Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3316010 times)

Veloter

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2300 on: August 10, 2015, 10:37:47 AM »
Hi,

Oh how I wish there were internet and this site when I was younger.  I am the poster child for doing everything wrong.  Spent our 20s, 30s and 40s buying whatever we wanted, going into debt for new cars, toys, just CRAP.    Finally got a LITTLE smarter in our 50's and need to turn things around.

The good news:

- We moved away from expensive SoCal and moved where the COL is better.
- DH retired at 60 with a generous pension
- No debt except for house


Bad news:

- We will always have a mortgage :(
- I am still working as health insurance is ridiculous
- Our savings isn't what I would like it to be at this stage

My other issue is that we are not on the same page financially.  DH thinks if there is money in the bank it can be spent.  He is still buying useless crap and wanting to eat out all the time.  We argue about it all the time and it's wearing on me.     I would really like to hear from other people who have a hard time getting their spouse to see the light.






MoonShadow

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2301 on: August 10, 2015, 12:34:53 PM »
Ahoy Mustachians!
[...]
Several years back my now ex-wife and I saved up, bought a 40 foot sailboat, lived aboard and sailed around Florida and the Bahamas for eight years.  We could live, with our son, on about $500 a month on the boat.  (We met retired folks in the Bahamas living on $10,000-$20,000 boats, less than most spend on a a car, for part of the year, while "the SS checks are piling up in the bank."  True Mustachians!)[...]

I've been thinking about a sailboat a lot lately. Might move up my timeline a bit. I really look forward to hearing more about your story.

One of my retirement dreams is to buy a used sailboat & small outboard, and spend a year cruising the Great Loop.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop

After that, maybe see the islands.

TooManyGuitars

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2302 on: August 11, 2015, 02:29:41 AM »
Hi, I'm new to the MMM community.  I'm 41, live in Perth with my wife and 2 daughters, and have been a classic high earner / high spender for most of my adult life.  DW and I decided it was time for changes about 15 months ago.  We read some books, cut some costs, and have not borrowed a cent since.  But we were still focussed on affording lifestyle inflation without debt.  We found a financial goal list from January over the weekend - on it was things like moving into a nicer house, having a fancy Land Cruiser, more guitars, etc.

However, we discovered MMM about 4 months ago and  it has changed our lives even further.  With a couple of changes we have in flight now, I think we are on track for FI in about 10 years.  And we have (mostly) lost those desires for fancy things.

MMM is also a topic in my team at work, we have all embraced it and discuss mustachianism at our weekly team meetings now.  The office is still full of antimustachians of course...but my team is focussed. 

I'm wondering how many other Perth MMM readers there are?  I hear there are meetups...would love to meet some others. 

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2303 on: August 11, 2015, 08:40:21 AM »
Hi, I'm new to the MMM community.  I'm 41, live in Perth with my wife and 2 daughters, and have been a classic high earner / high spender for most of my adult life.  DW and I decided it was time for changes about 15 months ago.  We read some books, cut some costs, and have not borrowed a cent since.  But we were still focussed on affording lifestyle inflation without debt.  We found a financial goal list from January over the weekend - on it was things like moving into a nicer house, having a fancy Land Cruiser, more guitars, etc.

However, we discovered MMM about 4 months ago and  it has changed our lives even further.  With a couple of changes we have in flight now, I think we are on track for FI in about 10 years.  And we have (mostly) lost those desires for fancy things.

MMM is also a topic in my team at work, we have all embraced it and discuss mustachianism at our weekly team meetings now.  The office is still full of antimustachians of course...but my team is focussed. 

I'm wondering how many other Perth MMM readers there are?  I hear there are meetups...would love to meet some others.

If you want to find others, a good place to start is the Mustache Map. And then check out the Meetups and Social Events subforum.

sam

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2304 on: August 11, 2015, 10:04:58 AM »
Hey!

I’m a 27yr old based in the south of England!

Looking forward to future financial independence.

Sam

MrsDutch

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2305 on: August 11, 2015, 11:15:33 AM »
Hey guys!

I'm 25, live in the Netherlands and am expecting my first child in a couple of months. Found MMM about a week ago and am devouring the blog from the oldest post first. We are currently rock bottom and very eager to reach financial independence so hope to learn and accomplish a lot!

Barbarossa

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2306 on: August 11, 2015, 04:18:10 PM »

I've been thinking about a sailboat a lot lately. Might move up my timeline a bit. I really look forward to hearing more about your story.

One of my retirement dreams is to buy a used sailboat & small outboard, and spend a year cruising the Great Loop.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Loop

After that, maybe see the islands.


It's a great life.  Very Mustachian, if done right.  I've done about half the Great Loop and it's almost as good as the islands.  I'll do it all again once I get positioned right!
email me if you want to chat about it.  tpbnna1  at gmail. 


ClassyCat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2307 on: August 11, 2015, 05:49:51 PM »
Hi everyone! I recently discovered MMM through an article I found and have read through all his blog posts ever since.

I'm 24 and graduated from college in 2014 with my Bachelor's in Computer Science. After being at my first job for several months, I began wondering "Is this really what people do until they're 65?" Because of that, I'd been looking for useful financial info beyond the standard "have a budget, save 10% of your income, blah blah blah" stuff. MMM is exactly what I needed, and it's really helped me define some concrete financial goals for the future.

Anyway, I've made a good deal of MMM changes lately (bought a bike, to start) and am pretty excited to continue down this road.

PS, my avatar is a bee that I cross-stitched. I was determined to learn something new this year, and he's the first thing I made.

NinetyFour

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2308 on: August 11, 2015, 07:10:11 PM »
Good for you for starting the MMM way so early!!

aetherie

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2309 on: August 12, 2015, 07:15:54 AM »
Hi ClassyCat! Welcome to the forums. I'm also a 2014 CS grad. Good luck with those concrete financial goals - we'll be cheering you on! :)

Ms. Maggie

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2310 on: August 12, 2015, 02:51:52 PM »
Hi y'all!

I discovered (and obsessively devoured) the MMM blog this summer, and am excited to join the forum! I am a violinist and music teacher in Boston, and just survived my first "musician summer" (aka no paychecks) without Ramen or complete financial meltdown thanks to the Mustachian principles! I come from a long line of consumer suckas, so I'm looking forward to gaining inspiration from you all, and sticking to my new Mustachian guns.

My current goals are to pay off my student debt/credit card and engage in activities that are meaningful and financially sustainable. See you all around!

LadyMaWhiskers

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2311 on: August 13, 2015, 03:43:24 PM »
Hi - I'm Jen

I'm in Northern CA, a single mom to a fun little 8 month old boy. Very minor badassity in play right now, but taking steps in that direction. Product Manager by day, and landlord as well. So excited to have found the MMM site, BUT, I must say this...

I am feeling frightened of the vast population of farmer diplomats in my immediate area. I'm on the SF peninsula, walking distance to groceries, mass transit, etc. There is a mix of of suburbia and open space foothills around us. There are 3 farmer-diplomats on my block alone, out of about 30 houses. What, the fuck, are they all doing? I don't see any produce or livestock moving around. Are they operating an alternative economy underground. I really am feeling an arresting terror as I come across them. Is this a phase? Will I progress from fear to disgust or amusement? I don't think I ever really noticed them until MMM pointed out the farmer diplomat species. In the neighboring towns (much richer than my town) the pure diplomats travel by Tesla and employ large staffs to tend their grounds. And some of those staff live in my town. But the farmer-diplomats - holy hell! What are they doing?


NinetyFour

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2312 on: August 13, 2015, 08:38:20 PM »
That's a great story, Uturn!  Welcome!

Kazyan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2313 on: August 14, 2015, 01:07:40 AM »
-
« Last Edit: February 14, 2017, 12:57:20 PM by Kazyan »

zephyr911

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2314 on: August 17, 2015, 01:05:16 PM »
Hello all,

Joe here.  45 y/o man who found this site because I am tired of my cube.
Who in a cube isn't!? Thanks for sharing your story and good luck with your plans! --a govt guy

Hello everyone.

I'm Tanner--a 22-year-old recent college grad who is probably about to land a job as a nuclear engineer halfway across the country. The circumstances of this job are nearly ideal. Aside from it almost being my dream job, I have ~13k in student loans, and I wish to retire by July 11th, 2026. That date is chosen because I'll be 33 years old and 1/3 of the way to my next birthday, giving me the remaining two thirds of my life to do with whatever I please.
------snipped for brevity-----------
The future is bright.
Damn straight it is! Good to have you here.
Quote
Sorry for blithering my life story, but, I'm having one of those moods. It happens when you're soul-searching by reading a finance blog.
No apology required. Enjoy yourself here.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2015, 02:16:54 PM by zephyr911 »

MoonShadow

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2315 on: August 17, 2015, 02:11:58 PM »
Hello all,

Joe here.  45 y/o man who found this site because I am tired of my cube.
Who in a cube isn't!?


A 45 year old man?

zephyr911

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2316 on: August 17, 2015, 02:19:25 PM »
Who in a cube isn't!?
A 45 year old man?
A 45-year-old man you know?
I mean, my CWs don't constantly complain about being in a cubicle but I'm pretty sure, all else being equal, they'd prefer not to be.

A Definite Beta Guy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2317 on: August 17, 2015, 06:40:41 PM »
Good Evening, folks.

I've read the blog for a while now, since Marginal Revolution linked to Mustache earlier this year. I can't say I'm a full Mustachian (don't flog me please!), but I am a big fan of the frugal community and a focus on creating value for less. Oh, yes, and whenever MMM describes his life as glamorous, which is exactly how I feel whenever I leave the cubicle farm and come home. Glad someone else thinks his life is awesome and doesn't complain about every little problem.

My Wife and I married last year and bought a home this year. We've tried to keep frugal as possible, but right now we're only saving 25% of our 12,000 gross (or 31% if you include the 401ks, I suppose). We've been blessed and plan to add a few more lives to this world, so we're looking to build some good habits and kill a lot of bad ones. Seems like this is the right place to get your head screwed on straight.

Thanks for your time, and your ideas.

-ADBG

Kingsmen

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2318 on: August 17, 2015, 07:40:08 PM »
Hello!!  My name is Ryan.  I can't believe there is a whole community of people who have beliefs similar to mine about money and material possessions.  I've always been a little Mustachian, but this forum takes itto the next level.  I'm excited to learn new insights from fellow Mustachians!

IslandGirl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2319 on: August 18, 2015, 06:48:51 AM »
I am a born and bred NYer stuck in Northern VA. My husband and I are not yet FI, but well on our way.

suffiansamuels

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2320 on: August 19, 2015, 03:20:01 AM »
My name's Suffian, i'm a broker for those who are interested in investing in precious metals and gemstones

Cadman

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2321 on: August 19, 2015, 07:15:59 AM »
Hey Guys,

C here. I’ve been lurking the past two weeks and figured it was finally time to join up. A little background (this is new to me so excuse me if it comes off as humble-bragging). I’m 33, married, no kids (and no plans to) and have been working for the same company for almost 15 years (thankfully interning counts toward service credit/pension). The cubicle life has never really cut it for me but the pay is good and in that Midwestern tradition, you’re supposed to hold on to steady employment until you hit social security, right?

A little background- I think we’re in pretty decent shape compared to others in our age bracket. Bought land instead of a house 10 years ago on a 15 year contract, then built a house/shop ourselves with sweat equity while the land pays the taxes and insurance. Two car loans both under 2% interest that will be done soon. Been contributing to my 401k from day 1 and have about 10x my annual spend saved, but now realize I need to be maxing out these pre-tax advantages…NOW. Wife has some CC debt from before we met that we’re paying down, otherwise no student loans, cable TV, silly spending or granite countertops : )

Anyhow, MMM’s blog hit me like a ton of bricks. Rather than wish and wonder about starting a business so I could be my own boss (and in this area, getting off the ground is $$$) it never occurred to me I could retire early.  It was a wakeup call and finding this blog/forum has spurred me into action!

ColoradoEng

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2322 on: August 19, 2015, 10:11:24 AM »
Hello all,

I've been reading MMM for a few months now and I decided to finally join the conversation!

I'm a 27 married engineer living in a house we own in Parker, a suburb of Denver.  I've always been more frugal after I bought a brand new truck out of college.  Seeing the payments destroy my monthly savings made me pay it off as soon as possible, and I have been saving the best I can since then.  I feel like we are off to a good start but MMM has made me realize we could do a lot better.  My wife isn't on board the frugalness train quite as much as I am but she has done well with budget and investment changes since I started reading MMM.

I'm excited to start talking to some like minded people!

bauhauss

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2323 on: August 20, 2015, 10:42:24 AM »
Hello Mustachians fellows!

I am 31 years old, male, civil engineer, from Brazil. I'm not married yet, but on a long-term relationship with a woman I love. I'm self-employed now, due to brazilian corruption and crisis, jobs are scarce these days, and entrepeneurship is very tough here (bureaucracy, high taxes).
I'm a MMM reader for some time, and now I decided to join you guys.

My best wishes to us all  through IF journey.

Best wishes,
~bauhauss

LAGuy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2324 on: August 20, 2015, 02:48:35 PM »
Hiya, I live in Los Angeles, CA. 41 male. Been lurking here awhile and signed up to plumb some of the excellent minds here!

runningthroughFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2325 on: August 21, 2015, 01:44:31 PM »
I've posted elsewhere prior to this, but I figure I should introduce myself here.

Sometime early last Fall a long time member of this forum and college friend of mine seemed to decide that I wasn't entirely a spendypants sucka, and dropped a few hints about this blog.  After mentioning it probably 3 or 4 times, he'd had enough of me dragging my feet, and just linked it to my facebook page.  I read the entirety of the blog in roughly a semester, and started lurking the forums for a few months after that.

Now I've graduated with my undergraduate and masters in accounting, scored a job as a financial analyst, and moved out to Indiana to begin life as a big kid.  I've got just under 20k in student loans that I just made the first (early) payment of 5k to yesterday, with the rest to be demolished within the next year and a half.  I'd like to be FI and have my F-U account locked and loaded by 32, but I'm not ruling out the possibility of working longer for funzies after that.  10 years is a long time, and my favorite thing about this lifestyle is the freedom it brings (and I get really fired up about tax optimization - I'm weird).

I might not be posting much in the immediate future, since I start training to kick the CPA exam's ass next Monday, but I'll probably be lurking around a bit.  Thanks for being here, everyone!

Kaikou

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2326 on: August 21, 2015, 03:34:49 PM »
Hi Everyone!

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2327 on: August 21, 2015, 04:00:22 PM »
Hi Everyone!
You missed the second part of the post. You said hi!! That is amazing, but I'd love to hear more things.

jgallet88

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2328 on: August 23, 2015, 10:43:31 AM »
Hi I'm Julia. Been reading a lot of blogs and articles- really excited to be a part of this

Vanchica

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2329 on: August 24, 2015, 03:27:08 AM »
Hi, Vancouverite here- just digging out from under what another financial advice writer calls "stupid tax". Came over looking for sidehustle ideas, found one thread, hope there is a corner full of such threads here someplace! I'm still reading the blog, only dipped my toe so far but LUV it.

See you around the forums!


Sabby

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2330 on: August 24, 2015, 06:28:01 AM »
Wife and I entered the 30s, after finishing our PHD, and business school respectively, with no debt, but also no savings! Reading the forum, and the blog, is helping us take a more active role in controlling expenses, and investing, retirement or otherwise. With couple of life changes in the near future, we're targeting low hanging fruit for now.

Hoping to write a case study, and be a more active participant on the forums. And of course, help others wherever possible.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2015, 09:07:09 AM by Sabby »

Jakcorb

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2331 on: August 24, 2015, 08:37:53 PM »
Shiiiit! If the MM would have been watching his stats closely the past couple of months, he would have seen a tiny dot located in the Great White North slowly progressing through the list of all blog posts... Today is the day that I can finally say that I have read all of MM's posts! Shiiitt! 

I am Seb btw... Living in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Capital of the Ford F150 Truck, or so it seems. According to some fellow Yellowknifians I spoke to recently, this humble blob in North is also home to the world's busiest Tim Horton's Fast Food Franchise, a true accomplishment... Shiiittt! Car clowns alert!     

I love this city though for it's non-existing commutes and super-wages... The nature around here ain't bad either.

Now that I'm cured from my self-imposed binge-reading MMM habit, I hope to start a new habit of creating content for my own humble abode on the worldwide web. See y'all around! 

stoski

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2332 on: August 24, 2015, 09:43:10 PM »
Hello Folks!

I ran into the MMM blog about 6 months ago totally by accident. It was good timing because my wife and I had just paid off a big line of credit and started making extra payments on the mortgage. Currently we are hoping to be mortgage free in two years, and start really stashing it after that.

The blog has really helped us to define our financial goals in a practical way, with the focus on our savings percentage and 25 times that as a rough and ready retirement number. Thanks, MMM, for your badass laser beams cutting through the fog with goals we can achieve (with a little "voluntary discomfort"). It's more fun now that we know what we're aiming for.


MaybeBecca

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2333 on: August 25, 2015, 07:17:24 AM »
Hi, I'm Becca.

Not sure how I found MMM (probably Reddit), have read the whole deal from start to finish, some things way more than once.

Now, I'm trying to get out of my cubicle hell and into financial independence as soon as is reasonable for my situation. 22, married, we'll be paying off the $20k of high interest student debt by the end of this year, then focusing on getting rid of PMI on our mortgage next year (probably one of our worst financial mistakes... Ah well). Excited to best my financial demons.

Karina

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2334 on: August 25, 2015, 11:46:53 PM »
Hi
My name is Karina. I am freshly divorced and starting a new life. I want to be financial independent, so there is a lot to learn.

Fishindude

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2335 on: August 26, 2015, 06:17:52 AM »
Hi -
55 Year old guy from the midwest. Happily married 30+ years, kids are raised and on their own and life as an empty nester is good.
We have done well, own a business, lots of real estate, carry no debt and are financially secure.  Going to part time work soon, then full retirement in a  few years.
Looking forward to a whole lot more free time to spend fishing, hunting and generally goofing off.

Enjoying life and want to continue earning money with assets as well as preserve things to pass on to next generation and make their lives a little easier.
Can probably learn a thing or two here, as well as lend a little advice.

Thanks!

PFHC

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2336 on: August 26, 2015, 08:00:51 AM »
Howdy. :)

35, married to my fun adventurous grounded best friend. Two absurdly awesome squids, 5 and 3. Debt free, but not mortgage free. Stubble stash haver, but getting better. Even with the stubble, 7 years out from FI. When the stash comes in, that could get better.

Started maximum stash spending habits as a young 20 yr old. Never had good saving habits. Lived an awesome life on pennies and never cared. Went to college at 25, graduated, got a great job, acted like an excited dumbass and bought a ton of dumb shit I never needed, got married, had squid #1. Started with $20k savings and ran a $500/mo deficit until I was a maximum sukka with $280,000 debt and $500 cash in the checking account.

Some intense shit went down, we got out with our credit intact, and our asses chastised. Got hired for an insane job, moved, and started over, stubble stash style. Four years later, our financial situation is significantly better, but we can get a lot better on our spending and exploring other money making schemes (see my other post). That's why I'm reading MMM straight through and why I subscribed here to learn from all you bad asses.

Psyched beyond psyched to be here collaborating with all of you. :)

Would love to hear from some fellow Maine mustachians, especially the midcoast region.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2015, 12:47:52 AM by PFHC »

Tigerpine

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2337 on: August 30, 2015, 06:25:19 AM »
Hello, I'm Tigerpine.  I found MMM through Yahoo! of all places.

MMM seems to coincide with my own thoughts about money, although you might not think that given my current financial situation.  But the past is done, and I'm trying to learn from it and do better going forward.   Honestly I had never thought about ER until finding his blog, and I may not be able to achieve that with the time I have left, but at least I should be able to achieve a good retirement when that day does come.

The best piece of advice I've gleaned from MMM:  reduce your spending.  Spending is the biggest obstacle to FI.

Thank you for letting me in the fold!

Jupiter

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2338 on: August 31, 2015, 03:48:28 AM »
Hey guys, (please note wages and prices in australia are a lot more than in the US so if anything seems crazy... that's why)

I'm a 21 year old guy from Australia who plans to retire at 30. (I use different names on all forums I visit and am an identity protection freak). Before you guys say "yea right!" know that I've been following the MMM way since I started working at 18 without even knowing about the existence of this site. I've got a full time job 39 hours per week earning 36K per year after tax plus 2 smaller jobs bringing my total working week to around 60 hours (which sure I'm not happy about but through saving 80-90% of my total income I will 100% retire by 30 with approx 1 million net worth.

How much have I saved? More than I've earned (thanks to the forex world which is risky and something that I'm slowly withdrawing my capital out of). My net worth was 150K last week but due to a bit of a "crash" (a trade went bad with the EURUSD as it rose up like crazy for days) I'm now at 145K. Looking at the big picture though my forex investment earns me decent money and that $5,000 was only a lose of 2 months of profit. Looking on a month to month basis 95% of time I'm making money although I'm pretty keen on taking it out bit by bit as it grows. 80K of my capital is in forex (which has grown to 105K but I'll be withdrawing 40K when it gets to 120K). The other 40K is in a property (585K 1 bedroom ground floor unit) - yes.. property prices suck around sydney.

I am making repayments on my property (loan isn't fixed) which I bought to host a business from which will earn me 1-3x more (depending on amount of business) income that I earn at my current job.

calimom

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2339 on: September 01, 2015, 08:09:25 PM »
Hello, all! I found the blog in a roundabout way and have been reading here for a bit, finally joined and started posting, but thought it would make sense to introduce myself.  In order to do so, I need to back up a bit to the summer of 2007:

Life was pretty sweet.  I'd been married to my lovely and handsome DH for almost 7 years.  We had a then 14 year old daughter from his earlier marriage and our son had just turned 5, and our baby daughter had just had her first birthday.  DH worked as a software developer for a midsize firm in San Jose and by mutual agreement after child #3 was born, it was decided that I'd be a SAHM for a few years.  The software salary was pretty decent, and although we paid a freakishly high rent for a small ranch house in Menlo Park, we were still living below our means and had a reasonable stash, which included the proceeds of a little condo DH had owned before we married (we outgrew it), wedding presents, bonuses, etc.  We'd hoped to purchase a house, but the Silicon Valley real estate climate was crazy.

And then DH was killed by a drunk driver on his way home from work one night.  Nothing ever prepares you for such a shocking, life altering event.  At the age of 31 I was a widow with 3 young kids. (the driver, btw, is still in prison, serving the remainder of a 10 year sentence)

So, to fast forward over some unpleasant emotional and legal stuff,  I was faced with the decision of what to do.  Stay in expensive Menlo and get a job at Google or Yahoo?  Or move elsewhere with a much lower COL and move forward?  At the urging of relatives, I chose Door Number Two and packed up my kids, our Rottweiler, bunny and kitten into the newly purchased Passat wagon (that replaced the car destroyed in the crash)  and headed up to a small corner of California where we moved into a 1970s house on 3 acres, bought at a distressed price from owners going through their own financial crises.  Remember:  2007.

Regarding finances, the news was not dire, but it wasn't great.  We were underinsured.  DH had a life policy through his work that paid out a year of his current salary.  There was that.  He had a smaller policy through our credit union for $50K, so there was that.  From State Farm, our auto insurance carrier, there was a payout for the car, and because of the due diligence of my dear mother, a death benefit for Uninsured Motorist (which the other driver was) deep in the fine print.  Another $100K from that came about 6 months after our move.  DH had about $30K in a rollover IRA, payable to me; and my own was around $8K.  In addition, the kids were eligible for Social Security Survivors' Benefits, to the tune of, at that time, around $2500 per month.  No real debt, though the house purchase and moving expenses were quite a hit.  DH's company paid our health care premiums for a year, and then I'd be on my own.

I've heard of worse stories in my years of widowhood, to be sure.  There was some breathing room, and I am to this day grateful for that.  But even living a frugal life, I worried about basic living expenses for so many years, college costs, and in the future, my own retirement.  I knew I needed to work at some point, but at what?  After a few halfhearted job interviews that were so depressing - one job was so low paying that after daycare for a toddler, and aftercare for my son, would have COST me money, I stumbled upon, by sheer luck (and I was needed to a bit at that point) on a small business was for sale.  It was so perfect for me, a tropical interior landscape company.  I actually had had experience as a floral designer so was able to pick it up pretty quickly.  The owner was selling because she and her husband were FIRE to Hawaii.  She felt her clients and part time employee would be in good hands with me and with a small down, allowed payments for 18 months.  And it fit in with kids' school schedules, the baby was only in need of care a few hours a day. 

Fast forward, if anyone's still reading, to today.  I still have the little company, and have "grown" it (horticultural humor) somewhat, and I enjoy it very much.  With some of the life insurance, I purchase, along with a relative, a duplex and entered the landlord biz.  We are in the middle of a flip of a townhouse, and should do pretty OK with that.  The other $$ I've been able to finally invest - it took awhile to figure out what to do.  The kids are all bigger:  9, 13 and the oldest just graduated from art school, where she went on full scholarship.  I'm so proud of all of them, and their dad would be too, if he could see them now.  Rebuilding a life after a tragedy is hard, but can be doable.  We're an active family who hikes, bikes, camps and enjoys the beauty of Northern California on a regular basis. 

Moving into the future I want to sort out my options regarding investment strategies, frugality while living well and enjoying this rebuilt life I've been given.

Whoever stuck around to read this, thanks.  I think I needed to get it out there.  I've been enjoying reading some of your stories and hearing solutions, this is a very helpful place on the interwebs.

Kaikou

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2340 on: September 01, 2015, 08:09:59 PM »
Hi Everyone!
You missed the second part of the post. You said hi!! That is amazing, but I'd love to hear more things.

tbc...

Thinkum

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2341 on: September 01, 2015, 09:57:41 PM »
Calimom, you have my most deepest sympathies. Nothing can ever prepare you for anything that horrible, but I am heartened to hear of you and your families success. Thank you for sharing.

SleepyHeadP

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2342 on: September 02, 2015, 10:49:19 AM »
Howdy, SleepyheadP here.

I'm a 30 year old newly married lady who lives in the ridiculously expensive SF. Moved here with my man back in 2011 for a game gig. Stayed there till this year and was laid off with a decent package. Used that to pay off all student loans that I and my estranged mother took out and am looking at a debt free situation. However I have yet to find another job 6 months since the lay off and I'm starting to finally dig into my savings to help cover rent and other living expenses.

The job I had was pretty stress inducing and despite it being a good thing of not being there anymore I've been pretty aimless with my career now. I'm not sure if staying in the game biz is what I want and if not then what is it that I want (or really think I can pull off). Needless to say the whole losing job/jobless/aimless situation hasn't helped my mental state at all and I have been depressed for a while now.

So I'm going to start actually posting here and hope to gain some type of wisdom to get unstuck from my current situation.

MrsPrettyInPink

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2343 on: September 02, 2015, 07:38:48 PM »
Hey Y'all!

Mid-westerner from Ohio here!  Stumbled upon MMM somewhere between finance blogs and Dave Ramsey forums.  Lots of motivation and activity here and I like it!

Currently working through 26K of consumer debt and also 80K of student loans (undergrad/grad combined). 


Nikki

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2344 on: September 03, 2015, 10:18:08 AM »
Hi! I've been interested in simple living and early retirement for years. Then my husband and I had a couple of kids and I fell asleep for several years. I'm just waking up and wondering how we ended up in this larger-than-we-need home in the suburbs, with me driving a big ole SUV.

I guess I haven't been asleep entirely, because in the interim I've managed to launch a modest freelancing career that enables me to be here when my son gets off the bus, and though I'm barely making enough to cover my daughter's preschool, I've always wanted to be a writer and I still can't entirely believe I'm getting paid to do so. My hope and expectation is that my career will continue to grow, and in a few years when my daughter is in public school, that $ will be stashed away.

So I'm trying to get my lifestyle more aligned with my values, and finding this community very inspiring. I'm also trying to get my husband on board, as he has a stressful job. But he is much more focused on what he wants in the moment and less able to see the benefit of saving more now. It's a big tension between us.

surlygirl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2345 on: September 03, 2015, 11:09:40 AM »
Hi everyone,

I'm a 38yo divorced single mom of a 13yo DS trying to figure out my way to FIRE.  I was introduced to MMM through the Dave Ramsey forums a few years ago.  Though I know that folks here aren't usually a fan of DR, there are a lot of DR followers who are also Mustachians :). 

I live in the Denver metro area, and used to work in Firestone, the neighboring town to Longmont where the MM's live.  I kept hoping to see Pete riding his bike down the streets of DT Longmont, but never had any luck. I work in IT and am currently a Director at a software company.

I'm the kind of person that loves the encouragement and inspiration from a community, and I'm hoping that y'all can help me kick it up a notch and turn my dream of FIRE into a reality.  I make a good 100K+ salary, but am a bit locked into a living situation that's not very conducive to the Mustachian lifestyle due to the kiddo and proximity to XH.  However, the end is in sight when DS goes off to college in a few years and I can downsize from my current behemoth 1500sqft 3br/2ba home (totally ridiculous for 2 people!) that's 20 miles away from where I work into something better sized and more centrally located.  There's plenty I can do in the meantime to get me closer to the day when I can kiss corporate America goodbye and set my own schedule.

Despite my screen name, I'm neither grumpy nor surly, just a fan of Surly bikes. 

My only debt is the mortgage, and I've hit the "normal" guidelines of having double your annual salary in retirement savings by age 40, but now need to focus on non-retirement savings for income between ER and when I can tap into my retirement funds.

I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you!
« Last Edit: September 04, 2015, 08:14:15 AM by surlygirl »

kittenwhiskers

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2346 on: September 03, 2015, 07:57:23 PM »
Hi, I'm Heather, and I love kittens. I'd like to retire early so I can spend all my time fostering kittens. Or whatever else sounds good at the time. :)

heitzrun

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2347 on: September 04, 2015, 06:00:57 PM »
Hi Everyone,

I'm Bill, Married w/ one 2 year old and one on the way.  We've been doing Dave Ramsey for 5 years. They took down their forums so now we're Mustachian's. We're finishing up 23k in student loan debt.  We live in a small town in Minnesota.

I like the articles on the blog.  I guess we're looking for support and ideas.


MrsPrettyInPink

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2348 on: September 05, 2015, 06:39:13 PM »
Hi Everyone,

I'm Bill, Married w/ one 2 year old and one on the way.  We've been doing Dave Ramsey for 5 years. They took down their forums so now we're Mustachian's. We're finishing up 23k in student loan debt.  We live in a small town in Minnesota.

I like the articles on the blog.  I guess we're looking for support and ideas.



Hi Bill! 

I was very shocked to see the Dave Ramsey forums go down.  I see that directed everyone to their Facebook group. 

Welcome aboard and congrats on the family!

surlygirl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2349 on: September 08, 2015, 07:54:20 AM »
Sounds like we have a few people here who are looking for another forum since the TMMO forum shut down.  Glad to see a few names I recognize :)