Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3316026 times)

Daley

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #50 on: March 01, 2012, 01:34:35 AM »
Howdy everyone, I'm a bit of an internet recluse and privacy/security fiend... been in IT for over a decade and looking to shift gears elsewhere, re-inventing my life as I'm going along on a shoestring budget. Married, no kids. Minimal debt excluding the wife's student loans (which still makes me break out in a cold sweat seeing).

I probably won't do much around these forums beyond occasional lurking outside of pruning and tending this particular mega-info-dump thread I started detailing how to gut the living daylights out of your communications bills. Hope you all find it of use. :)

Jarvis

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #51 on: March 01, 2012, 08:20:51 AM »
Hi, my name is Jarvis.

I'm 26, married to a fantastic girl, and we have a chubby little 3 month old baby.  We're currently in San Francisco because I got a sweet deal on a well-paying job with living expenses and a work vehicle provided.  Needless to say, we won't stay in San Francisco when this I'm through with this job.

We've been working hard and saving since we graduated from college (she's a nurse, I'm a health physicist).  We're about a month away from hitting 200k net worth, which we're quite excited about. 

I don't have an exact date in mind for financial independence, but it's probably 4 years away.  We're planning to wait to have a second baby for about 4 years, and I plan to either work part time or not at all when baby #2 arrives.

I enjoy working out very hard.  I currently do the olympic lifts and barbell complexes for cardio outside in front of my house.

I also thoroughly enjoy modern boardgames, as showcased at www.boardgamegeek.com.

Mustachianism is my lifestyle, and I like it.

orangeclocker

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #52 on: March 01, 2012, 08:36:50 AM »
Hi, I'm 32, in a committed relationship, no plans for kids. My girlfriend and I both work in healthcare in Minnesota. We are aggressive savers and just refinanced our townhouse; we will have it paid off in less than 10 years, making FI shortly thereafter a very real possibility. We have a 27ft sailboat on the Mississippi (Lake Pepin) with plans to upgrade after the GF's school loans are paid off in a couple years. No debt besides the house and her school loans. The goal is to spend much of our retirement sailing - just not sure where yet.

We also very much enjoy motorcycling (well, she enjoys passenger-ing) and are in the midst of planning a 3 week late summer trip through the SW US.

I'm into photography (with a very anti-mustachian addiction to buying lenses), swimming, biking, running, snow sports, and making things with my hands...wine, food, woodworking, mixed media art, roasting coffee, etc.

I stumbled upon MMM after stumbling upon ERE not long ago. Looking forward to insightful posts and discussion.

K

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #53 on: March 01, 2012, 01:24:35 PM »
Hi! I found the forum this week after I was searching for solutions to my habit of spending money. The Mustachian philosophy sure did the trick! I had never thought about "retiring" from my 40/week computer job -- now, I have been inspired to make this happen before I have kids!
My wife and I already practice many of the Mustachian ways, but I am seeing many more things we can be doing to maximize our 'stache.
In the spirit of Maximum Mustache March, I have challenged myself to ride my bike every day -- even in inclement weather.

ultrarunner

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #54 on: March 01, 2012, 09:38:29 PM »
Hey All!

I'm Chris, live near Boulder, CO  (seems a few others are also in the area... great to see we aren't all the stereotypical Boulder trust-funders!). 

I like to run 50 and 100 mile trail running races (ultramarathons) for fun, hence the username.  My parents apparently dropped me as an infant.  Repeatedly.  :)

I stumbled across the "True Cost of Commuting" article a few months ago and it really resonated with me.  Been hooked ever since.

  - Chris

redeyedtreefr0g

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #55 on: March 02, 2012, 08:26:09 PM »
Hi, I'm froggy.

I am a 27-year-old girl working as a school bus driver, a job which I generally love since answering that radio advertisement 3 years ago.
I left high school with dreams of becoming a pilot, and unfortunately lived close enough to one of the top aeronautical schools in the world to actually act on that dream. I also had my future-husband (3 years younger) at the time I graduated high school, and I lived with him and his family since wearing that cap and gown.

Given the choice, I'd have never gone to college. It was one huge long period of stress and craziness, and not just from family issues. Trying to work as close to full time as possible while also going to school full time with a 5 hour block of flight time set in the mix as well... it's a wonder I didn't do something stupid like crash a car due to fatigue. In any case, I ended up not being able to hold to the strict teaching methods required of flight, so I ended up with a bachelor's degree (because I'm stupid/stubborn and wouldn't quit) in general Aeronautics, with minors in Aviation Safety (my choice) and Aeronautical Studies (those pilot classes with no certifications to go with them). I have no idea what to do with that.

I now have somewhere in the neighborhood of $187,000 in student debt, and am doing nothing to pay them off. I was out of work for a very long time due to living situation after getting my degree, and when I did get a job and tried to contact loan people to make payments, they all wanted $200 a month EACH and I only made $4-500 a month. I stopped communicating with them at all...


My husband and I have been on our own a few times, but always ended up back with family. One time it was an emergency to support his mom after she found her boyfriend, and his dad finally understood that she seriously didn't want to be with him (they'd been divorced since I met my husband) and stopped paying for her to live where she was. Another time we needed help and moved in with his grandfather. Then we moved out on our own, and jobs got messed up. We moved in with my mom to mutually (theoretically) help each other out with decreased costs. Mom lost the house and we were all evicted...

It just seems like a good idea to live with others, but then somehow we never actually save anything that way. But when we are out on our own, it seems like the income is just barely enough to cover bills, or maybe it's really not and the credit card just hide it well until the lease is up, exactly the same way.



Right now I am working, and my husband is not. He had major trouble finding work out here once we moved from Florida to Oregon. I was able to just step into my position from one county to the other, while it seems that everything he is able to do is a field where licenses are required... for whatever reasons he hasn't found permanent work.

He decided to go to college to get the paperwork to back up his considerable skills in business (he was always considered too young to hold a management position, which I know he would absolutely excel at), and perhaps move from that to a culinary degree as he has a passion for cooking and some dreams of owning or running a restaurant. I'm paranoid that he'll dig himself a hole similar in shape, if not the size, of my own. We used excess financial aid to repair our car (1995 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 decommissioned highway patrol car, we also have his first car a 1980 Camaro) and pay down some credit card balances.

With me having no income over the summer, paycheck money withheld last year (to ease the gap between May and August), that paid for our move, did not last very long. We are staying rent-free with the friends who attracted us to Oregon in the first place, but we felt the need to not be leeches and paid for groceries and such on credit, even when we had no money coming in. Our balance on the cards is a little over $5,500, 81% of the total credit available, and I don't like it.

To make matters worse, we realize that we don't like this tiny little town, and will be moving again, this time to try Colorado in Longmont. My whole immediate family followed "the grandchild" to a couple hours from there also, but that isn't why we are going there, just a perk (I'll be close to my TWIN again, squeeee!)

I'm worried like never before, because I know I won't have an income (from my desired job) over the summer, we won't have extremely nice friends to put up with us for "free", it'll be somewhere near $800 to move, and I have no idea how we can manage all that especially with credit cards so high. My husband manages the money so I'm sure he has a plan, and somehow it will "work out", but that doesn't help my anxiety about the whole thing.

So yeah, there's my long introduction in written form, and I'll go back to lurking...

Osprey

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #56 on: March 03, 2012, 01:56:00 AM »
Hi everyone!
I'm Osprey and I've been lurking since the True Cost of Commuting article. I am also demonstrably dense because a few months after that I signed up for a 40-minute commute. It's all sinking in though and I have been making changes. This forum is great when I can limit my time on it...
Long live Mustachainism!

sulaco

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #57 on: March 03, 2012, 08:45:51 AM »
Howdy,

I'm Jon, 30, currently living in Seattle with my wife of well over six years. Sometime in the next few months our son will come home - we are waiting for him to receive an exit visa so he can finally have a permanent home.

I have given our family a goal to be FI by February 1st, 2018. It's definitely a stretch goal, but is mathematically possible :D

This summer I got into stock trading, then read Consumer Detox. I liked the idea, but not the book - I found Jacob's blog posted on hacker news one day and came across MMM a short time later. I really liked the case studies because it allowed me to measure my own spending habits, as well as get several tips along the way.

My wife has had this ability since birth - she generally won't spend an penny more than necessary. She's still sceptacle that we can replace our income with passive sources within the next six years, but happy that I've become allergic to spending money.

Since finding MMM I've read Debt is Slavery (a nice short intro), Your Money or Your Life (a textbook for sound financial living), and I'm working my way through ERE (the nitty, gritty details).

For the first time in my life I feel like I have all of the "stuff" I need (too much, actually). Interested in growing my dollar follicles into an impressive 'stache.

Gerard

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #58 on: March 03, 2012, 09:07:49 AM »
Hi folks,

I'm Gerard. I live in Newfoundland (the far east of Canada). I grew up cheap/poor, but spent many years with a non-frugal spouse. I'm in the midst of paying off a lot of back debt, which combined with pay increases should leave me able to retire in about 5 years (aged 57). But I love my job (university professor), which I started late in life, and I might stick around longer.

Speaking of which, I can't imagine the stress involved in carrying over $100K in student loans. Folks, please consider university in Canada, or at least think about moving to go to school! Graduate tuition at my university, for non-Canadians, is $632 a semester.

kaeldra

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #59 on: March 04, 2012, 02:08:31 AM »
Another Seattle-ite here (transplanted from SF Bay Area) - I'm Tracy, a 26yo graphic designer working at an environmental consulting firm. Minimal debt and a good bit of savings currently, but thinking about buying a house soon... although me and my partner's dream is to build an off-the-grid earth-sheltered house in the Cascades - as soon as we can either not work or work from home. I love hiking, digital painting, photography, and beading. Looking forward to sharing the journey to FI with you all!

MountainMan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #60 on: March 04, 2012, 09:15:22 AM »
I'm the MountainMan.

I don't live anywhere near the mountains, but I'd like to someday.

Aiming for financial independence within 10-15 years.  Sooner if I can manage it.

Rich M

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #61 on: March 06, 2012, 06:57:23 PM »
I'm Rich(ard) and ride a bike in Boulder, CO.

Imperator

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #62 on: March 07, 2012, 10:08:07 AM »
Hi!

I'm Imperator. PhD student in the UK. Very frugal. :-)

LalsConstant

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #63 on: March 08, 2012, 07:22:27 AM »
Oh, an introductions topic.

Let's see, I'm a 30 year old recovering idiot with 2 college degrees, no debt, small savings, and a life goal of saving 20% of everything I make in tax deferred space, saving another 20% after tax to pay cash for cars and real estate and surviving the zombie apocalypse, giving 10% away to causes I care about, and living on the last 50%.  This isn't quite what early retirement people do but it's similar.

I am... not even close to that goal , but I'm doing way better on all of these goals than I was 8,4, even just 1, year ago.  After factoring in the effects of taxes, I'm something like 11%, 9%, 0% and 80% on those proportions!

But baby steps people, I've just barely learned to not have debt after all.  Fortunately I'm single so no one has to suffer my foolishness but me.

Annual income currently in mid 40s, but for most of my adult life it's been around the low to mid 20s.

Anyway  things about myself: 

I'm a pessimist, as I question everything from whether I've in fact read an actual account of a truly, well funded 30 something year old retiree who didn't have an 8+ figure net worth, to the wide spread assumption growth stocks return 12% a year regardless now and forever, that you can look at a P/E10 ratio and magically know how that investment is going to perform in the future, to how early retirees can be so negligent in planning for the inevitable zombie hordes shambling through the streets and countryside.

I look at the early retirement community, small as it is, as being two degrees of magnitude above my current level of badassity.  I believe in a concept called strategic stretch, and I try to implement it by looking at what other people are accomplishing, and then saying how can I bridge the gap between what I'm doing, and what they're doing, and maybe get closer to being better than they are.

SMC

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #64 on: March 08, 2012, 07:58:28 AM »
Hi I'm SMC.  I found MMM through ERE and read every article in less than a week.  I found that i could really relate to MMM, it turns out I have a lot in common with him.

I'm a civil engineer in Alberta, Canada.  I'm 24 yrs old, my goal is FI by 40.  My passion in life is mountain biking, which isn't exactly the cheapest hobby, but it makes me happy!

I should add that I never even thought of early retirement until I read ERE/MMM, I always just assumed I would be working until 65.  However I don't particularily like working everyday, and I'm already a pretty frugal person, thus the idea of ER quite appeals to me.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2012, 08:04:01 AM by SMC »

CNM

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #65 on: March 09, 2012, 11:25:16 AM »
Hello, I'm CNM. 

I'm not FI, but getting there slowly.  My spouse and I paid off my student loans yesterday ($60K) but we still have our mortgage (~$200K) and another $25K of the spouse's student loans to pay off.  AND we are expecting our first kid in August. 

Former Boulder resident.  Current Santa Fe resident.

tjt

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #66 on: March 11, 2012, 11:46:45 PM »
Hi I'm TJ and I live in San Francisco.  I found MMM and ERE through a comment on Get Rich Slowly.
I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but I'm sure it could be worse.  The thing that bothers me the most though is how much time I've wasted.  That's part of the reason ERE and MMM appeal to me.  I can at least repair the damage asap. 

I'll be posting for advice on cutting spending and finding better paying work/more work.

Thanks everyone for all your great posts!

nz

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #67 on: March 12, 2012, 02:31:12 AM »
Hi, I'm 47 and hope to semi retire by the end of this year.
 I'm a teacher in New Zealand and live on a couple of acres on the edge of a provincial city. I have a pretty serious vege garden,chickens,pigs and a cow(beef not milk). Love reading peoples stories on their way to financial independence and nice to know there are kindred souls throughout the western world.
Came to MMM via ERE.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 02:36:21 AM by nz »

nolajo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #68 on: March 12, 2012, 04:29:12 PM »
I'm a 24 year old indentured office servant in New Orleans. It's been about three years since I graduated college, and while I'm not thrilled with my day job, I am thrilled that my net worth is now about -$6k. While it'll be a bit before the student loans are actually paid off (that net worth calculation includes some retirement/investments/savings), I'm pretty pleased, since I started about $35k in the hole. That only represents saving/paying down debt to the tune of about 40% of my net income, but I'm getting there.

I do enjoy reading some personal finance stuff, but never got all that into ERE. I actually found MMM after Lifehacker posted his article about being hungry (if memory serves). Now, I've got to say that it's my favorite PF site, barring the occasional article at Get Rich Slowly. The combination of financial security, regard for the environment, and encouragement of bad-assitude really works for me.

My post-college 'stache has been growing a bit based on a few things:
- I live close to work and bike most days (I haven't actually bought gas in a month!)
- I've added a second job that I actually do enjoy
- I managed to slash my electric bill by about 40% this past month by womaning up and turning the heat off
- I've mostly managed to adorn my home and myself on a shoe-string, leading to great surroundings without consumer debt!

My biggest pitfalls are:
- Number one biggest - I like living by myself. I had a couple of bad Craigslist roommates and had no desire to do that again when no one I knew/liked needed a roommate when I needed to move.
- Eating out/take out. I'm happy to cook with a friend, but the day to day drudgery of it has never been great. I'm currently trying to figure out a system that works for me to reduce my eating out.

NoviceMustachian2012

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #69 on: March 14, 2012, 06:08:05 PM »
Hi, I'm Toms. I'm unemployed, have debt up to my eyeballs and just joined this awesome and epic forum. Hope to learn the Mustachian ways.

jwystup

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #70 on: March 15, 2012, 07:13:18 AM »
Wow, there are a lot of posts to read. I have to admit, I didn't read them all...

Hi, I'm Jen and I'm 26. Last year, I got a new job (one I don't hate, same field though) an hour from my hometown. Bought a house 2 miles from the new job (squashing that commute). I found MMM when the article about how much a commute costs you was posted on lifehacker (very relevant!). I recently started riding my bike to work, this week it has been every day since we have amazing weather. I have some fenders ordered so that I can ride in the rain too!

As far as spending habits go, I've always been responsible with my money. I had a budget from the time I had to pay my first bill. But I always spent all of my money. Even when I started making a professional salary, I spent it all after paying the bills, keeping a small savings cushion. Now we're (me & live-in boyfriend) working on cutting out waste and saving money where we can, simply NOT buying things we don't need has saved so much! I recently paid off my car and the money that was going there is working on paying off student loans. I also have that new mortgage to work on.

colbiwon

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #71 on: March 17, 2012, 07:00:12 PM »
Hi, Jedi Master Colbiwon here, just found the MMM blog a couple of weeks ago through the comments over at the Get Rich Slowly blog. 

Get rich slowly has been a huge motivator for helping my wife an I get out of debt, but I haven't even been over there since I found MMM.  I had to read everything from the beginning, and I just finished today.  I have to say that MMM's straight forward, no nonsense approach is refreshing.  I am so sick of peoples complainy-pants attitude about how all there financial problems are someone else's fault.

MMM keep laying down the law.

Master Colbiwon.

spacecoyote

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #72 on: March 19, 2012, 01:52:48 PM »
Hi everyone, I'm Nick - a 26 year old software engineer from central Pennsylvania. I've been a bit of a lurker to the MMM blog for a few months, trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can so I decided to jump into the community here as well.

My wife (a high school spanish teacher) and I have been discussing some ER possibilities of late due to high stress levels at her job and lackluster opportunities at mine. We're generally pretty good with not buying excessive stuff but could definitely do better to supercharge our 'stash. Our goal is to be mortgage-free in about 4 years, which is a little far-fetched but not altogether impossible. After that, we want to save up for a B&B in Costa Rica :)

FactorsOf2

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #73 on: March 20, 2012, 08:02:37 AM »
Hey All!  Sonya here. I'm also acting as proxy for my DH David.  We're both PhD students in CT (Physics and Statistics, respectively).  Can't even remember how we stumbled across MMM, but were instantly hypnotized by the spinning mustachioed money on the header turntables. 

We just passed the debt=0 mark and are now putting away hefty savings even while those around us bemoan the impovernished state of graduate students. "Wake up people, 30k/yr/person is a shit ton of money!"

Nice to meet you all :)

Hamilton Beachbum

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #74 on: March 20, 2012, 12:02:56 PM »
Hi all

I'll summarize the boring details:
-37 years old
-married to my beautiful wife
-stable dual income both in IT
-no kids, no intentions
-paid off primary residence
-rental property with a small mortgage, will be paid off Apr 2015
-migrated here after discovering Jacobs site
-late start realizing FI is possible, so we estimate about 7 years until we reach the goal
-I enjoy beer, bowling, chillin' on the beach, and the company of my great friends and neighbors

I'm here to learn some Mustachian techniques and to share some of my ideas.  I have come to realize that I was born with basic Mustachian instincts, but MMM and Jacob really helped me get the whole picture straight in my mind.

I'm looking forward to contributing to the forums!

HBB

Economically Humble

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #75 on: March 20, 2012, 05:11:43 PM »
Hi All, I've been reading mr money mustache and think really great.  I sold my SUV about a year ago and now ride a bike... I'm in better shape and my bank account is thanking me.  I still have much to learn and I'm tracking my own experiences and thoughts over at EconomicallyHumble.com, a fledgling site.  I hope to get to know some of you in the years to come! PB

kudy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #76 on: March 20, 2012, 09:04:35 PM »
I'm afraid that I won't remember all of you, but I tried to match details to names/faces ;)

I'm Kevin, 29, in Northern Colorado; I have no debt, and very little savings so far. I'd love to soft-retire by 45.

gangr

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #77 on: March 22, 2012, 08:29:20 PM »
Hello everyone.

I lurked around ERE and have read Jacob's book a few times. I am married to a wonderful women and we are foster/adoptive parents so, while I do have kid(s), the number has a tendency to vary. I would consider my level of Mustachianism to be "cleanly shaven," but we hope to pay off my wife's student loans this month and will only have our mortgage and stache to focus on in the future. My formal education is in accounting, finance, and management, but I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. 

PaulTecumseh

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #78 on: March 24, 2012, 01:05:54 AM »
Hi I'm Paul and I'm from Tucson, AZ. I'm 25, single, and have one awesome daughter who is about 15 months old. I found this site back in January and I have greatly enjoyed reading and learning as much as I can from it. I'm nowhere near most of the people I see on these forums when it comes to careers/education/investments because I have little to none to speak of. However, I am excited to work my way towards all of those things and earn as much time as I can with my daughter and the rest of my family.

Brotherbryan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #79 on: March 24, 2012, 09:51:31 AM »
I'm Brotherbryan.  Working towards FI because love freedom in general. Slave to none.

B.

cdttmm

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #80 on: March 25, 2012, 07:37:27 AM »
Hi all -- I'm cdttmm.  I've been an avid reader of all things personal finance related for the past 8 years.  Love MMM and have been following since the beginning.  Been hanging out here on the forums but haven't been posting much yet.  I reside in lovely New England with my partner, 3 dogs, and 2 cats.  I retired for the first time at 36, but have since returned to work for a start-up.  I'll probably try to retire again sometime around age 45, but I don't expect it to take.  :-)

YoungAndWise

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #81 on: March 25, 2012, 06:22:04 PM »
Hello, I am Willis.

Nothing unusual about-16 high schooler, deep south, and I just came over from Early Retirement Extreme.


Blaise

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #82 on: March 25, 2012, 08:55:51 PM »
Hello all. I'm blazini (real name Blaise), a 30 year old CPA currently working as an accountant for a real estate company in Northern New Jersey.  Contrary to popular believe, not all accountants do taxes.  I have a wife (27 yo school social worker) and a daughter (1 month old, unemployed), and want to have at least two more kids in the future.

Our financial situation: $130k per year combined salary (holy crap that's a lot of money!), $67k in student loan debt, no mortgage yet since we rent(ed). Once the baby was born we moved in with my wife's parents to save money, and share food and household expenses with them. 

Our goal is to have one of us quit their job and stay at home raising our kids, and then pay off student loans, get a house, pay off the mortgage, build up a stash, and retire in 10-15 years.

The biggest obstacle to this, in my opinion, is the high cost of housing (including property taxes) here in NJ. As MMM pointed out in one of his articles, a typical 2,000 (or smaller) sq ft fixer upper home in this part of the country can run around $400k easy, and property taxes are $12k or more a year. Perhaps I'll convince my wife to relocate somewhere less insane, but for now we'll keep on trucking.

P.S.  Love the site, found it from the comments section of GRS. Rock on fellow Mustachians!

C99

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #83 on: March 26, 2012, 01:33:04 AM »
Hi,
I'm going by "C99", just started reading MMM and ERE a couple weeks ago and it's all just blown my mind.  I'm 49, been working in IT with a good income for 25 years, no kids.  If I'd paid attention to this stuff earlier I'd be FI already.   I've been just a little too careless with both expenses and investments.  I read Your Money or Your Life back when it was new, but since it was all based on getting a guaranteed 8% on treasury bonds, I just assumed early retirement wasn't possible any more except for those who luck out on stock options or have truly gargantuan incomes.  Boy, reading about the lifestyles of the smart and frugal has been really eye opening! 

I'm working my way through the ERE book and the archives on both sites and starting to track my savings & expenses.  I also started cleaning up my financial house by moving savings out of money market into stock and bond funds.  I had the vague idea that those types of investments were just too risky nowadays, so I've been earning just about zero on big chunks of my savings for years. 

I picked a goal date for FI of 2017 at the latest, since that will make 30 years working anyway.  I hope I can hit it sooner, but the health insurance thing may be the blocker for me.  I'm unlikely to be able to purchase insurance due to pre-existing condition.  Hoping the upcoming 2014 changes will help with that.

Looking forward to learning more and connecting with like-minded folks.

Kriegsspiel

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #84 on: March 27, 2012, 01:47:41 AM »
Hello.

I wanted to wait until I read the blog from the beginning before I registered on the forum (also, I didn't notice it).  Anyways, I am currently a Captain in the US Army, and hopefully will be getting off active duty in a couple months.  You could say I am still a noob to the world of personal finance, I used to just not really care how much money I had, whether I had a budget, or anything like that.  I started a Roth IRA when I was deployed to Afghanistan, and just thought transferring my money into the account would make something happen, I didn't even know I had to pick stocks to buy!

Luckily, I have never been a big consumer, so I have no debt except for a 2% loan from USAA that I'm still paying off.  Unfortunately I also bought a new 2011 BMW 328i after I got back from Afghanistan.  I bought it cash, so I am not paying it off, but I wish I hadn't.  Having a nice car is too much pressure :)

My plan is to start budgeting/saving more, time now.  My goal now is to live on about $19,000 a year (roughly 25% of my income), which seems very doable after reading for a while.  When I get back to the US, I am going to put the BMW up for sale and get a more economical car that I'd feel more comfortable driving.  I don't have a job lined up, so I will move in with a friend and do some part time work until I'm hired somewhere.

SO TL;DR version: I am new to the whole thing, despite not being 22, I'm still pretty optimistic.

veronica mars rover

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #85 on: March 27, 2012, 08:08:38 AM »
Hiya, here's my stats:

- Late twenties
- Married
- Young kids
- East Coast
- Graduate degree, but not having a lot of success breaking into my field (and laid off almost two weeks ago).
- In so. much. debt.

I'm on the fence about making some radical life changes so that I can manage my debt and start sleeping again. 

Mrs MM

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #86 on: March 27, 2012, 10:23:26 AM »
Welcome everyone!!  I love reading these introductions - it's great to see people coming from all over with all kinds of different situations.  Awesome!

zemblamatic

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #87 on: March 27, 2012, 02:10:37 PM »
- Mid 30s from the UK
- Software person in our beloved financial services sector (boo!)
- Married with several children

Found MMM through ERE and various UK personal finance blogs after cold-sweat moment realising I had no plan or particular provision for the future. Time for a plan.


chamboo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #88 on: March 30, 2012, 08:34:35 PM »
Hello,

I'm a self made millionaire at age 29, and while I'm extremely frugal (and enjoy it), I have shamefully lived the other side as well (though thankfully short lived).  I am now looking to find more fulfilling work and investing ideas.  Thanks for having me.

HumanCalculator

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #89 on: April 01, 2012, 10:03:48 AM »
I'm the HumanCalculator,

I work with numbers and IT. Had a mustache at square 1, met a girl, shaved the mustache, lost the girl, moved across the country, rediscovered myself, was jobless for a few months, accumulated 12k debts, moved back to square 1, met a great partner, spent too much,discovered MMM, paid off debts in 3 months, growing a mustache again, will be moving in a house together, feels this is gonna be a challenge for my mustache.

I also love cake.

KimPossible

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #90 on: April 02, 2012, 06:51:07 AM »
Hi, I'm KimPossible.  I'm 38, married with two kids.  Work full-time and have one side business and working on starting another one.  My (full-time) career is sucking the life out of me, and I don't expect that to improve in the future.  As a result, I'm paying down our debt as fast as possible and trying to create alternate income streams.

The good news is that I make a lot of money.  The bad news is that we owe A LOT of money.  It's all tied up in our house, aside from some student loans I owe the parents.  We don't have any credit card debt.  Unfortunately, we remodeled our house several years ago, and it turned into an epic project.  (A very expensive one.) 

I got interested in simplicity and decluttering a few years ago, which led to a significant lifestyle change.  I've always been interested in personal finance, but the change to a simpler life was the best personal finance change I could have made.  I stopped shopping for fun several years ago, we don't really eat out, and I've discovered the fun of thrift store shopping for clothes for myself and the kids. 

My goal is to pay off the huge debt, reach FI, and quit the day job.  I'm looking at a few years until getting there, but I'm hoping that the other income streams will help.  I discovered MMM a couple of weeks ago and have read through all of the posts.  They've been a great kick in the pants!  Thanks, MMM and Mrs.MM--you've been a great inspiration already :)

It's nice to meet you all!

FI@2022Jem

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #91 on: April 02, 2012, 02:34:24 PM »
Hi,
My name is Jennie.  I am 25 and married (husband age 40).  I am finishing a masters in social work in a month.  Husband owns a small business, makes enough to get by and never wants to retire.  My goal is to reach FI then continue to work on my own terms.  We have a small condo and a rental property with positive cash flow (2 morgages).  I have about 30,000 in student loans and slightly more in retirement.  Husband has only recently started a roth and views the rental as his retirement.  I have been hooked on personal finance for about a year and found MMM last week.  i'm so excited to be here!  thanks for the community!

Mr. Tiny Stache

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #92 on: April 03, 2012, 06:38:14 PM »
Hello everyone. I am a 35 year old software geek living in Seattle, WA with my wife. I am a relatively high salary earner, although that is a more recent phenomena. I spent most of my twenties working in non-profit before going back to school for a Computer Science degree and the software career that followed. In the last 5 years my income has increased approximately 650%. I have made some smart decisions, like paying down debt. Unfortunately I have not kept a tight hold on my expenditures and I did not spend a lot of time looking ahead.

I have been a reader of mrmoneymustache.com for some time but have only recently decided that financial independence is a major goal of mine. I am just starting to take steps to reduce our expenses and build up my stache (hence I am Mr. Tiny Stache). It is very daunting. Without some major reductions in living expenses or some radical increases in income I am looking at a 15 year road. Not sure that still qualifies as "early retirement."

I have a number of challenges to navigate as I pursue FI. I am currently a renter. My wife and I plan on having kids soon-ish. While most of my debt is gone there is still an appreciable amount of student loans in the family (currently deferred while my wife finishes her Phd).

I'm still sorting out what I want to do once I hit FI. It will probably be similar to what I do now but with my own agenda. I might not even quit the day job but instead renegotiate the terms.

Blindsquirrel

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #93 on: April 08, 2012, 06:28:32 PM »
  Really like your site. I am 44 years old, married, we are DINKs but have 3 awesome cats. Live in the semi sticks of Ohio. I made many mistakes in finance but we are doing way better than. Have been on the frugal side all my life and am looking for the freedom and security of being in a bullet proof financial situation.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2013, 09:42:18 AM by Blindsquirrel »

gooki

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #94 on: April 11, 2012, 05:01:18 AM »
Hi I'm Dave from New Zealand.

31, married (awesome wife, with a frugal streak), one kid and a second on the way, currently living of one income.

We are debt free, own our own home, have paid off both student loans, yet reading MMM has helped me focus on what I want to achieve in life. I have fond memories of having my father around all the time when I was younger, as he took seven years off work to build a boat in our backyard. I want to do the same (not build a boat), but be home for my kids when they get home from school, be around on the weekends, and be able to afford to take long holidays with them.

Living in NZ means not all the numbers posted on MMM are applicable, but the attitude sure is. And owning some shares in a US listed company (the one I work for), keeps me interested in US economics.

PS as  user interface designer, a bone in my body twinges slightly every time I visit this site. I hope as the popularity grows a few resources can be spent making the visually appeal as awesome as the written content is.

PPS I'm a hoarder - I have a problem buying audio equipment, and electronic gadgets. I've managed to stop buying new things, and it's now time for me to take the next step and sell my existing hoard that is never used.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2012, 03:01:06 PM by gooki »

Lex

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #95 on: April 12, 2012, 03:20:25 PM »
Hi,

My name is Lex and I live somewhere in continental Western Europe. Late thirties, married, two kids, job that pays well. Despite my more or less poor upbringings I worked my way through university and got interested in the whole frugal movement out of sheer necessity. Dollar stretcher, Amy D., YMOYL and recently MMM and ERE, the works. Managed to avoid the biggest financial mistakes, also thanks to my wife who has never read any frugal literature but who comes from a farmer's family where being frugal is ingrained in the DNA.

The time not spent working or with my family I read, ride my bikes (not simultaneously) or study foreign languages, although I notice that the older I get, the harder it becomes. I tend to mix up the languages I acquired after childhood.

In a couple of months we might be moving to another part of the world, which might be the subject of a new topic to get some input.

I don't have any plans to reach FI in the near future, although I might change my mind in a couple of years. I love my job, even with its ups and downs, but I get this ridiculous amount of European vacation so I have more than enough time to enjoy life.

The MMM blog and forum are great and provides some real things to think over, although not everything applies to the situation here in Europe. There are, as far as I know, no blogs or sites of similar quality on this side of the Atlantic.

CatM13

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #96 on: April 16, 2012, 07:05:46 AM »
Hi! I'm Cat. I'm 34, married and have a 6 year old. We've made some bad $ decisions in the past, but we are trying to learn from our mistakes and we are closer now than ever to having no debt (except for the mortgage). Everything else should be paid off by the end of the year :). I found this site through ERE and I like the tone better. I finally finished reading through all the posts and decided to check out the forums.

Phundit

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #97 on: April 17, 2012, 03:24:43 PM »
Hi there!

Neophyte Mustachian checking in. Here are the vital stats:

*Age: 24
*Gender: Male
*Location: San Diego, CA
*Occupation: Lesser IT Nerd
*Dependents: None
*Debt Status: Debt free as of March 2012 (some trust loans remain, with 0% interest--doesn't count)
*Current Objective: Build up emergency fund
*Next Objective: Buy a house while the market is down

I've been diligently fighting the rice-and-beans battle against student loans, but only recently found MMM and decided to pursue FI.

Guardian

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #98 on: April 17, 2012, 06:35:06 PM »
Hi,

I am Jason and I'm a 22 year old living in the Phoenix Metro (Arizona). I haven't figured out what I want to do with my life career/job wise and that's my biggest source of stress. I'm a runner (anything from 400m to running Ragnar Relay(200+ mile relay race)), have an amazing girlfriend who I plan to marry when the time is right, and I'm a very curious, analytical person. I'm nearly 20k in debt from trying to figure out what I want to do in college and it brings me down every day. I feel if I had an exact path that I wanted to follow that didn't involve more debt, I'd be happier and able to just put myself into it fully. Yet I lack that path.

I've been reading MMM since the first articles and have shared nearly every article with friends and family. Looking for help/advice :)

LindseyBob

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #99 on: April 18, 2012, 03:39:15 AM »
Hi all,


I'm Lindsey, I'm 24 living in Witney in the UK - are there many other Brits here? I live in a tiny apartment (read: shoebox) with my boyfriend (no kids) and we're both climbing the career ladder as scientists.


I came across MMM a few weeks ago at just the right time - I've spent the last year getting myself of the right financial track and now I'm picking up speed! We have just cleared our debts (except student loans but as somebody else has already pointed out - its different in the UK so they don't really count as debt) and now we are are somewhat of a blank mustache canvas!

Looking for any good pointers for someone just starting out from scratch.

Cheers!