How did you become frugal or a Mustachian?

[FIreDrill]

My parents never had a lot of money and after making a couple dumb consumer purchases that I regretted I figured it was time to start saving and Investing.  Got started with Dave Ramsey and then quickly picked up MMM.  I wouldn't say I'm super frugal but I make sure what I do spend my money on will be worth it to me in the long run.  About 4 years have passed and we are sitting on a nice 224k net worth and about 60% savings rate at the ages of 26 and 23.  I'm also starting to help my parents with Investing and retirement planning as well.  Better late than never I guess....

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[slackmax]

I was making $9 an hour as a draftsman. Had to get something fixed on my car. Mechanic rate was $40 an hour. Eye opener.

Decided I would try to get as much money as possible by going into computer programming. Suffered through 16 years as programmer, making good money, living frugally, then pulled the trigger to retire.

What I have always found fascinating is there are so many people doing hard jobs that help the economy who make low wages, like $10 an hour, and other jobs that really don't help the economy, that are easier,  that make more money than the productive jobs.  i.e. it seems some jobs are underpaid and some are way overpaid. I'd give some examples of overpaid jobs, but I don't want to offend anybody!  Ha HA.   And yah, I guess I would say yes if offered one of those overpaid jobs, but still....
 

[RedmondStash]

What I have always found fascinating is there are so many people doing hard jobs that help the economy who make low wages, like $10 an hour, and other jobs that really don't help the economy, that are easier,  that make more money than the productive jobs.  i.e. it seems some jobs are underpaid and some are way overpaid. I'd give some examples of overpaid jobs, but I don't want to offend anybody!  Ha HA.   And yah, I guess I would say yes if offered one of those overpaid jobs, but still....

Agreed -- and I too am in one of those overpaid jobs, and grateful to have had the education and savvy to pick a lucrative career path.

[GoConfidently]

Long before I had heard of Mr. Money Mustache, I read the book Possum Living and it changed everything. I reevaluated my entire lifestyle and sat down and made a plan with my then boyfriend to live differently. Due to a weird and very coincidental circumstance, I ended up meeting Dolly Freed and becoming email buddies with her. Eight years later, despite all the life changes that have come my way (including the end of the relationship with above boyfriend and losing touch with Ms. Freed), and falling off the financial wagon several times, I'm back at it and determined to make it stick. I've always been frugal in big purchases, but I haven't always made the best decisions about what to save for or how to save. I'm changing that, and I still credit that book for opening my eyes to the idea that life can be different than the status quo.