If you had to go the summer without one of these...

[AlotToLearn]

A couple friends of mine were throwing around the idea of challenging each other to go from Memorial Day to Labor Day without the use of their credit cards, primary car, or social media accounts. Curious to see what everyone here thinks.

[RyanAtTanagra]

I don't have a car or a social media account.  I find this challenge too easy ;-P

[Zikoris]

Hmmm.... I've spent 32 years car-free, I think I can manage one more summer.

[undercover]

I would not forego credit card rewards in the name of a "challenge". That's just stupidity :P A credit card for anyone on this site with any sense is not a luxury in any way shape or form.

[ixtap]

Isn't this forum a subset of social media?

[Milizard]

Yes, I would include this forum as a part of social media.

[use2betrix]

I, along with a good chunk of the population, would probably lose their job if they didn’t have a cell phone.

Not just for the phone portion, but it allows me to be infinitely more efficient checking emails, pictures, etc.

[OtherJen]

Social media.

I don’t have a land line, I pay off credit cards in full and enjoy the rewards and convenience, I get a lot of good info from this forum, and we have a few road trips planned this summer. Plus, there’s a family health issue going on, and we may need to drive about 100 miles at a moment’s notice to a rural area with no regular public transportation.

[HPstache]

Easy choice: Credit cards.  Social media will be important for me during this time frame as my small business advertises heavily for mother's and father's day.  Car... non-negotiable,  too many camping trips planned.  Cell phone is simply a no.
 Could probably do without this forum, but ditching the CC's is much easier.

[MonkeyJenga]

Definitely the car that I already don't have. I would give up non-forum social media next, since that's just endless liking of puppy photos, which I can get elsewhere. Then credit cards, since I have a bunch of Visa gift cards I can use for a couple months.

You're not taking my phone or my forums from me. Mine. Stay back.

[kanga1622]

I could take a hiatus from forums or Facebook if I had to. I would just be doing a lot more texting with my sisters. :) Neither of my brothers are on Facebook so we check in often via texting anyway.

We are a one car family and have trips planned to see extended family this summer. No landline so phones are necessary. And giving up credit cards means giving up the rewards which completely fund all Christmas expenses so I don’t see that happening.

[Jim2001]

I don't have a car or a social media account.  I find this challenge too easy ;-P

+1 that MMM is "social media", I'm just sayin'.

[kpd905]

I'll go with social media.  I make $5,000+ from credit cards a year, so that would hurt me to put those on hold.

[SerenaDarrin]

Uh, Car.  The car that I don't own and can't drive. :D 

Close second would be social media, but I use that for my job and to talk to friends/family in other countries, so it's a bit too practical to give up. :)

[seattlecyclone]

Giving up credit cards would cost me money, with no upside. No thanks. Social media (this forum included) and cell phones both provide entertainment and some actual utility while probably eating up a bit more of my time than is really healthy, so giving them up for a while might not be a bad idea. I voted for car because I think going without that for a while would provide the most interesting challenge.

[RyanAtTanagra]

I don't have a car or a social media account.  I find this challenge too easy ;-P

+1 that MMM is "social media", I'm just sayin'.

I strongly disagree.  The forums are a bulletin board, which is something that's been around since long before the world wide web.  It's a very different animal from friendster/myspace/facebook/instagram/twitter/youtube.  I'm not posting things here daily to try to impress you or keep you up on how awesome my day-to-day life is.  The point of this forum is to learn, share ideas, grow, and improve, which is very different from social media.  Getting rid of social media is a valid challenge because for most people it would improve their life to do so.  Stopping visiting the MMM forums may be a positive for a few people that might be here an unhealthy amount, but for the vast majority it would be a net loss due to the loss of challenge, self improvement, and learning it would cause.

[AlotToLearn]

Social media running away with the votes here. I would love to give up my car for a summer if I lived somewhere where I could walk to each destination that mattered to me. I might be happier(less road rage) and healthier.

[Cranky]

I guess that I don't see how I'd be better off without any of those things. I'd be fine, but life would be less convenient. What exactly would be the point?

[BTDretire]

I would find it fun to get rid of our 3 vehicles and the insurance bill,
but I could never get that by the wife.
 One of our vehicles is just a keeping up with her relatives.
She doen't care what anyone else thinks but for some reason she needs
to do what here Bro's and Sis's do.
 Our previous vehicle we had for 8 years and didn't put 3000 miles on it.
Gave it to our son, now we have another keep up vehicle that we have had a year
and have put less than 300 miles on it.
 On the other hand we made it to FI with plenty to spare, and lots of the credit goes to her.
Thanks baby!

[NorthernMonkey]

To put a more Mustachian twist, which would be better for you to challenge yourself to do. I’m sure everyone here pays their credit card off in full each month, so it’s no hardship to pull out the debit card instead of the credit. It just screws your rewards

To challenge yourself to go without social media or a car will probably make you a better person.

I need my cell phone for a job. It’s expected that people can email me. Although id
Love to flush the stupid thing

[Cranky]

How would going without a car make me a better person?

(I don’t drive myself, but my dh’s commute to work would go from 10 minutes by car to about an hour by bus.)

[RyanAtTanagra]

How would going without a car make me a better person?

(I don’t drive myself, but my dh’s commute to work would go from 10 minutes by car to about an hour by bus.)

You sure live up to your name.  This is the MMM forum, have you read his blog?  He talks a lot about cars.

[OtherJen]

How would going without a car make me a better person?

(I don’t drive myself, but my dh’s commute to work would go from 10 minutes by car to about an hour by bus.)

I wonder the same thing. I do volunteer work in the next county and there's no direct bus or light rail transportation between the counties. Giving up a car would mean giving up hospice work.

[Cranky]

How would going without a car make me a better person?

(I don’t drive myself, but my dh’s commute to work would go from 10 minutes by car to about an hour by bus.)

You sure live up to your name.  This is the MMM forum, have you read his blog?  He talks a lot about cars.

Yes, I have! LOL And his family does/did seem to own vehicles. But I already walk most places in my neighborhood. Our car is a convenient - and not crazy expensive - way to improve our range. Given our public transportation options, not driving would just slow life down. I do not live in an area where things are spread out or there is a lot of traffic to slow your commute down.

I take Lyft about once/week, and wince at how expensive it is.

[Bateaux]

Probably would dump MMM first.  It's probably me and not the Forum.  It just doesn't excite me like it once did.