Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3315956 times)

Bose

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1550 on: August 14, 2014, 11:36:55 AM »
Hi all, I had looked at MMM a couple times in it's younger days, just ran across it again and decided to try buckling down on the finances and badassity in general.
I've been working my way through the blog from the earliest on up... I've made it up to march 2012 so far.

Single income family, 3 kids, started paying for a house last year.
Finances are in check, but I've been trying to reprogram my happiness scale to be based more on frugality than on convenience.

Sweeping through my finances, putting things in order - currently looking for a decent mini fridge on craigslist to curb my eating-out-for-lunch habit.

Trying to figure out how to gracefully win over my wife to finding joy in more frugal ways.
So far she hasn't been keen on reading the blog, she feels too busy.
Any suggestions?

missj

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1551 on: August 14, 2014, 10:20:48 PM »
Hi All. I'm Jacki 33 and make a medium/high salary  with great employer paid benefits
Husband is 39 and self employed. His income fluctuates wildly and he usually gets paid in 2 or 3 big sums per year.  HARD to budget!
Our son is 5 and starts kindergarten in 10 days.  just wrote my last daychare/preschool check!  YEAH!

I've been obsessed with this website for about 24 hours now (though I've always been a saver, budgeter, analyzer, obsesser)

Anyways, I've been saving between 5-20% of my pay since I was 18 with the last several years being in the 20% range.

BUT...I've been lazy and overspending on luxury and convenience items, and I have car loans, and a mortgage.....

got a lot to do but I've already started...

so far in the last 24 hours I've made these changes:

1) cancelled Hulu Plus savings $8 month
2) cancelled Audible.com savings $15 month
3) paid off all my credit cards down to zero from my emergency fund
4) pledged never to carry a credit card balance again

next step: look at moving my investments out of Edward Jones and into Vanguard.

SimpleGuy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1552 on: August 15, 2014, 01:49:08 PM »
Hi, my name is Dennis.  Like many others, I've been lurking for some time now (about 6 months).

I'm 34 years old, single, no kids.  I've always been frugal and already had a decent stash (stache?) before I found MMM.  Up until a year and a half ago the only debt I had was student loans.  Then I had an early mid-life crisis and bought a new Toyota 4Runner.  I thought I was going to do a lot of boondocking to explore Alaska and the West when I moved back to the lower 48.  But I think I was trying to be something I'm not or I liked the idea of exploring more than the reality of it or I just couldn't stand having the huge car loan.  Whatever the reason, I was beginning to regret the purchase when I came across ERE and MMM and that sealed the deal.  I had to get rid of the 4Runner. 

So for the past few months I'd been looking at vehicle options.  I had my eye on a 2012 Scion xD and then a 2007 Ford Focus hatchback.  In the end I bought a bicycle.  During the time I was car shopping, I found a new apartment and was able to cut my commute from 4.5 miles to 800 feet.  Even with my original commute, owning a car was probably unnecessary.  Now that I can walk to work, it would be ludicrous.  I have a hard time justifying spending the money on the car purchase, insurance, repairs, gas, and electricity (block, battery, and oil pan heaters in the winter) for what little I would be using it.  I know cycling in double digit sub-zero temperatures won’t be easy but there are people who do it.  I believe fellow mustachian SisterX’s husband is one such hardy soul.  I just need to stop being a wussypants and keep my eye on the prize – FIRE at 45 (give or take 2-3 years).  So much better than the 62+ I thought I was destined for before I found this website and others like it.     

Next up: sell the 4Runner.   

Thank you all for the information and inspiration.

Piwakawaka

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1553 on: August 15, 2014, 05:01:18 PM »
Hello All
My name is Popo la Roux and I am a recent convert to the mustachian way.
Despite being a poor grad student in New Zealand, I am already investing for what I plan to be a 12 year career before FI.
I do not have a car and will not be getting one unless absolutely required
My food bill has plummeted
A day without spending money is a great day for me, and such days are becoming more and more common
Things are going well!

Cheers!

Louis the Cat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1554 on: August 16, 2014, 09:31:50 PM »
Hi, I'm actually Mom to Louis the Cat! My husband and I are in our early 30s and have generally evaded the consumer lifestyle (never had a car loan, among other things). I found the blog about 18 months ago and read the whole thing in a couple of months, then sicced my husband on it. We are now thinking of retiring in the next 10-15 years and both being musicians full time (I already am, sort of). We live in Colorado, about 30-40 minutes from the MMM family with 3 cats, 2 kids, and 1 dog. I will be posting a case study shortly from which I expect some facepunches (not too many, I don't think) and hopefully lots of good ideas about how to proceed from where we are. I love the mindset here and am eager to be a more active participant.

Distshore

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1555 on: August 17, 2014, 01:57:06 PM »
Hi,

I'm from a distant shore and now living in NYC.  Husband and I are starting to talk about growing 'staches, though I haven't yet talked him into "downgrading" his flip phone to a Republic smartphone.  Kiddie #1 on the way and we are looking to become quietly, frugally well off without ever letting another soul know about it, and to enjoy our lives, each other and our families; travel lots and make everything we can (clothes excepted; I hate sewing!).  Husband never wants to retire (though desperately looking to change careers to something much lower paid) and I really, really, really want to!

We will keep plodding away working on our investments and being inspired by MMM and you all.

MrSteward

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Hello!
« Reply #1556 on: August 18, 2014, 11:52:58 AM »
Hi all,

We are from Central California, have been married one year as of yesterday, and my wife and I are both 24 with no children(yet). I finished a 2 year college degree early at the age of 17 and started my career in IT. I now work as the Director of IT at an awesome family owned farming equipment manufacturing company. My wife graduated from Nursing school last spring and works full time as an RN at a hospital. We have managed to pay off her $40,000+ in student loans in just 8 months which is super exciting to us and with inspiration from MMM we intend to up our savings to at least 70% which will allow us to buy a house/duplex next summer with at least 20% down.

We have made a some financial mistakes in the last year such as wasting a lot of money on eating out and other misc non frugal thinking and we also bought a new car which went against my internal logic that said it was a dumb idea... anyways we are here to learn from more frugal individuals so that we can be good stewards of the money and financial stability that we have been blessed with.

peace99

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1557 on: August 18, 2014, 02:43:44 PM »
Hi All,  Glad i found this site! I'd been reading various financial self help books for years and finally got myself into a position where I can invest. Looking forward to learning lots!

jordanread

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Re: Hello!
« Reply #1558 on: August 18, 2014, 03:41:15 PM »
Hi all,

We are from Central California, have been married one year as of yesterday, and my wife and I are both 24 with no children(yet). I finished a 2 year college degree early at the age of 17 and started my career in IT. I now work as the Director of IT at an awesome family owned farming equipment manufacturing company. My wife graduated from Nursing school last spring and works full time as an RN at a hospital. We have managed to pay off her $40,000+ in student loans in just 8 months which is super exciting to us and with inspiration from MMM we intend to up our savings to at least 70% which will allow us to buy a house/duplex next summer with at least 20% down.

We have made a some financial mistakes in the last year such as wasting a lot of money on eating out and other misc non frugal thinking and we also bought a new car which went against my internal logic that said it was a dumb idea... anyways we are here to learn from more frugal individuals so that we can be good stewards of the money and financial stability that we have been blessed with.

Happy Anniversary!! You got a hell of an early start. I look forward to following your journey, and seeing what could have been had I not screwed around for so long. :-) Welcome to the forums.

Hi All,  Glad i found this site! I'd been reading various financial self help books for years and finally got myself into a position where I can invest. Looking forward to learning lots!

If investing is your thing, I highly suggest checking out the Investor's Alley section, as well as BogleHeads. Welcome!

Brighteyes

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1559 on: August 18, 2014, 05:29:53 PM »
Greetings,  I always thought I was frugal, but after reading MMM blog I realize I have a ways to go! I am slowly working my way through the blog and forums.
Here's to the power of the Mustache to change my financial life :)

jeninco

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1560 on: August 18, 2014, 08:06:18 PM »
Hi! I've been lurking for a while, but I finally registered here to respond in the housecleaning thread… DH and I, in our late 40's, live with two boys and two cats in the yuppy-ified town just to the west of the MMM-family. We generally like it: we're in a very, very bike-friendly location, our kids don't need to be driven much and we're in easy walking or biking distance from amenities. Our neighbors are rather thrifty, and it's nice to be surrounded by some similar-minded folks. Other than the biking and a general displeasure for shopping we're not "super-mustachian", but having fun figuring out how we can further optimize our expenses to get the maximum pleasure jolt for our bucks! Many, many thanks to IPDaily for the Ting recommendations (both for the company and the suggestions for usage) and to MMM for the idea of a SWR of 4%!

We've paid cash for both the (mostly rusting in the driveway) cars, and have only 10 years left of a mortgage at 3.xx %, so no real hurry to pay that off. We're now working mostly to sock up the kids college fund and build up a bit of extra cushion...

MikeC

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1561 on: August 19, 2014, 04:17:01 AM »
Hi all

My name is Mike, from the north of the UK, and I am currently living an antimustachian lifestyle. I am married with double income, no kids, big ass (4 hours a day) commute, 85% mortgage and a dog.

I just did a quick spreadsheet review of my expenditure and hang my head in shame. I spend HUNDREDS of pounds a month on coffee out, fancy lunches, expensive nights out with friends, fancy food, gadgets (many with apple logos) and public transport.

I don't have a bike, have a taste for champagne and fine whiskey, I haven't optimised my utility bills and I'm carrying 5K of (currently interest free) credit card debt.

I'm not a completely lost cause though as I am overpaying my mortgage and have 20K of invested 'stash (chose not to pay the credit card off while the interest is at 0% but that will clear it as soon as the intro rate is gone). We are also a one-car couple and grow some of our own food.

I do, however, deserve a big punch in the face! Looking back over the last 9 years of my career, I realize that I could be in almost the same position as MMM had I lived differently. I have been a complainypants, wussy over-consumer and MMM has helped me realize this. 

I *LOVE* this blog and the ideas in it. I very much want what MMM isn't selling. I am writing this post, mainly for myself, to say 'Something has gotta change'.

Thank you MMM and the community here for showing me the error of my ways.
I am working on it.

Cheers,
Mike

DragonSlayer

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1562 on: August 19, 2014, 05:34:24 PM »
Hi! I'm 42, married, and live in NC. I retired at 33, before FIRE was cool! Reading "Your Money or Your Life" was what turned me on to the path of financial freedom. That and a series of jobs with bullying bosses, backstabbing coworkers, and mind numbing work. The life of a corporate drone was never going to be for me, so I did all I could to "buy" my freedom as early as possible.

I still "work" a bit doing some freelance writing and graphic design, but now I work for myself, when I feel like it, and only with clients and on projects that I love. I'm free to choose work that challenges and interests me and, when I'm tired or have family obligations, I can say no.

Helders

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1563 on: August 20, 2014, 08:44:25 AM »
Hello, I'm a mustachianist since I discover the blog, from the moment I started reading I got a sense that this philosophy was definitely for me. Currently 29 and with a plan to reach FI by the time I'm 45. I see very difficult to get a high paying job in my country considering the unemployment rate (I live in Spain) so I see 15 years from now as the minimum time for me. I've been recording all my income and expenses since I began working so being frugal it's not an issue for  me, that has allowed me to use the money to invest.

I have never owned a car so don't miss it, and with a recent job switch I am earning something like $48K which allows me to save 62% of my salary more or less. I'm sharing a flat with two roommates and live near my office. Still, looking forward to be more mustachian!

Elderwood17

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1564 on: August 20, 2014, 05:10:52 PM »
Hi! I am Doug and was introduced to this site a month or so ago.  Since then I have systematically read every post, and having finished today I decided I better register and jump in.  Being in my early fifties I am a bit late to the party.  We have always saved some of our income, and managed to get our house paid off while raising four kids.  But we never really developed those frugality muscles and certainly didn't exhibit any degree of Badassity.  We always figured if we were putting away our 10% in the retirement fund then we could indulge in a few toys here and there.  Once the last kid graduated from college we found our savings went to 20%, but in the past month I have been motivated to sell the ATV, cancelled some subscription, and sold a couple things on Craigslist.  It is ramping up!  This month we should be socking away about 35% or more.

Lizzy B.

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1565 on: August 21, 2014, 07:57:40 AM »
I’m Guckles and I’m (learning to be) a mustachian.  Engineer, married, late 20s, no two legged kids, but one of the spoiled canine variety.  Found MMM through 20SomethingFinance (it was helpful advice until I found something better here) about 2 years ago, and have been lurking on the forum ever since.  I’ve always been interested in personal finance and avoiding debt (I read a lot of Dave Ramsay in high school/college) but the idea of using our savings to buy freedom and flexiblility has been utterly transformative and liberating.  We’re still far from FIRE, but a whole lot closer than we were 2 years ago.  Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. MM for sharing their knowledge, their badassity, and for pointing their optimism gun at us.

I love this forum community.  Ya’ll (yes, I live in TX) are knowledgeable, friendly, and don’t pull your (face)punches when necessary.  You’ve inspired me to make some changes in my life already, and I’m sure there’s more to come.  Thanks!

pixeldollars

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1566 on: August 21, 2014, 06:43:18 PM »
Hello my name is Smith, I'm the nobody from nowhere that knows nothing. My age is between zero and one (zero= birth, one= death). I am starting the noble pursuit of financial independence in the right place at the right time. I am very excited about the info about directing money to maximum positive effect for personal happiness and for the highest good of all concerned.  What a cool blog! Thanks for having it! The world's a better place because of it.

dlo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1567 on: August 21, 2014, 07:15:43 PM »
Hi, I'm Dustin. Here to read, share and learn as much as possible.

Basenji

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1568 on: August 22, 2014, 05:14:00 AM »
I’m Guckles and I’m (learning to be) a mustachian.  Engineer, married, late 20s, no two legged kids, but one of the spoiled canine variety.
Welcome. I'm stealing this just to see people doing math with a quizzical face.

valve

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1569 on: August 22, 2014, 07:38:15 AM »
Hello everyone!

After reading through many of the posts for several weeks, I'm finally on board with getting serious about my finances. As a 33 year-old divorced mom of a toddler, I have a few mountains to climb, but now feel confident that I can make it. My main goal is to be able to provide a stable future for my son and I for years to come and I can do it surprisingly well with sacrifices that really aren't going to impact either of our lives much at all.

After I submit this post, I'm on the way to the bank to put my employees to work by paying off my car (I feel silly for keeping $10k in the bank for so long gaining no interest). Last night I cancelled DirecTV, trash service, reduced my Verizon bill by $30.00 a month, and changed the thermostat from 73 to 83 (when I turned it up last night I literally said outload - "fuck the power company."

I'm working on a before and after MMM budget and can't wait to see the final tally. Looks like pre-MMM savings was about $200.00 and now it is looking more like $800.00. Since I was 18, I've contributed a minimum of 15% of my 401(k) and looking forward to adding more. I just have to be diligent and not fall into old spending habits. I've got a lot more things to work on and really excited to see what the future holds.

MandalayVA

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1570 on: August 22, 2014, 12:01:05 PM »
Hi!  (waves)

I'm a nearly 48-year-old woman; my husband is nearly 59 (next month is birthday month).  No kids, some cats.  My husband LOVES playing with finances and as a result we're one of the very few with that six-month cushion the talking heads push, plus he has a couple of trusts.  We live in a two-bedroom condo in a national historic district and our only debt is our mortgage, which we hope to pay off in the next three years.  The condo is a little less than three miles from our jobs (we work for the same company) and I've walked there and plan to do so much more regularly.  We have two cars right now but we plan to drop down to one, probably within the next year.  We got rid of DirecTV earlier this year and installed an antenna for news and football purposes; the internet covers the rest of entertainment.  I'd like to be able to retire when my husband does--we're fortunate that our company has a fully funded pension plan and both of us are vested, plus we have 401ks and other investments.  I'd also like to start investing a little on my own too, which is how I found MMM.

MamaFootball

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1571 on: August 22, 2014, 07:49:50 PM »
Okay, I'm not going to just lurk and read. I'm married for almost 25 years, mom of three adult kids and stay at home to take care of our youngest daughter who has special needs and is chronically ill. We are quite frugal and are now learning how to better manage "the gap" and tuck our money away in the wisest way. We are pretty much the renegades in our crowd, we don't pay anyone anything that we can figure out how to do ourselves, we thrift shop/yard sale for whatever we need, and have no interest in keeping up with the Joneses. That's me and I'm here.

Chibalass

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1572 on: August 23, 2014, 06:34:10 AM »
Hello to all,

I'm a new reader to this blog, and can see quickly that community helps to achieve MMM ( and Mrs MM) freedom so I'll dive in and say hello.

I'm married, currently work in education,  am approaching my late 30s, and live in Chiba, next to Tokyo, Japan.

I spend many weekends kicking a ball about in the park with my kids, reading a book, or sharing a cool beer with my hubby. I like reading so I'm glad this group has a book club. Keen to learn more from the shared wisdom of all here.

Chibalass

kathrynd

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1573 on: August 23, 2014, 06:29:39 PM »
hello,
My husband and I retired 4 years ago at 46 & 50. We split our time between Australia and Canada.
We own rental properties, which funds our 'retirement'. Neither of us made a high income, and didn't even consider retiring until realised by making a few changes, we could live off rent.
 We still live a frugal life, but we have everything we want. As the property mortgages get paid off, our income will rise.
 Being frugal is fun :)

lemanfan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1574 on: August 24, 2014, 03:42:01 AM »
Greetings facial hair people,

I am here to learn, network and be inspired.

On the personal side: male, 42, single, no kids, enjoying life in a medium size city in the middle of Scandinavia.

Working in the software industry, and making a comfortable living.  Spending a lot but saving more.  Rarely bike since I live downtown where everything including work is within walking distance.  My only car is a 15 year old sports car that I almost never use for any purpose other than fun trips with the top down.

On the investing side, I've been an active investor since the late 1990:s.  Back then it was speculation in the dot com boom era, now I'm a combination of boglehead, deep value investor and a dividend junkie.

I'm in the process of reducing my regular spending to instead spend more on travel and experiences.  Love to travel to the USA (been 6 times now) but perhaps I'll also start exploring more of Europe too.  Would love to connect with fellow travel fans from all over the place. 

Would also like to get in touch with fellow entreprenurs.

cowboysgirlfriend

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1575 on: August 25, 2014, 10:14:11 AM »
Hello, I decided I had better jump on board.

28, engaged to a cowboy, about to move from Oxford, UK to Bellingham, WA (USA, not Western Australia). We work in horses, a notoriously difficult industry in which to be successful, but I'm determined that we're going to make it happen. I own a small business in the UK which is just starting out and not yet at the "paying dividends" stage, but I hope it will be soon.

I still have a lot to learn about working the system in the US, and I'm mostly here to plunder the wealth of knowledge and experience that I've seen on the boards. I feel like I'm at square one. Look forward to seeing how this adventure goes.

mrdebtbeard

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1576 on: August 25, 2014, 12:39:57 PM »
Hi I'm new to the forums and thought I'd drop in rather than lurk.
I'm 34 work in the mortgage industry, married with one daughter and hopefully one other little one on the way.
I'm currently in the process of relocating to Seattle, and I've clearly got the roots to be a mustachian but need some tuning up.

Romag

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1577 on: August 26, 2014, 03:52:34 AM »
Hi, I've been lurking for awhile.
Single Army Officer, 43, about a year away from retirement. FI the day after I retire with pension and savings. Planning on teaching High School ROTC for a few years as a soft landing before leaving the workplace entirely.

Really enjoy the blogs and forums. I've always been pretty frugal, but reading MMM has allowed me to refine some practices.
Thanks for having me!

CatchingFire

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1578 on: August 27, 2014, 12:21:48 PM »
New to the whole idea, but thankfully not too far gone.  ;)

It seemed destined.  My husband and I arrived here after being inspired by minimalism to reduce our stuff, followed by problems with Moneywell moving us to YNAB, listening to their podcast brought me to MMM, and now... yes...  this feels like home.  Wish I'd arrived here many years ago, but perhaps the trip through crazy clown car, luxury living was necessary for MMM to have the impact it has. 

So far, I've dusted off the bike, got a rack for it to haul my goods, and crunching numbers to retire a little earlier than planned (about 10 years).  The husband has been a bike commuter for 10+ years and we thankfully live in a fairly bike friendly city with good (and bike friendly!) pubic transit.

I am grateful already for the generous and humble community here and the amazing mass of knowledge here.  Hope to contribute as I progress!

Public Hermit

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1579 on: August 27, 2014, 06:00:30 PM »
Greetings!

Been lurking for a few months and decided to sign up with some difficulty. I've had my fair share of some financial blunders, but not as bad as some. I am 25 years old, single, graduated college a year ago with $19,000 debt and modest savings. I've had a full time job in my field of study since two weeks after graduation. I also kept my college job gig at the supermarket for 15 hours a week even though I hate it with a passion. I have a 401k through both jobs and plan on pumping as much as possible into each. I also have a Roth IRA which I've completely maxed out on this year. After this month, I will have just under 5K on my student loans. According to Mint, my net worth is just under +$9,000, which is awesome, considering I was in the negatives a year ago. Once I pay off my student loans, I project that I will be able to save/invest at least 50% of my income.

I hope to achieve FI between the ages of 45-50. And that Roth IRA pipeline idea I've been reading around the forum? Genius! I've read many investing/trading books and forums since the beginning of this year. I started investing in the stock market in January and hope to reap the benefits of compound interest. Looking forward to posting here and sharing the enthusiasm of practicing an anti-consumerism mindset!

KES

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1580 on: August 28, 2014, 08:34:21 AM »
Hi! I've stalked the blog/forum for about a year now and thought I'd say hello. We are 30 and 38, have 3 small ones with whom I stay at home, and right now FIRE is just a dream. We live rather modestly with one car, but again we only have one paycheck at the moment. When we're done having kids I'll go back to work to jack up our savings. I enjoy the positivity and non-judgyness of this forum the most.

plutoloco

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1581 on: August 28, 2014, 08:56:24 AM »
Hi I'm Mike, 35 years old, married with two small boys and starting my professional career after years of being a slacker. My brain has been wired incorrectly for years when it comes to money and what I can actually afford. Happy to be in the company of so many like- minded frugal individuals!

RichLife

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1582 on: August 28, 2014, 12:22:58 PM »
Hello everyone, happy to be here. I'm Nina, 28 and I live in Belgium. I work as a software developer. About a year and a half ago I finally started to take my finances seriously, having in the past relied on others to do all that for me. Things really took off when I learned about the concept of 'financial independence' and the realization that the dreaded fear of having to work until 65 to then live off a meagre pension was not one I'd have to have any longer.

I feel lucky that I grew up with many frugal habits which stuck with me into adulthood. As such I do not feel that I am missing out on anything, I even take a certain pride and joy into living below my means. Plus having friends whom are not able to work due to disability it is nice to be able to share and exchange tips with them and take away some of their worries too.

Doing this was in part inspiration to start my own blog which revolves around the concept of living a rich life. Right now the focus is on money matters, but as I go I will expand into anything that contributes to the concept, as richness is not only defined by material aspects but also experiences. The link is in my signature, feel free to have a look around. Should you have any feedback then send me a PM, or post a comment on an article, I love to hear from others.

UnleashHell

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1583 on: August 28, 2014, 07:29:14 PM »
Hi!

Been lurking around for quite a while and have decided to add some of the things here to what I'm already doing.

Lost my Job in Jan 2012 which wasn't good as it wrecked my financial plan.. had to move 1,400 miles and drag the family with me to get the job I needed to carry on (nothing too excessive).

The house shorted saled last july - right after the one I was renting was fore closed on.
I bought a house outright in florida last September and renovated it in a month - without missing a day off work.

I'm now about to go all out frugal and hope to be in a position to be FI in 18 months.
if it works out then its massive job and house loss to FI in under 5 years...

Oh - and I don't earn a 6 figure salary.  The debts I do carry are from the house (no mortgage - too much of a financial risk apparently) and that's it. its just time to turn off the financially suicidal commercial cascade of consumerism.

Oh and my son is 17 and in his last year at high school.  I haven't seen anything spark his interest like this in a couple of years...

etoken

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1584 on: August 28, 2014, 08:32:50 PM »
Hello all;

Eric here - 50 and FI but seemingly don't have the kahunas to live like it so... still working... perhaps I'll find them out here at MMM

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1585 on: August 29, 2014, 06:13:04 AM »


its just time to turn off the financially suicidal commercial cascade of consumerism.

This sentence brought to you by the letter C and badassity. Glad to have you here.


Kriegsspiel

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1586 on: August 29, 2014, 01:50:31 PM »
Hello new forumites. I love you.









Carry on.

dios.del.sol

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1587 on: August 29, 2014, 07:17:38 PM »
Hi everyone. I've been lurking for about a month here and will probably lurk for a while longer before posting anything else. I was raised in the early early days of Usenet (rec.music.industrial anyone?) and know that it's important to get a hang of the culture before chiming in.  However, I'm having a 22 of Imperial IPA homebrew, so my walls are down and I'll at least post my intro now to get it out of the way.

I'm (holy shit! (MMM has a potty mouth, so whatever)) middle aged, married with a 9 month old. I've never been in debt. My folks always preached paying off the full balance on a card - using it only for convenience. I'll admit that many years ago I once had to carry a balance and I went into EMERGENCY mode until I figured out how to pay it off as soon as possible and how the heck I had let it happen. I've usually saved a double-digit percentage of my income. I've done plenty of bike commuting (but since I used to race bikes I never felt like I was being frugal... just enjoying time on my bike). I've often remarked how I make more money than most Americans, yet they have so much more (and nicer) stuff than me. I've always hated consumerism, including the house horniness that drives people to make poor financial decisions when buying a house in a stupidly overpriced market (So Cal). Moreover, in the words of Yul Brynner, "Etc., etc., etc." All great stuff, right?

And yet... finding MMM's blog and this forum has blown my mind. I was falling into the abyss of consumerism, referencing my spending to my income, slowly but surely wondering how it had gotten so tough to make it all come together financially. I was wondering how in the world I was stressed when I was living on so much more than 6 years ago. I have, to put it simply, become full of shit, and reading this forum daily is slowly setting me on the right track again. I am energized and delighted to have so much to learn from people who have done things better than I have ever done. I'm a small fish in a big pond...

...and I can take a face punch.

fatSquirrel

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1588 on: August 30, 2014, 01:11:25 PM »
Hello All!

This is my first post so just wanted to introduce myself!!!
Name: Sue
Age: 33
Location: USA
Career: Work from home IT/medical software

Goals: Financial Independence (need to do math on this still so I have a target date :) ; live more frugally, not fall into trap of lifestyle inflation; world travel

Debts: DEBT FREE as of a few years ago, when I paid off my last student loan!
I am currently supporting my partner through Medical school (a 4th year hoping to get into ER residency)
Partner's loans will be 200K+  Yikes!

My Networth: 206 K
401k, 403b, 457 = 90K
Company Pension = 38K
Rollover IRA = 6K
Roth IRA = 72 K
Other:  Car paid for, currently no property

Happy to be here to share and learn more! 




canalstreet

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1589 on: August 30, 2014, 06:11:10 PM »
Hello! I've been following this site for the last 2 years and found it interesting how I was already on my way to being a Mustachian without knowing it.

I've been living for several years without any debt, always pay off the credit cards every month and have been investing in the stock market since the 90's (though I didn't touch the brokerage account for about 5-7 years following the end of the tech bubble). The last two years, I've been maxing out my 401k and IRA accounts (probably one of the only people at my job that put 100% of the paycheck until I hit the limit).

I'm single, 47 and work as a web developer in NJ.



cgsealk

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1590 on: August 30, 2014, 07:32:08 PM »
Hello,
 I am a 33 year old male who loves this finance type of knowledge and chatter.  I hope to learn and help where I can.  I am engaged to the most wonderful lady that I am lucky to have.  This is an exciting and challenging time.  Looking forward to it.

workingpoor

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1591 on: August 31, 2014, 09:03:53 PM »
Hi there. My name is Jimmy & I'm new to MMM. I've read the entire blog & now tackling the forum.

Little background. Married with 3 kids. Spent 15 years in a horrible career that paid very well because I thought chasing the almighty dollar was the right thing to do. Bought too much house right before the crash, lost my job & burned up what I had left trying to save the house, lost it anyway.

Tried reinventing myself & starting my own business. Needless to say, bad habits are hard to break. Kept spending to grow the business instead of saving for a downturn.

I found MMM & now I have a stress-free regular job with predictable pay. Sold the giant SuperDuty, bought a dented, stick-shift Subaru hatchback & started slashing bills.

Looking forward to being free. Thanks, MMM

TheTokenGirl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1592 on: September 01, 2014, 09:24:18 AM »
Pre-MMM blog, I've been on a personal quest to keep my lifestyle frugal and pay off my student loans as fast as possible. (with the help of my husband) we killed ~80K in the last 3 years. I was raised with the 'work for your money and become self reliant' attitude and just discovered this community of people with my philosophy! I'm so used to being considered crazy for shopping at thrift stores and driving a 10 year old car when I make ~180K/year, but I want to shop my values and that doesn't include trendy clothing.

I'm pregnant with my first child and reading through these blog posts brings tears to my eyes. I really can instill these values in my kid and give them the same shot I had that so many of my friends/roommates/classmates never learned. I have NO desire to retire early because I think I have the coolest job on the planet and can't imagine not getting to do it every day. But I can use these principles to live my values and teach them to my baby.

Fox85

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1593 on: September 01, 2014, 08:31:26 PM »
Hi everyone. I found the MMM site a few months ago and was intrigued right away. I've been lurking around the forum for a couple days and decided to say hi, even if I keep lurking.

For a quick background: My husband and I are both 29 year old engineers in the Midwest, with a 22 month old and another on the way in March. Our only debt is the mortgage and our mode of operation has been buy what we want when we want, but that hasn't caused problems, per se, since we don't have elaborate wants. On the other hand, we need to figure out the end game/big picture/the type of life we want as we go forward beyond the next few years. With a more defined goal, we can make some big changes to put us even more ahead of the game. Put another way: my husband is fantastic at tracking all of our receipts and expenses in Quicken but we aren't doing anything with the information.

Adding another daycare attendee next year also gives us some motivation!

Maybe I'll add a case study some day with more details but for now I'm just glad to be here and excited to read and learn :)

janiesuper

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1594 on: September 02, 2014, 11:07:45 AM »
My name is Juanita and I'm third generation penny pincher and first generation bicycle commuter. Joining MMM showed me I was not going all the way. Looking forward to more freedom and fun and this place will definitely help.

About me:

Unmarried no kids ( which gets expensive)
 1 dog healthy and on Pet plan
2 pets passed away with health problems, one was not on pet plan.
Mortgage on house renting it out. Profit $230/ mo
 31k income soon to increase as I am starting a new job next week
29 K credit card debt. Yeah I know
 15K in retirement savings
$500 emergency savings
1400 brokerage
900 tenants deposit
Paid off Honda civic 133k miles single owner needs tires, tuneup ac and leaks oil.
200 rent to my mom which is flexible. No lease
Almost paid off popup camper ;)
No cell phone contract pay as you go.
No cable contract, netflix
Credit score 715
Using budget software, auto bill pay
Switched hairdressers' now 15/ cut or I do it myself


« Last Edit: September 02, 2014, 11:25:32 AM by janiesuper »

Penny Lane

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1595 on: September 02, 2014, 02:26:26 PM »
Glad to be among all the frugal folks.  I have a few*ahem* years on MMM, am FI on the far north coast of the US, enjoying an Exploding Volcano of blessings.  I have 2 Emerging Adult children who reside on their own and are mostly self-sufficient, thanks to all the frugal lessons they absorbed from their mum.  My DH and I are figuring out our new freedom after long professional careers.  I love to garden and preserve food; I spend way more time on my investments than MMM.  I think crafting a life within one's means is an enjoyable and satisfying pursuit.

jopiquant

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1596 on: September 02, 2014, 05:05:03 PM »
Hi everyone!

I'm Brandi. My husband Mike and I are just getting acquainted with the Mustachian way, although we were much more frugal in our younger days, and we saved like mad before we immigrated to Canada (Vancouver area). We put that money down on a house (which we're still paying off) and saved anew, which we used to pay cash for grad school. Aside from the mortgage, we don't carry any debt, but we're not saving as much as we can/should.

Mike recently started a boutique web hosting firm and is on the verge of hiring his first employee, and he takes a salary about half what he would earn if he was working for the man.

We find the hardest thing about being frugal where we live is that many people do live downtown, and us being in the burbs makes it hard to attract people to our house, and them living in shoeboxes in the sky makes them less inclined to entertain. Add $6 beers and $14 burgers, and oh boy, it adds up. That's my first area to tackle.

This is my first forum, so I'm hoping I'll get less rambly eventually. Anyway - glad to be here!

Brandi

firewalker

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1597 on: September 03, 2014, 10:56:40 AM »
Hi ... Call me firewalker. Hope to FIRE one day, but it'll be a long walk.

Basment Dweller

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1598 on: September 03, 2014, 02:47:27 PM »
Hi all, Basement Dweller here, I work in Software development and also have real estate investments and do landlording in my spare time. I'm living and working in South Africa.

I found this site from that famous article how to retire, love the content around here!

BosoxNelly

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #1599 on: September 03, 2014, 05:39:46 PM »
Hello,
I'm just starting to embrace the MMM culture (though will forever be lagging in a couple areas).  I'm married with three kids 2-7 years old.  We live in the Phoenix area.  My wife and I both work but we're really focusing on retiring (we're both in our early 40's; I'm hoping to be done in 10-15 years, my wife much sooner). 
Happy to have found this community!