Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[smalllife]

When you get more excited about reducing spending than getting a raise because it means your stache target just got smaller!

[happy]

Nice!

[infogoon]

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.

My kids have never known life without a HTPC full of their favorite shows -- I tried to explain the concept of television shows only being "on" at a particular time to my son, and failed utterly.

[gillstone]

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.

Months ago our 5 year old asked why we don;t eat at McDonalds and we said it was because the food was terrible.  Flash-forward to last week when he gets a coupon from the library for a free ice cream cone from McDonalds and he's pissed because, "That's a bad place! I don't want ice cream from there!"  A fist-bump shared by parents later we got ice cream from a local place.

[MustachianAccountant]

I can't take advantage of high interest checking accounts because I don't make enough purchases.

I used to have this problem, but then I started sending multiple $0.50 Amazon eGift cards to myself every month with my debit card.

[TrMama]

On the way to the beach during a heat wave, you decide to stop at the gas station for slurpees for you and the kids. When you get inside, you have to spend 5 min explaining to the kids what a slurpee is, why they should want one, why the straw has a little spoon at the end, etc.

The other people in there look at you like you're all from Mars . . .

[PindyStache]

When you're ready to give up some of your old clothing, you don't get to feel generous about donating it. It's so worn out that the only place it will be accepted is in the trash.

I would have the same problem but for the fact that worn-out clothing is useful for cleaning my bicycle.

[secondcor521]

Ads have become more than pointless because they fall into four buckets:

1.  Stuff I don't want.
2.  Loans to buy stuff I don't want.
3.  Offers to refinance the loans to buy stuff I don't want.
4.  Offers to go to bat for me to not pay the loans to buy stuff I don't want.

[Dr. Doom]

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.

Your neighborhood sounds more down to earth than mine.  I'm looking forward to moving.  At any rate,  I think the mustachian financial insight ability is a bit like Superman's x-ray vision -- really helpful in certain situations, but if it's on all of the time, it can only lead to Bad Things Being Seen.  Hopefully I'll find a way to turn it off when it's getting in the way.

[odput]

At any rate,  I think the mustachian financial insight ability is a bit like Superman's x-ray vision -- really helpful in certain situations, but if it's on all of the time, it can only lead to Bad Things Being Seen.  Hopefully I'll find a way to turn it off when it's getting in the way.

Well spoken Dr. Doom!

[trailrated]

Ads have become more than pointless because they fall into four buckets:

1.  Stuff I don't want.
2.  Loans to buy stuff I don't want.
3.  Offers to refinance the loans to buy stuff I don't want.
4.  Offers to go to bat for me to not pay the loans to buy stuff I don't want.

that. was. amazing.

[solon]

On the way to the beach during a heat wave, you decide to stop at the gas station for slurpees for you and the kids. When you get inside, you have to spend 5 min explaining to the kids what a slurpee is, why they should want one, why the straw has a little spoon at the end, etc.

The other people in there look at you like you're all from Mars . . .

So, why does the straw have a little spoon at the end?

[meadow lark]

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.

Love this!

[meadow lark]

When your two BFF's compliment your outfit and ask you where you got it and you don't get any points for thrifty coolness because that thrift store is where their clothes are from, too.

When your co-worker is all excited to buy a more expensive house, and you have to appear congratulatory, even though she can't afford the one she currently lives in.

[Hedge_87]

You get constant letters to increase your already ridiculous credit limit on your rewards card. I mean seriously each one of mine could cover our expenses for a year if not two (if I could pay ALL our expenses by card that is).

[Garnacerous]

My tomato plants are producing so many fruit that I'm worried some of it might spoil before I learn how to make and can my own salsa and sauces from it.

If you want to do some good, certain food banks accept produce as a donation. I'm planning on donating my excess this year. It's also tax deductible!

[PloddingInsight]

Ads have become more than pointless because they fall into four buckets:

1.  Stuff I don't want.
2.  Loans to buy stuff I don't want.
3.  Offers to refinance the loans to buy stuff I don't want.
4.  Offers to go to bat for me to not pay the loans to buy stuff I don't want.

Great post!  Although I did switch to a credit card with a higher % cash back after seeing a commercial for it.  That was the exception that proves the rule.

[Metta]

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 have this problem with my parents. They have less money than we do and spend what the do have on trips and cruises. If we say that we cannot afford to go, they offer to pay and are very hurt when we decline. But money we spend now on cruises is money that doesn't go toward our freedom fund. Money they spend on us brings them one step closer to dependency on us. For several years now we have been telling them that we are in a busy period at work, which they understand since they over-worked throughout my childhood (workdays beginning at 5am and ending at 10 pm). And I visit regularly so that they don't feel neglected. That seems to work. I've also cultivated the idea that my husband is so afraid of water that he would faint if he had to go on a cruise. Thankfully my husband accepts the little exaggeration in good humor.  :)

[iris lily]

Ads have become more than pointless because they fall into four buckets:

1.  Stuff I don't want.
2.  Loans to buy stuff I don't want.
3.  Offers to refinance the loans to buy stuff I don't want.
4.  Offers to go to bat for me to not pay the loans to buy stuff I don't want.

haha, that was funny!

[EarlyRetirementGuy]

You get constant letters to increase your already ridiculous credit limit on your rewards card. I mean seriously each one of mine could cover our expenses for a year if not two (if I could pay ALL our expenses by card that is).

Yup, This.

Everytime I log into any of my online banks I get presented with offers for an increasingly large loan amount. Their logic is baffling: 'You already have lots of money.. so clearly you'll want to borrow lots of money, Right?". Crazy.

[infogoon]

Everytime I log into any of my online banks I get presented with offers for an increasingly large loan amount. Their logic is baffling: 'You already have lots of money.. so clearly you'll want to borrow lots of money, Right?". Crazy.

We were getting that in person for a while.

"I see you have a lot of money in this account right now."

"Yes, we're going to be putting a new roof on the house and it will be expensive."

"Oh, would you like to apply for a home equity loan?"

[solon]

We were getting that in person for a while.

"I see you have a lot of money in this account right now."

"Yes, we're going to be putting a new roof on the house and it will be expensive."

"Oh, would you like to apply for a home equity loan?"

Funny!

[EarlyRetirementGuy]

Everytime I log into any of my online banks I get presented with offers for an increasingly large loan amount. Their logic is baffling: 'You already have lots of money.. so clearly you'll want to borrow lots of money, Right?". Crazy.

We were getting that in person for a while.

"I see you have a lot of money in this account right now."

"Yes, we're going to be putting a new roof on the house and it will be expensive."

"Oh, would you like to apply for a home equity loan?"

Haha, oh dear. I hope your face expressed an appropriate level of bemusement.

An unexpected consequence of never using my overdrafts and credit limits is that I frequently have no idea what they are actually set at. My banks have now taken to asking it as a security question :/

[lizzzi]

When I went to buy my car for cash, the dealership slowed down what I thought was a simple transaction by asking me probably at least four times if I didn't want to finance it. They went on and on about their low rates, good deals, etc. etc.--why financing would be a huge advantage to me (yeah right)…just about drove me crazy. I'm like, "I'm trying to just pay for the car. Please take this money."  Sheesh.

[Paul der Krake]

I have less than two years of credit history (single guy in mid-twenties), and already more than my total annual spending in available credit. A friend the same age, with 6 years of history has been gaming the system so hard that he now has more than twice his annual pre-tax salary available. Since neither of us are US citizens or even permanent residents, we sometimes joke how we could rack up 6 fat figures of debt, leave the country and there's nothing the credit card companies could do (aside from raising the rates to everybody else).

[Michael792]

I have less than two years of credit history (single guy in mid-twenties), and already more than my total annual spending in available credit. A friend the same age, with 6 years of history has been gaming the system so hard that he now has more than twice his annual pre-tax salary available. Since neither of us are US citizens or even permanent residents, we sometimes joke how we could rack up 6 fat figures of debt, leave the country and there's nothing the credit card companies could do (aside from raising the rates to everybody else).

That's awesome! But please don't... :D

[gimp]

Ads suck. That's the conversation I'm going to jump in on. Ads suck. Two reasons why. Let's assume you don't actually buy shit that the ad is selling.

Reason number one. Ads are society's window on you. If you're watching, it's for you. I may have stolen that line, but it's a good one. You remember that shitty ad, where a good-looking guy buys his good-looking wife a lexus for christmas, so they can cart around their good-looking kids? How many people are going to watch that ad and buy a lexus? A couple. Are you? No. "Problem avoided!" Not so fast. The ad didn't sell you a lexus, but it sold you a family. It sold you a haircut and clothes and accessories and a house and "the american dream"; pretty people look like this and they drive a lexus. You're not an idiot so you didn't go out and buy a lexus, but you did look at the pretty people. Your argument was "do pretty people buy lexuses for christmas?" and you accepted "this is what pretty people look like" and that ad didn't sell you a lexus, it sold you Niemen Marcus. Or, considering the forum, it sold you Marshall's. It still sold you something.

Reason number two. Even if it didn't sell you anything, because you're the smartest of the smarts, it still got everyone around you. You maybe didn't even see the ad, you probably didn't even see the ad, but everyone else did and everyone bought "this is what pretty people look like," especially because they've been buying it their whole lives with slight changes in style, and now you have to conform to that. "But I don't shop there." But whoever designs your clothes, unless you sew and tailor your own without ever looking at what anyone else is wearing, is making things in the proper style of today plus or minus five years. Maybe you don't "shop there" but I bet you wore a windbreaker in the 90s and don't today.

That's my mustachian people problems, as the OP put it. I don't watch ads and they still affect me greatly, but I don't know precisely how, and whether I mind or care, and whether it's harmful.

[iris lily]

1) When I look up my credit score it's not in the 800's and I can't figure out why, but I really don't care enough to pursue it. Whatever. Don't need or want no steekin' credit

2) When I go on vacation I really don't know how much we spend. Whatever.

3) When I pull out my super-expensive wine glasses I tell my friends "look, the rule here is that if one of these break, we laugh about it and throw it out, there is to be NO talk of replacing it" because honestly, I no longer give a shit and it's just damn funny that I have these at all given that they now retail for $550/stem. Only one of my friends has any idea about how much they cost because he is a glassware freak himself and he identified their maker, I didn't tell him.

[mapleseed]

"Could I buy a watermelon?"

+1! I think a watermelon is an excellent savings goal for a 5-year-old!

[Goldielocks]

I received stock options this year but did not open the email as I will likely not be there until vested.

I need to review each year if the tax rebate I get for retirement investing will be taxed higher or lower this year than when I withdraw. 

[franklin w. dixon]

Ads suck. That's the conversation I'm going to jump in on. Ads suck. Two reasons why. Let's assume you don't actually buy shit that the ad is selling.

Reason number one. Ads are society's window on you. If you're watching, it's for you. I may have stolen that line, but it's a good one. You remember that shitty ad, where a good-looking guy buys his good-looking wife a lexus for christmas, so they can cart around their good-looking kids? How many people are going to watch that ad and buy a lexus? A couple. Are you? No. "Problem avoided!" Not so fast. The ad didn't sell you a lexus, but it sold you a family. It sold you a haircut and clothes and accessories and a house and "the american dream"; pretty people look like this and they drive a lexus. You're not an idiot so you didn't go out and buy a lexus, but you did look at the pretty people. Your argument was "do pretty people buy lexuses for christmas?" and you accepted "this is what pretty people look like" and that ad didn't sell you a lexus, it sold you Niemen Marcus. Or, considering the forum, it sold you Marshall's. It still sold you something.

Reason number two. Even if it didn't sell you anything, because you're the smartest of the smarts, it still got everyone around you. You maybe didn't even see the ad, you probably didn't even see the ad, but everyone else did and everyone bought "this is what pretty people look like," especially because they've been buying it their whole lives with slight changes in style, and now you have to conform to that. "But I don't shop there." But whoever designs your clothes, unless you sew and tailor your own without ever looking at what anyone else is wearing, is making things in the proper style of today plus or minus five years. Maybe you don't "shop there" but I bet you wore a windbreaker in the 90s and don't today.

That's my mustachian people problems, as the OP put it. I don't watch ads and they still affect me greatly, but I don't know precisely how, and whether I mind or care, and whether it's harmful.

This is the smartest post I've read in a while.

[meadow lark]

+1
I hate the ads. One of my co-workers was going off on feminism because now she had to have a career and be the perfect mom, etc.  I told her it was consumerism that did that - if she actually didn't want to work outside the home they could live on her husband's salary (he has a good job) and the "perfect mom" crap is just another version of consumerism.  No response.  It is so much easier to blame others than deal with your own issues.

[Cressida]

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.

So true! This actually happened yesterday. Everyone was going around bitching about how hot it was. It was the first time I'd been comfortable since I'd worked there. I keep a heater under my desk. During the summer. Way to save energy, giant employer!

[nora]

I had a small personal loan I was paying off and I decided to add it to my spreadsheet so I could have the fun of seeing the balance go down.

But my net worth is so high you could barely see the debt on the graph :(

This made me lol, brilliant.

[Bigote]

All the awkward looks you get when you tell people you're retired. 

[Travis]

When the conversation goes to consumer spending I have to stop myself from blurting out "I don't want to spend money on that crap" when the item or topic is of interest to my non-mustachian friends.  I also try to avoid saying "I can't afford that" when I mean "I didn't budget for that."  My friends all know I make a lot more than them, but most don't know I save half of it.

Regarding ads, I HATE THEM.  From a frugal adult who spends more time criticizing tv than watching it they're insulting.  From a parent's perspective they're insidious.  My 4 year old son has a few movies saved on the DVR (yes I still have cable) that he loves to watch, but all of the commercials are for toys.  My son would rather play with a stick than an expensive piece of plastic, but he gets the "I want, I want" bug whenever that movie is playing.  We taught him that if it's something he's still interested in weeks after he sees the ad we're willing to entertain the idea, but by then he's moved on to the next shiny that he'll eventually forget about too.

[LennStar]

+1! I think a watermelon is an excellent savings goal for a 5-year-old!

In Japan it would even be a good 5-year savings goal :D

It is so much easier to blame others than deal with your own issues.

That is one of the main problems of humanity. And I think ads/consumerism even trains us to this - so you can buy things that "heal" the bad.
Just think of any hair ad. It goes like
"Do you have bad hair?"
*person A looking terror sticken at Person B's hair"
"Buy XYZ!"

recipe:
1) induce doubt
2) tranform it to social fear
3) let them pay you

We and the environment could live a lot happier without these ads.

[lizzzi]

.

"3) When I pull out my super-expensive wine glasses I tell my friends "look, the rule here is that if one of these break, we laugh about it and throw it out, there is to be NO talk of replacing it" because honestly, I no longer give a shit and it's just damn funny that I have these at all given that they now retail for $550/stem. Only one of my friends has any idea about how much they cost because he is a glassware freak himself and he identified their maker, I didn't tell him."

+1 for using and enjoying the expensive wine glasses….but not replacing them if they break. Mine are over $200/stem. I can't believe I ever wanted all that "fine" stuff, or thought it was necessary. But it sure is pretty, and I do enjoy looking at my china cabinet. When the contents diminish by attrition, I'll look back on many happy dinners with friends and family…and buy simple, inexpensive china and glassware for the future.

[Joggernot]

We and the environment could live a lot happier without these ads.

+1
Best statement of this thread.

[infogoon]

+1 for using and enjoying the expensive wine glasses….but not replacing them if they break. Mine are over $200/stem. I can't believe I ever wanted all that "fine" stuff, or thought it was necessary.

I save money by drinking wine out of a Yahtzee tumbler from the thrift store.

[downtownshuter]

Awesome thread and replies! Some of mine...

I have trouble remembering the passwords to all my investment accounts when I update our net worth spreadsheet.
My wife felt snubbed when we left her income off our mortgage application in order to minimize the required documentation.
I can’t appreciate the finer things in life, like 4k TVs and wine that costs more than $6/bottle.
I have to feign excitement about my annual raise (it only takes a week or two off my FIRE date).
We make too much to contribute to our Roth IRAs.
I have a pile of emails Monday mornings because I don’t work weekends.
Sometimes my stocks keep going up after I sell them.
My spreadsheet says I will have $100 million when I’m 75. What do I do with that?!

[DeepEllumStache]

Since you no longer drive to work and avoid other random driving, you have to actually consider how your low mileage impacts car upkeep (how much gas to put in so it doesn't sit in the tank for 3 months, how often to change the oil, etc).

[Zikoris]

Ads suck. That's the conversation I'm going to jump in on. Ads suck. Two reasons why. Let's assume you don't actually buy shit that the ad is selling.

Reason number one. Ads are society's window on you. If you're watching, it's for you. I may have stolen that line, but it's a good one. You remember that shitty ad, where a good-looking guy buys his good-looking wife a lexus for christmas, so they can cart around their good-looking kids? How many people are going to watch that ad and buy a lexus? A couple. Are you? No. "Problem avoided!" Not so fast. The ad didn't sell you a lexus, but it sold you a family. It sold you a haircut and clothes and accessories and a house and "the american dream"; pretty people look like this and they drive a lexus. You're not an idiot so you didn't go out and buy a lexus, but you did look at the pretty people. Your argument was "do pretty people buy lexuses for christmas?" and you accepted "this is what pretty people look like" and that ad didn't sell you a lexus, it sold you Niemen Marcus. Or, considering the forum, it sold you Marshall's. It still sold you something.

Reason number two. Even if it didn't sell you anything, because you're the smartest of the smarts, it still got everyone around you. You maybe didn't even see the ad, you probably didn't even see the ad, but everyone else did and everyone bought "this is what pretty people look like," especially because they've been buying it their whole lives with slight changes in style, and now you have to conform to that. "But I don't shop there." But whoever designs your clothes, unless you sew and tailor your own without ever looking at what anyone else is wearing, is making things in the proper style of today plus or minus five years. Maybe you don't "shop there" but I bet you wore a windbreaker in the 90s and don't today.

That's my mustachian people problems, as the OP put it. I don't watch ads and they still affect me greatly, but I don't know precisely how, and whether I mind or care, and whether it's harmful.

It's an interesting topic. There was a thread on it recently that blew up. I always wonder it myself - my gut reaction is leaning more towards "No, it doesn't affect me" because I hardly spend anything beyond essentials (rent, food, and basic bills are about 80% of our non-travel spending), and the few things that I do buy are primarily chosen for price, but it's impossible to ever really know.

[Basenji]

+1 for using and enjoying the expensive wine glasses….but not replacing them if they break. Mine are over $200/stem. I can't believe I ever wanted all that "fine" stuff, or thought it was necessary.

I save money by drinking wine out of a Yahtzee tumbler from the thrift store.

Well played, mustache ninja--crap that should have been my handle.

[NoraLenderbee]

We make too much to contribute to our Roth IRAs.

Oh, yeah, isn't it awful?!?! :D

[4alpacas]

We make too much to contribute to our Roth IRAs.

Oh, yeah, isn't it awful?!?! :D

Nope!  Backdoor Roth IRA http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Backdoor_Roth_IRA

[pichirino]

Mustachian people problem.

Credit union worker thinks I live with my parents since I couldn't possibly save so much otherwise!
If only she knows how much I appreciate all the bonus' we get to help me along. :)

[LennStar]

Someone offers to gift you something and you cant think even one reason why you should want to have it.

[4alpacas]

Someone offers to gift you something and you cant think even one reason why you should want to have it.

+1 
I also have the issue of people wanting to give us gifts, and I can't think of anything we need. 

[gillstone]

I get funny looks when I say I plan on being able to retire in 10 years rather than the expected 33.