for Netflix ($8 per month) after I broke my leg in September.  I will cancel it in mid-January.
* I own a Mac Desktop and a MacBook Pro.  I also have another MacBook Pro and an iPad that my work provides.
* I would like to decrease my grocery spending.  This year, I have spent about $195 per month.  That's just food for just me.  In my small town, I don't have cheap options for groceries, but I can do better.

[step_away]

I'm going with a 7 (Single):

Positives:
+Low Expense ($12K annual budget)
+90% Saving Rate (net of tax basis)
+Sufficient Stash to RE (plan to work few more years to build some cushion)
+No Debts
+No Cable TV nor Netflix
+No Cell Phone (employer provided cell phone only)
+No Car (walk or public transportation)

Negatives:
-Once a year international travel (funded w/ "free money" through mileage accumulated from work travel, credit card cash back / bonues and unused PTOs pay out)
-Once a year tech gadget gift to self
-Lunch out twice a week (about $7.5 - $10/meal)
-Wardrobe turnover (due to recent weight loss)

[dude]

Why do people keep talking about savings rate?  This isn't the Mr Suze Orman Mustache website. 

The goal is not savings rate.  With a savings rate of 50%, a $3K pay raise means you can spend $1500 more per year and be just as impressive.  Go ahead and sign up for the cable sports package!

Savings rate is completely meaningless.  How much do you live on?  That's an interesting number.  For us it's about $58K including mortgage, $43K without it (and we could just pay it off if we wanted to), $29K if one of us were to quit our job to stay home with junior.  Our savings rate is super duper high, but who cares?

Um, because if you are saving 50%, then by inference, you are living on 50%?  Seriously, it's an easy figure to come up with, and it is the basis of the "Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement." So I beg to differ with your statement that it's "completely meaningless."

[Gin1984]

I'm going with a 7 (Single):

Positives:
+Low expense ($12K annual budget)
+90% saving rate (net of tax basis)
+Sufficient stash to RE (plan to work few more years to build some cushion)
+No Cable TV nor Netflix
+No Cell Phone (employee provided cell phone only)
+No Car (walk or public transportation)

Negatives:
-Once a year international travel (funded w/ "free money" through mileage accumulated from work travel, credit card cash back / bonues and unused PTOs pay out)
-Once a year tech gadget gift to self.
-Lunch out twice a week (about $7.5/meal)
-Wardrobe turnover (due to recent weight loss)

Congrats on the weight loss!  I see that as a positive, not a negative.  :)

[kiblebuka]

For me, a 2 or a 3 maybe?

Goods:
-Putting money towards 401k
-Plans to open an IRA once I can get the deposit limit
-Stashing away spare cash where i'll forget about it
-Shopping at lower cost grocery stores (until the one near me closes, DAMN YOU ALDI)


Bads:
-Collector mentality
-Video games you will pry from my dead cold hands
-Lazy and lack of motivation
-Sig Other thinks I'm weirdly paranoid about money and spending more on certain things but not others
-Tendency to throw money at friends in tough situations
-Car loan
-Using the car in general too much, which ties into the lazy thing
-Not physically fit enough to use a bike to replace majority of car use (and too unmotivated to lose weight)
-Spontaneous little purchases that add up ($3 soup here, $2 soda there, etc.)
-Probably a lot more!

[david51]

     I believe I'm a 10, although some will disagree.  I'm wearing shirt/shorts that were issued from an old job 14 years ago, with an 80's sweater on top.  I have 3 shirts that are 33 years old.  I buy two pairs of running shoes a year. I haven't bought clothing in 15 years.  I have 72 shirts in closet, probably 60 were free.
     
     I haven't paid rent/mortgage for 16 years where I live (long story).  I probably have 400 of those free bottles of shampoo/body wash from hotels (i'm good at getting free stuff).

     I am a single father of two daughters and spend big bucks on a private school(its worth it) and 3 sports.  But spending on them (cheaply as i can) is my only spending flaw.  I enjoy being frugal.

[Villanelle]

Four?  I am somewhat to very frugal in many ways, but I also allow myself plenty of extravagances.  Travel, books (those which I can't find free, cheap, or via my library), clothes (not end designer stuff, but I have a large wardrobe and enjoy expressing myself creatively through fashion, though I temper that somewhat with ebates, coupon code stalking, etc.), and occasionally paying more of convenience, like when we recently took a cab to the airport rather than a bus and train, with a 45 minutes wait in the cold in the middle of the trip, with all our bags.  Can was about $15, train would have been ~$6.)  We are crazy stingy with our heat, I drive a 15 year old car (and put less than 5k miles on it per year), and we do plenty of other things that are unusual frugal.

Due to many reasons, we appear well on target to reach a FIRE number well before we will leave the workforce.  We don't need to save more.  So we don't.  I understand hedonistic adaptation and that saving money isn't the only upside to mustachianism, but we are comfortable with where we are at and don't see a need to more frugal.  We've reached the point on the continuum that is comfortable (or only moderately uncomfortable, shifting to comfortable as we adapt), that is in line with our non-finanical goals (things like sustainability, charity, etc.), and sets us up to be able to continue this indefinitely. 

[step_away]

Congrats on the weight loss!  I see that as a positive, not a negative.  :)

The weight loss itself is positive, but in true Mustachian fashion I should have been sewing my clothes to smaller size.  Unfortunately I don't have the skill. 

[Money Badger]

OK, I'm stuck right in the middle at a "5".  Here's why...

Pro's:
- Grew up "tough" financially.   Just always naturally a saver.
- Recently was able to max my 401K contribution (yep, it hurt a bit)
- No credit card debt, ever.
- Cars are paid off (teenage driver #1 at least with #2 to deal with next year)
- Cut Cable TV (before MMM); that's worth a point
- Annually negotiate cable, cellular and gas company to shave annual costs
- Buy home materials in bulk (TP, other items)
- Trimming insurance costs (already reduced life, shopping health, auto, home)
- College accounts are funded for our 2 girls
- Managed to save enough to earn ~$1000 monthly passive income;  will have a chance to retire in early 50s if we increase savings rate and play it smart with the stash

Con's:
- I'm dead tired of my career path in technology (guess it's a also a pro since it encourages me to invest time here and make changes)
- Wifey is not a saver or wealth builder (has a part time job, but would live with credit card debt and paycheck to paycheck if I didn't pay the bills.)
- Big house, big mortgage, big annual taxes, big maintenance bills
- College costs are coming
- Savings rate overall is less than 20%
- 3 commuter cars, big insurance bill, big gas bill
- The worst one frankly is my middle aged attitude.   Mainly self-realization and stupid self-pity that life is just a routine of work, paychecks and bills.  This has got to change.

[tracylayton]

A good solid 7. No debt other than mortgages on 4 properties...all cash flow well. Projected savings rate on passive income only for 2015 is 72%. Any commission checks will be extra icing on the cake.

[samburger]

Great thread. Interesting answers.

I think I'm killing it. I give myself a 9. Thegoblinchief explained it well:

We're happy with where we're at and even happier about where we're going. Since we're very early in the accumulation phase, there's quite a few years to go, but Mustachianism/ERE is fundamentally lifestyle design and I LOVE my lifestyle. The design takes time to build, mature, whatever but it's there and it's awesome.

I optimized the moment I entered the workforce, and I did it in a realistic way. My wife and I built a sustainable lifestyle that feels ridiculously luxurious, makes us both happy, and affords us an ever-increasing amount of freedom.

[deborah]

Interesting that for some people it's the journey, and for some it's the destination.

[TheFrugalFox]

Pretty high - around an 8, if the question is how mustachian am I, not how frugal am I - I think there is quite a difference.

never had a store card and credit card was always paid back at the end of the month besides one small 6 month period ( 10 year anniversary)
Never bought anything on credit besides a van for work - very much a work expense for my business - paid it back in 3 years. Still kicked myself though.
Bought our first house cash at age 30 - went from renting to outright home owners.

Basically have avoided paying interest like the plague - and retired at 40.

I also figured this way of life all out for myself and only found this site and ERE a few months before retiring - was very relieved to find others doing the same thing - at the same time my version is slightly different with growing vegetables and money making hobbies very much a part of it.

[SingleMomDebt]

I'm at a 1.25. Think I'll rock a 2 this coming year. Maybe even a 2.015 :)

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

I think we're a 9.

Our non-PITI spending this year will be under $20,000 for 2 people (and a greyhound!) living in an extremely high CoL area.  This includes a decent amount of travel, owning a car (though it is 18 years old), tons of DIY materials for working on the house, and a lot of organic fruits and vegetables.

The house is expensive.  We bought it for future use as a rental and viewed the purchase as an investment.  It would have cashflowed nicely from day one, and will cashflow even more nicely in a couple of years when we rent it out.  We've also seen dramatic appreciation, which is nice but we weren't counting on.

There's not much more to optimize in our day to day spending.  And that's fun!  Now we're solidly in the accumulation phase, both in terms of money and knowledge.

[ChrisLansing]

The answers suggest the scale is highly subjective or at least the definition of "mustashian" isn't very precise.   

Anyway, I guess I'll give myself a 2.5, primarily because I'm coming to mustachian principles late in life (58) 
It's not that I just got the right idea last Thursday, it's just that it took a long time to get out of the jam caused by anti-mustachian living.   

Pros:
-No debt of any kind.   Just have to buy food and pay utilities, and maintain the house/cars. 
-Saving 1/3 of take home pay.   Not a very mustachian percentage, but I have a moderate paying job and my  wife is retired, so I think we're doing pretty good at 1/3.    Always looking for ways to save more.   
-Set up my own 403b in addition to my traditional pension plan.   
-Assuming I can work until I'm 66, I should retire with the same income I have while working.   
-We are not spendy

Cons:
-Have to work to 66 (and 4 months)  No possibility of ERE for me.   Have to work to maximize my pension and SSI so I'll have enough income upon retirement. 
-Two cars.   Wife isn't ready to be a 1 car family, but we're at least discussing it. 
-Used to ride my bike to work, 6 or 7 years ago, but don't much feel like it anymore.   Maybe need to get back to that.
-Might have to work PT in retirement, though this may be largely psychological.   Would work as a self-employed person, not a a greeter at WallyWorld.   

[Gin1984]

The answers suggest the scale is highly subjective or at least the definition of "mustashian" isn't very precise.   

Anyway, I guess I'll give myself a 2.5, primarily because I'm coming to mustachian principles late in life (58) 
It's not that I just got the right idea last Thursday, it's just that it took a long time to get out of the jam caused by anti-mustachian living.   

Pros:
-No debt of any kind.   Just have to buy food and pay utilities, and maintain the house/cars. 
-Saving 1/3 of take home pay.   Not a very mustachian percentage, but I have a moderate paying job and my  wife is retired, so I think we're doing pretty good at 1/3.    Always looking for ways to save more.   
-Set up my own 403b in addition to my traditional pension plan.   
-Assuming I can work until I'm 66, I should retire with the same income I have while working.   
-We are not spendy

Cons:
-Have to work to 66 (and 4 months)  No possibility of ERE for me.   Have to work to maximize my pension and SSI so I'll have enough income upon retirement. 
-Two cars.   Wife isn't ready to be a 1 car family, but we're at least discussing it. 
-Used to ride my bike to work, 6 or 7 years ago, but don't much feel like it anymore.   Maybe need to get back to that.
-Might have to work PT in retirement, though this may be largely psychological.   Would work as a self-employed person, not a a greeter at WallyWorld.

If you are saving 33% of your tax home pay, why do you need to retire with the same amount that you are earning while working?

[Dicey]

A good solid 7. No debt other than mortgages on 4 properties...all cash flow well. Projected savings rate on passive income only for 2015 is 72%. Any commission checks will be extra icing on the cake.

Wow! This one almost got past me. It surely deserves a cheer for you, frog girl!

[ChrisLansing]

If you are saving 33% of your tax home pay, why do you need to retire with the same amount that you are earning while working?

It just works out that way.   Actually it will be a few hundred less, but we only need 2/3s to live on so we should be ok.   

I'm 58 and we have only been saving 1/3 for a few months.    I won't be able to save enough to achieve FIRE and I can't quit working.   When I'm 66 my SSI and pension will be close to current take home.   So I won't get rich but I won't end up destitute either, as long as I can work 8 more years. 

That's why I rated myself low, 2.5, we are doing the right things, but got a late start.   

[arebelspy]

If you are saving 33% of your tax home pay, why do you need to retire with the same amount that you are earning while working?

Some want to increase their spending in FIRE.

My FIRE budget is more than double my current spending.

Someone spending 75% of their income now (saving 25%) may want to spend 100% of that income number, or more.  Just depends on what your retirement budget is, and it should have no connection with your income, either way (higher or lower).

[P1]

Maybe a 2 or a 3? I have no debt, but that's where the positives end. I have a clown commute (in a paid for civic, so at least relatively efficient) low income and no savings rate right now.

[2Birds1Stone]

5-6

The Good - No debt, cheap apartment with included util and internet in a HCOL area, 50%+ savings rate, no cable, spending very aligned with values.

The Bad - Drive a car and have a motorcycle, drink lots of beer, eat out fairly often, do happy hour fairly often (Both done baller on a budget style)

This is the perfect balance for me, I am on path to be FI in 10 years, possibly RE in 12-13 if I so chose. I love where I am at in life and there is no further rush for me.

[Rage]

     I believe I'm a 10, although some will disagree. 

...

     I am a single father of two daughters and spend big bucks on a private school(its worth it) and 3 sports.  But spending on them (cheaply as i can) is my only spending flaw.  I enjoy being frugal.

Sigh.  What is the point of this forum, even?

[Gray Matter]

I'd say we're about a 2 (not a 1 only because our debt and savings situation is pretty good, but we're pretty spendy).

One the Plus Side

We both max our our 401(k) each year
Put $1000/month in 529 plans
Only debt is mortgage at 2.95%
Savings rate is between 40-50% (depends on bonus and what we do with it)
Kids in public schools and few/cheap/rec center activities
Cancelled house cleaner, cut cable to basic, reduced insurance premiums
Retirement savings over 1 million

On the Negative

Big, drafty, money pit of a house
Three dogs - all rescues, but still cost $$
Eat out too much, too many convenience foods
Travel - often international, and we like to stay in places with charm (not luxury, but not dives)
Both drive to work
Joined a gym recently
Use drier for clothes
We like to buy stuff (books, games, videos, legos, clothes).  We are restrained, but still spendy by MMM standards.

[Bob W]

Maybe a 9.

Pros:

* Savings rate of 80% so far for 2014.
* Have walked or biked to my workplace for 16 years.
* Completely cut out clown car driving around town for the past year (until a leg injury forced me to go back to doing some driving).
* Found out about an opportunity to defer income to my 403b account.  Will have deferred over $18,000 into this fund in 2014, and will max it out ($24,000) in 2015.
* 19.4% of my income goes to my 401a account.  (My employer sets that percentage; employer contributes 11.4% and I contribute 8%.)
* No cable, no TV.
* In cold weather months, my house is rarely warmer than 60 degrees F.
* No A/C.
* No clothes dryer. I hang everything to dry, year round.
* I wash 90% of my laundry in cold water.
* Brush teeth with baking soda.
* Wash hair with baking soda, and rinse occasionally with apple cider vinegar.
* On workdays, I shower at my workplace--saves on my water and gas usage at home.
* Drive a 2003 vehicle--has been paid off for several years.
* Refinanced my mortgage in 2013--since I rent out my main house, the mortgage interest deduction is good for my taxes.
* I have no other debt.
* Bring in about $10,000 per year in rental income.
* Live in about 400 square foot dwelling.
* I take lunch and snacks to work every day.  I also make my own coffee at work.
* Use Ting for my cell phone.  Average bill in 2014 has been $4.20 per month (thanks to several referrals).  I had Ting disable the data on my phone.
* Have spent $3 on clothes this year.
* Purchased a bike trailer, and use my bike and bike trailer to get to/from the ice hockey rink (with all my hockey gear).
* I cut my own hair.
* I can't remember the last time I bought a book.  I use my libraries A LOT!!
* Rarely do I eat out.  And I visit coffee shops much less often than I used to.
* In 2014, my debt decreased by $76,000, and my cash and investments increased by $57,000.
* I recycle everything that I can, and I compost everything that I can.

Areas for improvement:

* I should do more of my own bicycle maintenance.
* I think I am overinsured (car and home).  I will meet with agent tomorrow to discuss options.
* For the past few years, I have been spending about $1200 per year on my ice hockey hobby.  It has been great exercise and socialization, but it is pricey.  Right now, I am injured, so I'm paying medical bills instead of rink fees.
* I signed up for Netflix ($8 per month) after I broke my leg in September.  I will cancel it in mid-January.
* I own a Mac Desktop and a MacBook Pro.  I also have another MacBook Pro and an iPad that my work provides.
* I would like to decrease my grocery spending.  This year, I have spent about $195 per month.  That's just food for just me.  In my small town, I don't have cheap options for groceries, but I can do better.
[/quote .              You my friend are a badass.  Cut the grocery bill to 90 and keep coffee under 5 and you will have arrived to the promised land.    Keep the hockey and break something besides leg next time.

[NinetyFour]

Thanks for the feedback, Bob W.!

Not sure I can cut the groceries from $195 to $90 per month, but I will try!

[Latwell]

A 4, maybe? Given the temperatures outside I park my dirt bike in the living room immediately after a ride to share the glorious engine heat with the interior of the house... FWIW...

My SO had a motorcycle. We lost our very first apartment together because he brought it inside. I forget the reason why he brought it inside. Maybe the bike was cold, lol. The landlord's husband came in to fix our heating issue and ended up telling his wife/landlord about the bike and she wouldn't even let us keep the bike even if it was outside. It was actually a blessing in disguise because the heating bill was over $300 for a single month and that was with us wearing our winter coats all day/night... they refused to believe there was something wrong with the heating system.



As to answer the OP question:
I want to say I'm probably a 3 (if 1 = in debt but starting to implement). I have debt, car and student loan, but have also implemented ways to get rid of that debt quickly. I don't drink and quit smoking 2 years ago. I don't find it difficult to walk into a store and walk out w/ nothing. However, my savings rate could be better or my debt could be eliminated a bit faster. Also, I hate hate hate cooking and am not good at it what-so-ever, resulting in a bad cycle of getting take out. On the bright side, I've been stopping at the store more often to pick up a couple dinners to cook (this means my SO and I end up wasting less food) instead of stopping at a fast food place along the way home. I have a long ways to go before jumping up in ratings, but I am sure I'll get there and much earlier than any of my peers.

[david51]

     I believe I'm a 10, although some will disagree. 

...

     I am a single father of two daughters and spend big bucks on a private school(its worth it) and 3 sports.  But spending on them (cheaply as i can) is my only spending flaw.  I enjoy being frugal.

Sigh.  What is the point of this forum, even?

     Good for you speaking up when your confused.  Try reading the blog posts from the beginning.  It will help the confusion.  A smart person asks questions when they don't understand.

[anisotropy]

Very similar to Gray Matter, we are at best a 3/10, most likely a 2/10.

no debt with high saving rate, but we spend a ton and waste money on whatever we choose, sometimes on a whim. just doing our part in "giving back" to the society.  ;)

*we don't bike, so 2 cars
*paying quite a bit for cable which we rarely use, if ever
*high vacation costs, mostly on hotels and fine dining
*** this one is big, just blew a ton of money on chasing a dream/personal ego, with virtually 0 chance of recouping that money

[morning owl]

I'm giving myself a score of 4/10.

Positives:

- we don't own a car
- we own our house outright, with no other debts
- we currently save about 70% of our household income
- over the past year or so I've learned to forego new clothes and mainly buy thrift store clothes or get them for free at clothing swaps
- for expensive items (>$150 let's say) I try to give myself a 30 day window of consideration before I choose whether or not to actually buy it, unless it's something that's urgently needed
- my husband and I almost never buy books anymore -- a huge weakness for us. Instead we use the library.
- I use CC points to buy stuff whenever possible

Negatives:

- I hate biking in this city, and use public transit
- we eat out a fair amount. Trying to cut down on this.
- we started saving fairly late
- most of our NW is in our house
- our house is probably bigger than what we need for 2 people
- we have some spendy indulgences like nice wine, organic food
- neither of us is very handy at all, so we tend to hire people to do things around the house
- we have an expensive cable package that DH is unwilling to let go of

Overall I'd say we both struggle with balancing conflicting desires: our semi-frugal, anti-consumerist natures, the desire to be free to spend time as we please, and some societal expectations / fears of poverty. The above plusses and minuses are how these conflicts have been playing out so far. I see room for improvement.

[sleepyguy]

Well start to the new year so let's get honest with ourselves :)

Rating, 5/10

Pros
- coming from a couple that ate out 4-5x per week, we now eat out maybe once every 2 weeks
- we live off 2/3rds of my salary, put away a 1/3rd and put away the SO entire salary... last I checked it was about 65%
- max out our RRSP, TSFA, RESP
- have rental property with a long term tenant
- follow basic index investing strategy
- camping/cottaging is and always will be our choice of R&R
- on track for FIRE at 45 (prob 42) or sooner (both 36 currently), we're both a bit risk adverse so we want to build a decent cushion though, maybe 3% SWR
- no cable TV, OTA is our choice + Netflix /  I've also stopped my home theatre upgrade habit (very expensive)

Cons
- we don't bike, YIKES!
- we own and drive 2 cars, both not very gas friendly... at least they were bought outright with cash and both used! lol
- I still am really bad at buying sports equipment and tech gadgets... not sure I can give it up... least it's not car collecting :)
- She has a coat and shoe thing
- both our commutes are BAD, but to counter that we only go into the office about once (her) or twice a week (me)

Compared to some users here we look like super spendies... but I think we're doing ok overall.  If we dropped to a single car, and starting biking, i would bump our score to a 6/10 :)

[Le Barbu]

As another Mustachian told me my IPhone 4S 8G is a "fancypants" phone but I paid 120$ for it and use it to set my guitar, repair my car via OBD2 device, level up anything, FaceTime the kids when away from home at nigth, buy & sell stuff with Craiglist etc. To me, it´s more a Mustachian tool than a fancypants toy...

[ontario74]

Maybe a 6?

The good:
Even as a single parent I live on 53% of my income, which includes 15% towards investments. I paid off 11.5K last year (car, summer camp fees and a small wardrobe upgrade) thanks to all of you :) and started an emergency fund. I also made it through Christmas with zero debt.

The bad:
I left the public service and owed for a transition payment (they changed to payment in arrears). I mistakenly thought that my remaining vacation days would cover it. Worst part is that I booked a trip the day before I found out I owed the money, so I ended up putting the @47% of income" towards the trip instead.


Improvements for this year:
- Sticking to $100 per week grocery budget (spent $92 today)
- No clothes shopping, except some sandals that need replacing
- Two haircuts per year

[aschmidt2930]

Probably a 5 or 6.  My savings rate is 70, but being objective part of that is due to being young and single with a solid income.  There's plenty of wiggle room in that budget, so I hesitate to place myself any higher.

[mochila]

8 seems about right. I have no plans to crank it up further in 2015.

+ no car for >7  years
+ vegetarian
+ have bought nothing new for 4 years
+ only "clothing" expense in 2014 was to re-heel a pair of boots
+ keep thermostat at 55°F in winter, 85°F in summer: neither the heat nor the A/C has switched on for years, thanks to our temperate climate
+ employer reimburses all of my travel, plus I travel at least one place I've never been each year
+ every expense except rent and tithe is funneled through credit cards for >$300 in cash back and >$2000 in sign-up bonuses each year
+ no cable? no TV!
+ no internet; use phone and wifi
+ all Apple gadgets (meh) provided by job
+ use coupons
+ sign up for free samples once a month
+ cut my own hair
+ interlibrary loan
+ save 20% of net (i.e., after maxing out 403b and Roth IRA) modest salary every year

- salary for my profession very unlikely to transcend "modest"
- still rent (live in cheap place in expensive neighborhood, and a small enough house would mean having a car again)
- still tithe
- love my job, so no intention to FIRE

Reading around the PF regions of the internet, I recognize my negatives are big ones, while most of the positives are small. My NW won't see its second comma until 2017 or 2018, but I have felt blessed with abundance for years now.

[Joan-eh?]

I'd say very very awesome, Mochila!

[Lia-Aimee]

Agrees with Joan-eh, it's always super interesting to see individual perspectives.

I'd say I'm a 5.

The good:
-No debt, high net worth compared to both my age group and to single people in all age groups.
-Save 80% of monthly net income (4k out of 5k)
-Never owned a vehicle
-Spartan diet, never eat meat, snacks, or any drink but water/tea unless it's served to me (free.)
-Have what may actually be the cheapest living situation in my high COLA (volunteer with newcomers and keep a close eye on kijiji and craigslist for room shares for then - have yet to see cheaper.)
-Own no electronic gadgets (including a personal computer) other than my cell phone.

The Middling
-Get hair cut only 2x a year (but it's a high end salon)
-Have small and multipurpose wardrobe relative to my peers (in age and in income) but not much of it is secondhand or bought extremely cheap ($20-30 for a top and $30-40 for slacks or skirt is reasonable to me.)
-Wear/use little makeup and other related products, but you'll pry my $30/month mascara from my cold dead hands and I won't go more than 2 days without shaving my legs.
-Im lucky in that I work 4 days/week out of town, where food and gym are free.

The Ugly
-Cell phone. Won't even admit what I pay for it. My excuse is that I have family in other continents and it's very important for me to keep in regular contact.
-Travel. Again, I've only been on 2 vacations in my life that didn't involve visiting family (both as a child when I didn't pay) but the family visits can be expensive.
-Gifts. And not typical Christmas gifts, but some type of weird survivors guilt (grew up in a low income area, had more opportunities than many) so I go more than a bit overboard making sure that less privileged friends and family have what they need.

[NinetyFour]

You sound like a very nice person...who wears a lot of mascara.  :)

[Lia-Aimee]

 I dunno about nice - I deal with my demons by giving, the same way someone else does with a bottle of wine. But thank you :) cheers.

[mc6]

I paid $170 to park my clown car at the airport and $150 for the petsitter to scoop cat poop over my holiday vacation, so I'm thinking I'm a 2 now.  :(

[Indexer]

Really?  I can use Roth for education?

I don't come first.

My very cursory research seems to indicate contributions can be withdrawn for education (or anything) and that earnings used for education would be subject to taxes but not penalty.  It's definitely worth looking at especially since retirement funds aren't considered in most aid calculations, and you don't risk overfunding a retirement account the way you do with 529s if your children get more aid or go to a less expensive school than you're planning for.

Your cursory research would be incorrect.  Contributions to a Roth, if removed after five years are both tax and penalty free, plus you can remove the gains, both penalty and tax free, for education.  That being said, if your child gets more scholarship aid, you can remove that from a 529 penalty free (though not tax free).  The disadvantage to the Roth is the amount you withdraw has to be claimed on the next years FAFSA (counts as income).

I just thought I would clear some stuff up really quick.
1.  You can ALWAYS take contributions out of a Roth tax free.  That five year rule doesn't apply to withdrawing contributions, only earnings.  (In order to take out earnings tax free in retirement you have to be over 59 1/2, AND you have to have made your initial contribution over 5 years ago.  Doesn't apply to this.)
2.  If you take out EARNINGS from a Roth before 59 1/2 or within 5 years from initial contribution you PAY taxes on the earnings.  Qualified education expenses gets around the penalty.  It does NOT get around the taxes on the earnings. 
3.  Funds w/d from a Roth do get counted towards income for FAFSA the following year.  If the Roth has enough in contributions and you aren't relying on the earnings this isn't an issue.  You just use loans for the first 3 years(many don't accrue interest while in school), then in year 4 you w/d enough from the Roth to pay off all the loans for years 1-3 and to pay tuition for year 4.  As long as there are enough 'contributions' to cover the loans = no taxes.  You could take out earnings to cover year 4 since you get the deduction for qualified education expenses, and just pay the taxes, but with this strategy you really want to avoid using earnings if you can.  Also once the kid is 24 and/or in a graduate program the parents income is unlikely to be counted for FASFA.

4.  This is the kicker.  The primary huge OMG amazing advantage of a Roth for education is that assets in a retirement account are NOT counted for calculating your total assets for the determination of whether your kid gets financial aid.  Assets in a 529 are counted.  Someone with 100k in a 529 is considered far better off than someone with 1 million in an IRA from a FASFA calculation standpoint.  From a mustachian point of view this is why I like the Roth.  If you plan on retiring early you probably have a lot of assets.  If they are sheltered in tax advantaged 'retirement' accounts it doesn't screw up FASFA.

Summary:  The Roth for education strategy really relies on trying to pay for college using 'contributions' so you don't tap earnings, and then the earnings go towards your retirement.  If you start tapping into earnings that is when you start paying taxes and you run into FASFA problems.  If you are using the earnings with the Roth and having to pay taxes then the 529 probably is better(since it won't have taxes).  If you can fund it with straight contributions and leave the earnings for retirement the Roth is probably better since you get the same tax benefit plus the other advantages listed above.


I would give myself a 3 or 4 right now.  Savings rate of around 33%, car is paid for, only debt is a loan with a lower interest rate than what I can earn with conservative investments.  I don't drive a whole lot.  I am biking more so once 'more' becomes 'always' I'll bump that up to a 5/6.  My biggest anti badass thing is that I still spend too much eating out.  Working on that one.

[Cassie]

Probably a four now but most of my life a 8.  We are semi retired & are now spending $ to do the things we want, eat out, go to movies/events, vacations, etc.  Interestingly when we were young, raising our kids, etc all of our friends were living the frugal lifestyle too. Everyone is now retiring & doing great.  Sure we knew some people that were really spendy but not a ton.   I think society as a whole has become a lot more focused on consumer goods, etc then 40 years ago. Or maybe i was just so focused on raising my kids, getting college degrees & starting my career later in life then most that I did not notice.

[WYOGO]

I am somewhat higher on this scale with a savings rate in excess of 80% for 2014, zero debt and shockingly well optimized taxes. Amazingly efficiency is still increasing.