Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[frugledoc]

In the UK your bank deposit is protected in the event of the bank going bust up to £85000.

Now I have to make sure I don't go above the limits.

[sheepstache]

We get so few product advertisements that when we were trying to help our five year old set goals for money savings, she couldn't think of any toys to buy. "Could I buy a watermelon?"
I didn't know if I should just let her get one to give her a goal, or just plant them with her in the spring.
"You know, dad and I are happy to buy food for you." Ha!

Ha!

Most "life hack" articles are about how to manage consumer products that you don't have and/or upcycle trash you don't accumulate.  "CD spindle?  2-liter soda bottles?  Where am I supposed to get this stuff??"

[ketchup]

We get so few product advertisements that when we were trying to help our five year old set goals for money savings, she couldn't think of any toys to buy. "Could I buy a watermelon?"
I didn't know if I should just let her get one to give her a goal, or just plant them with her in the spring.
"You know, dad and I are happy to buy food for you." Ha!

This is adorable.  Good for you!  I vote for planting watermelon in the spring.

[Timmmy]

When I get home and check the mailbox the former owners almost always have more mail than me.  I don't get credit card offers(I don't have/want a CC), bills(autopay/electronic), catalogs/ads(I don't buy much) or really anything.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

I have so many bank and investment accounts (for sign-on bonuses), I have to to use a list to keep track of the logins and passwords :'(

[gillstone]

I forgot which accounts have autopay for what bills since we never have to worry about bouncing checks

[FrugalZony]

I take dates out in a 23 year old truck with 508,000 miles on it

I kinda want to ride in your truck now too

+1 me too ;)

[LibrarIan]

I always forget how long it has been since I bought gas since I bike/bus to work so often.

People think I'm cheap when I eat out with them and only get water to drink.

In my area there are a lot of Jehovah's Witnesses who go door-to-door by biking around while wearing a backpack and work casual clothes. So When I put on my work clothes, strap on my backpack and hop on my bike to ride to the park and pool, people think I am about to holly roll.

[infogoon]

We get so few product advertisements that when we were trying to help our five year old set goals for money savings, she couldn't think of any toys to buy.

When we asked our five year old what he wanted for Christmas last year, he just shrugged and said "Whatever Santa wants to bring me is fine."

[ketchup]

We get so few product advertisements that when we were trying to help our five year old set goals for money savings, she couldn't think of any toys to buy.

When we asked our five year old what he wanted for Christmas last year, he just shrugged and said "Whatever Santa wants to bring me is fine."

Sounds like Santa needs to hit the watermelon store.

[TrMama]

I have "hedonically adapted" to the idea that biking to work is the norm. This week I had to suffer through an entirely clownish car commute for 5 consecutive days. I feel like I'm going to lose my mind and have had a headache every day.

I can't figure out how people do this everyday and even worse, I can't complain about it to anyone in real life because it's the norm for most people.

[smalllife]

I have "hedonically adapted" to the idea that biking to work is the norm. This week I had to suffer through an entirely clownish car commute for 5 consecutive days. I feel like I'm going to lose my mind and have had a headache every day.

I can't figure out how people do this everyday and even worse, I can't complain about it to anyone in real life because it's the norm for most people.

+1 That was me last week.  It made an awful week even worse.

Also, +1 to forgetting to soak the beans!



Feeling bored with a bonus because it just reduces the mortgage a tiny bit more.  No spending plans, no fancy gadgets, just debt removal.

[solon]

One time a friend asked me to go on a weekend retreat.  I declined, saying I didn't have the money. So he offered to pay for me. Now what do I do?

I explained that I DID have money, but it was earmarked for higher priority items. If I pulled money from somewhere else to pay for the retreat, I wouldn't have that money when I needed it for the other thing.

I've had similar conversations with other people, and every single one gives me a confused look. Almost like they can't get their minds around prioritizing expenses. It must be difficult living in a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of world.

[Latwell]

Mustache problem #63
You make so few purchases that your bank/credit company calls you everytime you DO make a purchase.

You know you're mustachian when you go to the mall and leave without buying a single thing.
(My SO use to get upset if we went to the mall and left without something in our hands b/c it's a 30+ min drive to get there. At first I thought maybe I was no longer trendy but I just realized I got my priorities straight. Now my SO and I feel victorious if we leave a store empty handed and we hardly ever go to malls anymore unless we have something specific we are purchasing.)

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

One time a friend asked me to go on a weekend retreat.  I declined, saying I didn't have the money. So he offered to pay for me. Now what do I do?

I explained that I DID have money, but it was earmarked for higher priority items. If I pulled money from somewhere else to pay for the retreat, I wouldn't have that money when I needed it for the other thing.

I've had similar conversations with other people, and every single one gives me a confused look. Almost like they can't get their minds around prioritizing expenses. It must be difficult living in a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of world.

Oh I had this happen with a friend and a bluegrass festival. The tickets were $100/person (which I obviously was not going to pay). She offered to pay for me and I demurred because I know she really can't afford it whereas I just don't spend $$ like that on entertainment. It was an awkward conversation, but I think she has a better insight into how and why we manage our money the way we do. Still... it was awkward.

[solon]

One time a friend asked me to go on a weekend retreat.  I declined, saying I didn't have the money. So he offered to pay for me. Now what do I do?

I explained that I DID have money, but it was earmarked for higher priority items. If I pulled money from somewhere else to pay for the retreat, I wouldn't have that money when I needed it for the other thing.

I've had similar conversations with other people, and every single one gives me a confused look. Almost like they can't get their minds around prioritizing expenses. It must be difficult living in a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of world.

Oh I had this happen with a friend and a bluegrass festival. The tickets were $100/person (which I obviously was not going to pay). She offered to pay for me and I demurred because I know she really can't afford it whereas I just don't spend $$ like that on entertainment. It was an awkward conversation, but I think she has a better insight into how and why we manage our money the way we do. Still... it was awkward.

Yeah, that's the tough part. You can't accept your friend's offer, because you know they are worse off than you. To accept their offer would be to further reinforce their bad habits.

[odput]

I can no longer see a giant house with a huge truck, giant boat, and ridiculous-sized camper out front without wondering how much the people who 'own' them owe.

+1

My wife and I take guesses at how much they are paying per month on those things

[Thegoblinchief]

You have more than 1 bike per person in the household.

[Michael792]

When I first got to Korea all my fellow soldiers kept asking me why I didn't have a phone, like I was having money problems. When I said I couldn't afford a phone or some other things, they offered to help me get a second job or to send me to financial management classes. Mostly I don't have money on hand to spend because I put almost everything I make into savings or debt repayment. It's difficult to make them understand this. Eventually I bought a prepaid for 20 bucks. I can refill the card for ten bucks, which will last me for much more than a month. But, I recently found that incoming calls and texts still happen regardless if I've paid for minutes. They're not charged to your account in Korea, so I've decided not to pay for minutes. I can get along just fine by going to another room in the barracks and actually talking to someone. So now people get upset that I can't call or text, and it doesn't seem to matter that they can call me if they need me.

[frugalecon]

Need to formulate a response for spendthrift friends and family who ask for "loans" after they figure out that my spending << my income.

[sf_raskol]

Biking around so much for every day transport that my jeans are always wearing holes in the seat.

[Datastache]

One time a friend asked me to go on a weekend retreat.  I declined, saying I didn't have the money. So he offered to pay for me. Now what do I do?

I explained that I DID have money, but it was earmarked for higher priority items. If I pulled money from somewhere else to pay for the retreat, I wouldn't have that money when I needed it for the other thing.

I've had similar conversations with other people, and every single one gives me a confused look. Almost like they can't get their minds around prioritizing expenses. It must be difficult living in a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of world.

I know that feeling. My roommate is awesome, but she's definitely no Mustachian. From time to time, our conversations will turn to financial topics, and her thought processes always fascinate me. If I comment that I can't afford to eat out, she might say something along the lines of, "What else are you going to spend the money on?" When I blew a whole week's paycheck on clothes for a new job last week (facepunch please!), she pointed out that "at least it's on credit, so you can make payments." (She has continual credit card debt of her own.) When I replied that I was just going to pay it off immediately, her reply was, "Aren't you lucky!"

I see people approaching money like she does, and I just can't imagine doing the same. It seems like it would be tremendously stressful. I'd rather live with whatever minor discomfort results from living within my means.

[parsimonious]

I wear a giant sweater at work everyday, and people constantly ask if I am cold.

Yes I am cold! My AC is set to 84 at my house. "Normal" inside temps are constantly set in the low 70s. Why do I have to carry a sweater everywhere I go when it is the middle of July in Florida?

[prof61820]

Because we cut cable tv and now watch netflix, our 4 year old gets upset when watching "regular" tv - when visiting relatives, for instance - and a commercial comes on and interrupts his show.  He also asks us to pause and rewind "live" shows.  He doesn't know the correct name for Mcdonalds!  It's all very funny and I can't help thinking that we might be raising a generation that will resent commercial tv advertising.

[CubicleEscapee]

parsimonius - same here (South Carolina).  I change into long pants and take a sweater whenever I leave my house (in the summer)!

[curiousnomad]

Declining expenses: It's not that I'm broke, it's just that my money is already allocated! (Most people will hear this as Visa and mortgage rather than 401k and investments.)

Applies to both money and time: that's not what I've chosen to spend it on. 

[iris lily]

I actually miss episodes of my favorite TV show.

I watch minimal TV.  There's one show I love -- FX's "Justified."  Other than that, I watch my local sports teams from time to time, and an occasional half hour of Discovery or NatGeo, etc.  When I bemoan missing an episode of "Justified," my friends (no longer incredulous like they used to be) bust my stones about not having DVR/Tivo (which would be a complete waste of money for me -- bad enough I haven't dropped the cable).

I love Justified so much that after getting discs from Netflix and from the Library in early seasons, I decided to wait until the entire series is finished. That's happening with this season, I think. After the series is done I'll get discs form the Library and watch it straight through.

[iris lily]

I was once refused a bank account because I had no credit score due to having never borrowed a penny from anyone.

That's my old boyfriend, same with him. He was super mustachen, bless his heart. He had trouble getting a mortgage.

[lizzzi]

I don't think I have a credit score either, for the same reason. In the last two years, I've paid cash for a car and two houses. But my biggest problem is that my "walking around" money in my wallet keeps accumulating, because I just don't spend it. So my wallet will not stay closed in my purse. It's annoying.

[khotte]

I spend so little, that I can barely make my credit card sign up bonus minimums.

[Middlesbrough]

I spend so little, that I can barely make my credit card sign up bonus minimums.

Exactly! I want a chase sapphire card for the great rewards, but I can't do the spending to get the sign up bonus.

[Latwell]

my wallet will not stay closed in my purse. It's annoying.

Lollll +1

[solon]

I have a credit card, but I don't know my credit limit or interest rate.

[This_Is_My_Username]

Biking around so much for every day transport that my jeans are always wearing holes in the seat.

buy cycling knicks?

[jpo]

I wear a giant sweater at work everyday, and people constantly ask if I am cold.

Yes I am cold! My AC is set to 84 at my house. "Normal" inside temps are constantly set in the low 70s. Why do I have to carry a sweater everywhere I go when it is the middle of July in Florida?

So much this, at work I think they set the A/C in the upper 60s. The only time it's warm enough is when the A/C breaks for half the building.

[Thegoblinchief]

AC in the summer doesn't seem to bother me as much as heat in the winter. I hate going to the local library in the winter because they heat it to 75F, which is intolerable for longer than 5-10 minutes when you're layered like I normally am. Even my kids complain.

[Joggernot]

I wear a giant sweater at work everyday, and people constantly ask if I am cold.

Yes I am cold! My AC is set to 84 at my house. "Normal" inside temps are constantly set in the low 70s. Why do I have to carry a sweater everywhere I go when it is the middle of July in Florida?

+1 too
We carry jackets in the trunk (I'm h/c and need a car) because of the cold shops we visit.  Last week we had visitors and went for lunch where the temperature had been turned down to 60°F (best guess) to cool it down before the customers came and warmed it up.  We provided jackets for us and for our visitors.

We've been to fast food places where the staff sets the temp so those working the grill and cookers are comfortable.  Again, out come the jackets.

[ReadyAimFired]

My back hurts from bringing in a FREE beautiful oak china cabinet the neighbors left behind in their apartment because they were too lazy to move it. I don't have any china to put in it but the DW has a collection of cool antique bottles that she has had for years (worth several thousand dollars.)

[Hedge_87]

I'm the only one at work that looks forward to going OFF extended overtime hours every fall. For me this translates to a smaller savings rates and more free time. For everybody else it becomes a financial disaster because they need the $$ to make monthly payments.

[aclarridge]

Great thread guys!

I save so much money, I have to use taxable accounts.

We throw everything we can into registered accounts, but only 35% of net worth is in them, and that percentage keeps going down.
I kinda want to tweak our asset allocation but I'd trigger a bunch of capital gains tax so I'm not sure it's worth it.

Obviously we cry ourselves to sleep every night... :)

[LennStar]

Unfortunately, a lot of these surveys will ask if you've bought a certain product, how much you spend on certain things, how often you buy a product/service, etc. as "filter" questions in the beginning and I get disqualified at that step for at least 90% of the time.

I know that. Its time wasting :( I can nearly never click on "I use that" or "I bought that in the last month".
Also there is a "which cellphone provider" question each month, and I always get thrown out then. Just because its a small one that is 1cent/min cheaper then the rest and is not included in the list...

I also have the oil problems. But since its necessary to do it after time to have the guarantee.... well. Never changed oil because of distance.

One more problem: Its hard to resist the urge to punch people in the face that drive new SUVs ;) Especially the teachers that park in front of my house (I can nearly spit on the school ;) ). I agree that teachers should be paid more for what they are doing, but saying no money and driving SUVs... (not to speak about good examples to the pupils ahem.)

In the UK your bank deposit is protected in the event of the bank going bust up to £85000.

In all of Europe its 100.000€, fortunately per bank and person (hint hint). Same should go for UK, since its based on the same EU directive, just the amount is € in pound.
The number also does not count for shares etc. that are only "managed" by the bank. That is your money and is not eaten up if the bank goes broke.

[Paul der Krake]

I also have the oil problems. But since its necessary to do it after time to have the guarantee.... well. Never changed oil because of distance.

Yup, been there. I change it once a year to keep things simple, at the same time the car needs to be inspected and taxes paid. It's probably a little overkill but I'd rather err on the safe side.

[Rezdent]

When people ask me who "does my hair" I can't give a straight answer.

If I say "me" then the conversation always turns weird in a TMI way or there's this awkward silence.
So I say "I'm lucky to know someone who still does mine even though she won't do it professionally"

[MarcherLady]

I'v always been pretty frugal and rarely buy anything unless I love it or need it, so I have nothing to sell.   
I got a bag from CashForClothes, but all my cast offs have been worn so long that they aren't sellable, so I can't get up to the minimum weight to get free pick up of the bag.   

[Dr. Doom]

People who follow this lifestyle tend to think about money more than those who don't.

Notice I didn't say "worry."  I said think, which implies cool rationality; we consider and plan our own purchases carefully, and we see the big picture, which gives us a particular kind of insight into others' lives.  I frequently wish that I didn't have that insight because it clutters many of my relationships.

Example: two of my neighbors have high school kids and both bought them brand new cars.  One told me proudly he has a Disney timeshare.  Both pay for trash pickup, landscaping, and have dual SUVs meaning that  each family has four cars now.  They are absolutely, comically, stereotypically falling over themselves in an attempt to one up each other, no doubt about it. 

Taken individually, none of these financial decisions means anything.  Taken as a group, your Mustachian sense is now screaming at you  that they're struggling to get by because of all of the conspicuous consumption.  I can almost see their bills piling up, the car payments and phone plans and hotel bookings, hear the arguments about what they can and can't afford to do every month, and on and on.  God help me, I see them in the front yard and I think:  You look rich, but you're actually poor and will never retire.  IMO, these thoughts are more observation-y than judge-y.  (I think.)

Still, I did not see people this way 15 years ago, and I think I'm the worse for it.

I'm taking the long way around to saying that I wish my brain didn't put people into financial buckets and figure out where their money is going -- it's not constructive and it's certainly none of my business -- but it seems to happen auto-magically nowadays.  It's not like I obsess over it -- it doesn't take very long to put the clues together - just a few observations, and viola!  We have our result.

Sorry, I realize this thread said "just for fun" and I've made my response very un-fun.  Hopefully I can get away with that, because hey, I'm Dr. Doom.

[Michael792]

People who follow this lifestyle tend to think about money more than those who don't.

Notice I didn't say "worry."  I said think, which implies cool rationality; we consider and plan our own purchases carefully, and we see the big picture, which gives us a particular kind of insight into others' lives.  I frequently wish that I didn't have that insight because it clutters many of my relationships.

Example: two of my neighbors have high school kids and both bought them brand new cars.  One told me proudly he has a Disney timeshare.  Both pay for trash pickup, landscaping, and have dual SUVs meaning that  each family has four cars now.  They are absolutely, comically, stereotypically falling over themselves in an attempt to one up each other, no doubt about it. 

Taken individually, none of these financial decisions means anything.  Taken as a group, your Mustachian sense is now screaming at you  that they're struggling to get by because of all of the conspicuous consumption.  I can almost see their bills piling up, the car payments and phone plans and hotel bookings, hear the arguments about what they can and can't afford to do every month, and on and on.  God help me, I see them in the front yard and I think:  You look rich, but you're actually poor and will never retire.  IMO, these thoughts are more observation-y than judge-y.  (I think.)

Still, I did not see people this way 15 years ago, and I think I'm the worse for it.

I'm taking the long way around to saying that I wish my brain didn't put people into financial buckets and figure out where their money is going -- it's not constructive and it's certainly none of my business -- but it seems to happen auto-magically nowadays.  It's not like I obsess over it -- it doesn't take very long to put the clues together - just a few observations, and viola!  We have our result.

Sorry, I realize this thread said "just for fun" and I've made my response very un-fun.  Hopefully I can get away with that, because hey, I'm Dr. Doom.

While I agree with what you said here, I do disagree with the un-fun thing. You typo'd (or maybe not) auto-magically, which just about made my day. :D

[Thegoblinchief]

Interesting thoughts Dr. Doom. I definitely find myself doing this too much, though I think conspicuous consumption in my neighborhood is owning a used luxury vehicle, lol, not a Disney timeshare.

I thought of another problem: when you plan your laundry around needing clean bike clothes dry in time for the next day.

[Daisy]

I wear a giant sweater at work everyday, and people constantly ask if I am cold.

Yes I am cold! My AC is set to 84 at my house. "Normal" inside temps are constantly set in the low 70s. Why do I have to carry a sweater everywhere I go when it is the middle of July in Florida?

+1 too
We carry jackets in the trunk (I'm h/c and need a car) because of the cold shops we visit.  Last week we had visitors and went for lunch where the temperature had been turned down to 60°F (best guess) to cool it down before the customers came and warmed it up.  We provided jackets for us and for our visitors.

We've been to fast food places where the staff sets the temp so those working the grill and cookers are comfortable.  Again, out come the jackets.

+2

I live in Florida, and it gets hot in the summer. However, every indoor place is freaking freezing. I'm used to having it warmer at home, so I usually sweater-up at work.

I've gotten so used to warmer temperatures, that this July 4th I was walking along the waterfront at night after the fireworks and my friends wanted to leave pretty early because they were "feeling sticky" and hot. I, on the otherhand, was having a pleasant walk along the waterfront, feeling the nice breezes coming over the water. I mentioned the breeze, but they didn't agree. So, we had to leave early. :-(

When people ask me who "does my hair" I can't give a straight answer.

If I say "me" then the conversation always turns weird in a TMI way or there's this awkward silence.
So I say "I'm lucky to know someone who still does mine even though she won't do it professionally"

Good answer! You are technically telling the truth.

I was asked once who my maid was, and I took a pause and said "you're looking at her."

[lizzzi]

When people ask me who "does my hair" I can't give a straight answer.

If I say "me" then the conversation always turns weird in a TMI way or there's this awkward silence.
So I say "I'm lucky to know someone who still does mine even though she won't do it professionally"

This just happened to me for the first time since I've let it get all silver and been cutting it myself. I thought it was looking sort of good, but was astonished when someone commented that I had obviously been to the salon. And then she looked embarrassed when I said I did it myself.

[happy]

When something aggravating happens at work I have an irresistible urge to say "FU, I'm out here: I'm gonna retire".