How did you first find MMM?

[Sparky]

Oddly bikeforums.net made a link to a bicycle related post to MMM.

[arebelspy]

Since we saw a ton of traffic yesterday, I added a new option: "Hacker News Link to Giving up 4,000 for Freedom of Speech Post"

EDIT: After 10 days with it getting 0 votes, went ahead and removed the option again.  Guess many of them didn't make their way over to the forum, or find this post at least. Though it'll probably eventually long tail.

[liquidbanana]

MMM's "My Deprived Life" post was linked on the "Financial Integrity - New Road Map Foundation" FB page, and it appeared in my feed. The naughty words and bike love made me instantly hooked.

[Xtal]

I've been reading Ran Prieur's blog www.ranprieur.com for years.  Ran is one of the best thinkers on the web, IMO, and is one of my personal heroes.  Ran Prieur mentioned Mr. Money Mustache towards the end of May.  I followed the link and was instantly hooked.  I've spent the last month catching up on ALL the posts and comments, and finally feel like I am mustachian enough to respond.  This is my first post.  Hi everyone!

[arebelspy]

I've been reading Ran Prieur's blog www.ranprieur.com for years.  Ran is one of the best thinkers on the web, IMO, and is one of my personal heroes.  Ran Prieur mentioned Mr. Money Mustache towards the end of May.  I followed the link and was instantly hooked.  I've spent the last month catching up on ALL the posts and comments, and finally feel like I am mustachian enough to respond.  This is my first post.  Hi everyone!

Hey Xtal!

Glad to have you here. Welcome.

[Osprey]

Another one from the lifehacker commuting link. Funny enough I've stopped reading LH because now I'm doing actual life hacking by following the mustachian method.

[darkelenchus]

Funny enough I've stopped reading LH because now I'm doing actual life hacking by following the mustachian method.

LH is pretty good, but overall it's tips and tweaks are minor league compared to the 'stache!

[grantmeaname]

I stopped reading lifehacker because they don't spellcheck the posts, and once you've followed it for six months you've heard all the tips. Every six months, they post something about the cost of commuting. Every six months, they post something about grinding your own coffee beans. It seemed like after that time was up I had already read 2/3s of every article they posted.

[arebelspy]

I still like lifehacker, but I do definitely get less out of it than I did.  However I'm also the type that doesn't mind a gentle reminder of something every six months, cause otherwise I'm very likely to have forgotten it.

[darkelenchus]

I stopped reading lifehacker because they don't spellcheck the posts.

Tihs is teh Internets. Splleng is optanal.

Regarding redundant LH posts, I think they've done the "kill fruitflies w/ vinegar" tip about 50 billion times.

[shadowmoss]

After seeing MMM referenced on Simple Living several times I finally clicked over and have now read every blog post as well as most of the comments.  I'm working my way through the forum now.

[fumanchu]

I either clicked on a link to an MMM blog from a blog entry on the Get Rich Slowly, Ran Prieur's or Early Retirement Extreme blog. I really can't remember.

[amyable]

Someone in the Get Rich Slowly comments linked to the "Your Debt is an Emergency" post a few weeks ago--I've been reading through the MMM archives since then.

[tannybrown]

It was typical night at Rain, house music pumping, sad, drunken gamblers working up the courage to get on the dance floor, when suddenly, our eyes met from across the room...

[darnton]

I came here via Hacker News to the story about Chase bank being too lily-livered to associate themselves with the word "badassity". I liked the tone and the message struck a chord because I've recently been thinking, "Hey, I make good money. Why haven't I got any?"
I read the blog posts right through from the beginning and now I'm attempting to get through all of July without buying any crap.

[grantmeaname]

Hey, you're 2/3rds of the way there if you've made it this far! Welcome!

[jennlawrence]

Hi

I learned about MMM from his guest post on ERE. If it weren't for that guest post, I probably wouldn't have discovered this community until Jacob's final "passing of the torch" post. If it weren't for the ERE connection, I probably never would have found MMM's site - I rarely if ever update my blog subscriptions...

[CanuckExpat]

I posted this in the introduction thread, but I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat yourself sometimes:
I discovered the blog originally due to a post on the Bogleheads forum (this post specifically). So other?

[ToughMother]

I'm another that came from the Simple Living forums.

[Jaherman99]

I came in through lifehacker, the first time.  Been lurking for quite a while.

[Uncephalized]

Someone linked to this site, I think from Mark's Daily Apple, where I've been a regular for a while. Now I read MMM more than MDA. :D

[zanycaswell]

I was mucking about on a few related parts of reddit, r/simpleliving, r/minimalism, r/frugal, r/financialindependence, and it was linked at one of those.

[J]

Count me as another person who arrived by way of Hacker News and the "I just gave up $4000/month" post.  Reading a couple of the more topical posts quickly gave me the idea that I'd found a site I wanted to keep up with.  I already tended to follow many of the principles mentioned here (I save 80+% of my income), and I continue to work on improving, but reading MMM gave me the nudge to finally get the bulk of my savings out of my savings account and into a more sensible investment (now sitting in Vanguard's "balanced" fund).  I got spoiled by the 5% interest rates on savings accounts a few years back, groused about the decrease in interest rates while borrowers celebrated, and never got around to relocating the money sitting in my now 0.15% savings account.  So, thanks to MMM for reminding me to get my savings actually working for me, and for pointing me towards Vanguard.

Speaking of which, anyone notice that Vanguard offers direct deposit now?  Rather than having to manually transfer money to Vanguard, I have my employer send the bulk of my paycheck directly into my Vanguard account and VBIAX.

[Petruchio]

Huh. I really do not remember how I found the MMM. I am guessing that I came across it via google, thought the name sounded interesting, read a post and got hooked.

[edit] As soon as I pressed 'post' I realized that there it was from a link on lifehacker. I was looking for a hobby project, saw a blogpost of his (I think it was about buy a $10 bread machine) thought it was awesome. It also got me hungry for fresh bread. Delicious and financially badass.

[galaxie]

Count me in the lifehacker crowd too -- the "get rich with bicycles" post.

[madage]

I found MMM through a link post from The Finance Buff.

[hoppy08520]

First-time poster here.

I heard about this site last week from www.bogleheads.org, a website with investing and personal finance enthusiasts who tend to like index funds, Vanguard and John Bogle (founder of Vanguard).

I've been reading a lot at this site and I feel awakened. In the last year, I've been trying to take control of our financial lives. We've refinanced our mortgage to a better rate and and earlier payoff (22 years down to 20, don't laugh), and earlier this year I got a better grip on our retirement investments (with the help of bogleheads). As part of that, we're now maxing our tax-advantaged retirement accounts which increases our savings rate to 22% (up from around 15%).

But as I see from you all, one can save even more.

This site is inspiring and I will try to find a way to save more, including:
* Sign up for Flexible Spending Account (save a bit on taxes)
* I'll start biking to work 1-3 days a week after my office building gets a gym locker room in another month or two (it's around 6.5 miles each way)
* Drop the Gold's gym memberships my DW and I hardly use ($72/month). I've been meaning to do this for a while.
* Drop home phone ($30/month) or replace it with a $10/month extra line on AT&T wireless plan. Been meaning to do this.
* Just learned my wife is eligible for USAA. Maybe we can save a little on car, life, home insurance.
* Eat out less. We definitely spend too much at restaurants. On pace for $6,000 this year. Holy crap. Thanks, Mint.
* Bring my lunch to work more regularly (save some off the $6.76 daily Chipotle bill)
* Downgrade Netflix
* Sell some crap lying around the house

The problem is, I'm struggling to find more to cut. No other debt than mortgage. Old car and van. No cable TV. I suppose I could drop my AT&T iPhone but it helps for work. Even if can do most of those cuts listed above, that only gets my savings rate up to 28%. But I'm hoping that cutting more, and saving more, will beget more cutting and saving. We'll have to find more ways to do it.

Anyway, great site and I hope to learn more from the forums.

[simonsez]

Linked to it from my co-worker that I talk TSP/FERS (federal jargon), personal finance, and retirement with.

[J]

* Sign up for Flexible Spending Account (save a bit on taxes)

Careful with that one; a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) lets you save pre-tax money for health expenses, but anything you don't spend gets lost at the end of the year.  You might prefer a Health Savings Account (HSA), which works with a high-deductible health plan, and which doesn't get lost; plus, you can withdraw from it at retirement time too.  Or, you might just want to save money normally and go for an IRA/401k instead.  In any case, an FSA is almost always a bad deal.

* Just learned my wife is eligible for USAA. Maybe we can save a little on car, life, home insurance.

While looking into that, also consider how much insurance you actually need; most people significantly over-insure themselves.

* Eat out less. We definitely spend too much at restaurants. On pace for $6,000 this year. Holy crap. Thanks, Mint.

Sad to say you're probably still below average there, but yeah.

No other debt than mortgage.

How big a mortgage?  That might be part of the problem.

Old car and van.

How much do you drive them, and how good of mileage do they get?  More to the point, how much do you spend on gas regularly?  This might represent a significant money sink.

I suppose I could drop my AT&T iPhone but it helps for work.

Consider a cheaper service plan (or provider) instead.

The problem is, I'm struggling to find more to cut.

You might consider starting a separate thread with a more detailed breakdown, to get further advice.

[kkbmustang]

No More Harvard Debt

[josephpg]

hacker news

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

Brave New Life, although how I found THAT site, I'll never remember. :-)

[MB]

I skimmed and I don't think I saw this one - a guest post on Frugal Dad "First Retire, Then Have Kids".  When I started reading the site I thought I had found my husband's doppelganger.  Seriously, my husband talked about unplugging from the Matrix only months prior to my discovery and he insists he had never seen the site at that point.

[Darrell]

I came to MMM from a post on http://www.greaterfool.ca/

I was hooked from my first read (Early Retirement Can’t Work, Or I’d Have Heard Of It Before!) then used the side-link: complete list of all posts to start at the beginning and read them all. I finished two weeks ago ... the blogs themselves are always great (love the "badassity" and common-sense style) but I quickly found that the reader comments were just as valuable. I started bookmarking specific entries and copy/pasting other bits and pieces that I needed to preserve for future reference (I love looking at one I've titled "Financial Quotes") ... now I'm starting in on the forum - which to me is just plain "added value". Thanks for this thread as it gives a chance to say: "Thanks Mr and Mrs MM!"

[N]

A blog that I follow posted a link on FB...not sure which article it was, but once I started reading...I got religion.
The blog is NW Edible :)

[happy]

@ Darrell...Wow Inuvik! Sorry this is really Off Topic... a couple of years ago I developed a fascination with visiting Nunavut...and for a moment, being a far off Antipodean thought Inuvik might be in Nunavut.  A quick google reveals Inuvik  to be in NWTerritory ( doh! its in your avatar post)  and to be also an Arctic fascination! A couple of years ago I did research a trip to Nunavut but the airfare from Down Under amounted to some $25000 for my family which pretty well killed off the idea. Still one day if it becomes possible I retain an ambition to travel to the remote parts of Canada.

[Ottawa]

CBC News Ottawa!

[Zaga]

Through a post on Boglehead's.

[PurpleYogurt]

I found MMM from a link on the Dave Ramsey forums.  There are quite a few people over there who are now interested in your community.

[Geborgenheit]

I did a Google search about two days ago for "Babyboomer parents in debt" or something similar as my babyboomer MIL is always in debt and currently trying to persuade us to buy her a house. It pulled up a forum discussion at MMM (which I had never heard of) and I have been addictively reading ever since...

[Daley]

I found MMM from a link on the Dave Ramsey forums.  There are quite a few people over there who are now interested in your community.

I can't possibly understand why people who spend $120 a year to access forums and materials teaching them how not to spend money so they can get out of debt would want to come here. >.>

That was always something that bugged the crap out of me, how expensive Dave Ramsey's financial advice on getting out of debt is. I know someone who's wasted hundreds of bucks over the years supping at the teat of Dave's knowledge hole, and he still keeps throwing money at the guy trying to learn how to fix his spending habits. I tried telling him about MMM last year, but...

[PurpleYogurt]

I found MMM from a link on the Dave Ramsey forums.  There are quite a few people over there who are now interested in your community.

I can't possibly understand why people who spend $120 a year to access forums and materials teaching them how not to spend money so they can get out of debt would want to come here. >.>
That was always something that bugged the crap out of me, how expensive Dave Ramsey's financial advice on getting out of debt is. I know someone who's wasted hundreds of bucks over the years supping at the teat of Dave's knowledge hole, and he still keeps throwing money at the guy trying to learn how to fix his spending habits. I tried telling him about MMM last year, but...

Not sure I understand the meaning of your first sentence.  What does paying for forums and materials have to do with wanting to come here? 

I didn't realize this place was so special (or something) that people on different financial paths couldn't possibly want to come here.  Enlighten me, please.  Is this what I should expect if I continue to visit and post here?

[arebelspy]

Is this what I should expect if I continue to visit and post here?

Lots of face punches, yes.

It takes a thick skin, as we don't coddle around here.

We're not purposefully mean, but we are honest and straightforward. 

I don't see anything inaccurate about IP's post, other than the fact that I can come up with a few reasons why they'd want to come here (not least among them being a free forum for financial advice, instead of one that, apparently, costs $10/mo.).

[PurpleYogurt]

Is this what I should expect if I continue to visit and post here?

Lots of face punches, yes.
It takes a thick skin, as we don't coddle around here.
We're not purposefully mean, but we are honest and straightforward. 
I don't see anything inaccurate about IP's post, other than the fact that I can come up with a few reasons why they'd want to come here (not least among them being a free forum for financial advice, instead of one that, apparently, costs $10/mo.).

Oh ok, is this part of your collective Badassity?  Sounds like great fun, once I get used to the place.  I wasn't looking for coddling by saying where I came across MMM but I wasn't expecting rudeness. 

It's possible that some of us are looking for a place that doesn't cost $10 a month to discuss financial topics.  We may be outgrowing the Baby Steps.

[Bakari]

It's possible that some of us are looking for a place that doesn't cost $10 a month to discuss financial topics.  We may be outgrowing the Baby Steps.

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm, and it was more directed at Ramsy than at you personally.  Ok, so you fell for it at first, but at least you have figured it out eventually, and here you are.  Its more the people who know about this place, and keep paying the fee anyway who we can laugh at.

In any event, welcome.

[Daley]

It's possible that some of us are looking for a place that doesn't cost $10 a month to discuss financial topics.  We may be outgrowing the Baby Steps.

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm, and it was more directed at Ramsy than at you personally.  Ok, so you fell for it at first, but at least you have figured it out eventually, and here you are.  Its more the people who know about this place, and keep paying the fee anyway who we can laugh at.

In any event, welcome.

Bingo. This exactly. Sorry for the confusion, I thought the sarcasm was more blatant than it apparently was. I also posted it after pouring over database logs for half the night, so I'm a bit more obtuse than usual.

[wagonwheeljr]

I came across MMM via ERE a few weeks ago when my life got turned upside down and started looking up ways to start getting things back under control and straightened out. I wish I had discovered this much sooner.....

[Mrs MM]

I found MMM from a link on the Dave Ramsey forums.  There are quite a few people over there who are now interested in your community.

I can't possibly understand why people who spend $120 a year to access forums and materials teaching them how not to spend money so they can get out of debt would want to come here. >.>
That was always something that bugged the crap out of me, how expensive Dave Ramsey's financial advice on getting out of debt is. I know someone who's wasted hundreds of bucks over the years supping at the teat of Dave's knowledge hole, and he still keeps throwing money at the guy trying to learn how to fix his spending habits. I tried telling him about MMM last year, but...

Not sure I understand the meaning of your first sentence.  What does paying for forums and materials have to do with wanting to come here? 

I didn't realize this place was so special (or something) that people on different financial paths couldn't possibly want to come here.  Enlighten me, please.  Is this what I should expect if I continue to visit and post here?

Don't let the sarcasm get to you!  This is a great community and we hope to see more of you around.  Welcome!

P.S. I've often had issues with other forums since written words can sometimes get confusing depending on how you interpret the poster's meaning... plus, people tend to be more direct and honest when they're not face to face with someone.  I think we have an excellent group of people here though and there are so many inspiring tales and incredible advice.   Stick around and you'll see!

[thurston howell iv]

I think I was on MSN or something reading about FI or early retirement and there was a link... Honestly cannot recall in detail- been to busy reading here...

[YAR]

Oddly enough, I found the site a couple weeks ago when I was looking for advice on cycling during the winter months.