Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3315967 times)

rocksinmyhead

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #900 on: October 31, 2013, 10:46:09 AM »
25, live with my boyfriend and Oscar (who is a 10-yr-old husky/German Shepherd mix and not an actual human child). Living in Oklahoma for the last almost-2 years, which is way different from where both of us are from but we're finding fun things to do, and it has the upside of a very low cost of living! Like Ron, I am trying to pay off my horrifyingly stupid student loan debt before we buy a house, and hopefully also before we get married (which is eventually in the cards, no specific date). It's hard to determine exactly how much I've paid off since I started paying on them last year, but I just paid off the second one with a bonus last week and I'm down to $38,000... woohoo?! Due to the not-married thing our finances aren't actually combined, but we talk about our future financial goals a lot and share costs on most things.

I got started in my job late (beginning of 2012) due to grad school, but it was worth it for the salary and a fun job. More than actual super-early retirement, I'm hoping for financial stability and a sorta-early retirement (anything before 55 would be peachy!) Watching my parents and my boyfriend's parents near 60 with barely any retirement savings and their homes not paid off is fucking terrifying... I don't want that to be us. I guess I also really like the concept of "fuck you" money... I want us to have the freedom to quit our jobs or move if we are really unhappy.

MMM was suggested to me by my aunt, who said "I know you are a frugal, thoughtful person"... I was super flattered because their family has always been very frugal--not retired yet but it enabled my aunt to be a stay-at-home parent, and they were the first one-car family I knew :)

Anyway, this is getting long, but super glad to have found this resource... I look forward to learning a lot from advanced Mustachians, and getting better at growing my own 'stache!
« Last Edit: October 31, 2013, 10:47:49 AM by oscarsmom »

FrugalInTraining

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #901 on: October 31, 2013, 07:42:54 PM »
Hi Everyone!

While I don't think of myself as an extravagant person, when I think of the amount spent on takeout food over the last decade. . . well, let's just say it adds up.

This blog has given me the kick in the pants (or punch in the face) I needed to pack a lunch and cook dinner at home for the past two weeks - a longtime goal often ignored.

I live in New York City, so some details of the Moustachian lifestyle are bit different for us.  But I'm finding lots of ways to improve my badassity, and starting to bring my husband along for the ride as well.  He likes conveniences, but our debt makes him uncomfortable, so vowing to pay it off is something he can get behind.

We still have lots of progress to make, but I look forward to more inspiration from you all here on the forum.  Glad you are here!

YMDreamer

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #902 on: November 01, 2013, 10:01:14 AM »
Hi, I am new here and already replied to a message before properly introducing myself. Sorry for that.

I found many things I can relate to on the blog of Mr. Money Mustache. For instance being a biker since early childhood and choosing to relocate to diminish my husband's commute. FIRE is my goal, but we (my husband and I) are only starters when it comes to building stache.
Being unemployed at the moment does not really help and I may need some punches in the face to improve that. On the other hand, our only debt is our mortgage and we were able to put quite some extra money into it this year, which was awsome.

I will start a journal to give more detail regarding our situation and tell about improvements on the Mustachian road. I am looking forward to meeting other Mustachians, although I am a bit insecure. MMM and the forum inspires me a lot and I hope the Mustachian 'movement' will grow and grow. On the same note, I hope the forum will stay as nice as I think it is now. Thanks everyone who contributes to the good atmosphere and the useful conversations here.

mollylolly

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #903 on: November 02, 2013, 10:46:44 AM »
Hello! I have spent most of my free time over the last few weeks reading every MMM post from the beginning (even took a day off from work for the project!) and now, somewhat sadly, I'm all caught up. Have already made MASSIVE and AWESOME life changes based on my Mustachian education--have sold a ton of crap (including a ridiculous BMW), optimized for energy savings around the house, and dialed waaaaay deep into our family finances. I'm super stoked to have come across this incredible resource and am truly grateful for all I've learned. Looking forward to checking out the conversations here!

pipercat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #904 on: November 02, 2013, 07:28:36 PM »
I just recently found MMM through YNAB, and I have been spending quite a bit of time reading all the posts from the beginning.  Today, I discovered these forums as well!

Although my own mustache is barely peach fuzz, I am already using many mustachian principles in my own life.  I look forward to learning more!

onFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #905 on: November 02, 2013, 11:06:28 PM »
Thanks to the Tightwad Gazette and Your Money or Your Life, I spent my 20's being frugal- paid off $5,000 of student loans early, saving money to quit my job and travel for months every few years, etc. Spent my 30's getting married, buying a house, and getting comfortable spending what I made.  I look back now and wonder what the hell happened?  My Dad died when I was forty and that plus some other stuff created a sort of midlife crisis and I realized that I didn't want to waste to much more of my limited time on this earth working.  A frugal friend directed me to MMM and my course was immediately corrected.  So far we have gotten rid of the car loan and have cut spending way down.  Next, we will attack the mortgage because that will be the FU money we need (without a mortgage we can live on my paycheck alone and I don't make very much) for my husband to have the option to quit his job- or stay if it seems more bearable when he no longer HAS to stay and we can reach FI even earlier.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 02:10:51 AM by onFIRE »

Russ

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #906 on: November 03, 2013, 06:39:44 AM »
Thanks to the Tightwad Gazette and Your Money or Your Life, I spent my 20's being frugal- paid off $5,000 of student loans early, saving money to quit my job and travel for months every few years, etc. Spent my 30's getting married, buying a house, and getting comfortable spending what I made.  I look back now and wonder what the hell happened?  My Dad died when I was forty and that plus some other stuff created a sort of midlife crisis and I realized that I didn't want to waste to much more of my limited time on this earth working.  A frugal friend directed me to MMM and my course was immediately corrected.  So far we have gotten rid of the car loan and have cut spending way down.  Next, we will attack the mortgage because that will be the FU money we need (without a mortgage we can live on my paycheck alone and I don't make very much) for my husband to have the option to quit his job- or stay if it seems more bearable when he no longer HAS to stay and we can reach FI even earlier.

Hell yeah, another Madison member! Keep an eye on the meetup board if you're interested; we're probably going to have another one here in a month or two.

Welcome and congrats on the turnaround!

onFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #907 on: November 03, 2013, 07:22:10 AM »
Russ- I am married to No Mas, who came to the last meet-up, and hope to make the next one.

Russ

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #908 on: November 03, 2013, 07:45:59 AM »
sweet. Your husband is one awesome dude.

look forward to meeting you!

Onomatopoeia

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #909 on: November 03, 2013, 03:14:58 PM »
Hello everybody, I'm new to the forum. I've been lurking for a few weeks, love reading the blog/forum. I'm 27 and have been working in engineering since graduating college in 2008. Although I've always been considered "cheap" by family and friends, I have spent WAY too much of my money on convenience, which I've been successfully curtailing over the past few months. I want to become financially independent so I don't have to work in a cube farm and can spend more time with my future children.

I'm looking forward to increasing my savings rate and meeting you all!

frostymustache

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #910 on: November 03, 2013, 06:57:53 PM »
Hey! I'm Frosty.

25, Wisconsin, on the path to a better financial future!


Mumintheburbs

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #911 on: November 03, 2013, 07:29:31 PM »
Hi! I'm in my 30s and married with three daughters.
I was raised by (partially) self sufficient hippies, now I'm married to a super consumer in the burbs of one of the most expensive cities in the world. Trying to work out what my values about money, life and happiness really are and if there's any middle ground! Loving the MMM blog and community so far.

Annamal

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #912 on: November 03, 2013, 08:13:46 PM »
Anna

33 New Zealand software developer, no kids, no house, no car  some savings and one partner.

I was raised by mustachians (parents and grandparents both) and while I haven't been as frugal as I could have been I've never been in debt either.

I'm still contemplating taking the plunge and buying a house in the horrendously inflated NZ property market (it's awful but it has been awful for so long that the awfulness has become the new normal).

mikeigle

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #913 on: November 05, 2013, 12:46:12 PM »
this is mike i., 25, from gainesville florida, checking in for the first time.

by the time i graduate from grad school in 2015, i will have around 90k in student loan debt. (right now the figure is at 45k)

yes, this makes me angry. i want to kill this debt as soon as physically possible–neigh! before.

i am determined to retire from the 9-5 scene by the time i turn 40.

i need all the help i can recruit.  this blog/forum seems to me a solid source of financial wisdom.

anyone have any advice for the student life? any links to articles...  good books...  quick (or long) tips?... any personal success stories...

many thanks to any and all who put time into badassing the system!

SDIRA

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #914 on: November 06, 2013, 02:59:06 PM »
Hey everyone,

My name is Loren and I'm new to the forum. I live in Louisville, CO with my wife and two young boys. I've recently been turned onto this website and look forward to participating.

I bring a unique knowledge base to the community to look forward to helping others where ever possible. I specialize in self directed retirement plans for alternative investments. Essentially, the company I work for offers retirement accounts (IRAs, 401ks, HSAs, ESAs) that help facilitate investments outside the stock market. Common investment examples include: real estate, gold and silver, notes, private equity, and more. We provide the custodial services and administration services to handle all bookkeeping and IRS reporting for these types of assets.

I bring this to everyone's attention because the tax benefits associated with certain qualified plans can dramatically effect your retirement.

If anyone has questions or needs assistance, please don't hesitate to private message me. I'll do whatever I can do help this community.

Thanks and I look forward to meeting others.

Loren

ThisIsBananas

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #915 on: November 07, 2013, 08:42:14 PM »
Howdy, Im Jack
« Last Edit: November 09, 2013, 10:38:12 AM by ThisIsBananas »

jbird

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #916 on: November 08, 2013, 02:37:53 PM »
Hi, I'm jbird. I'm here to guilt myself into making better choices about money. :)
« Last Edit: January 15, 2016, 03:47:32 PM by jbird »

Chuck

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #917 on: November 09, 2013, 11:47:57 AM »
Hi!

I'm Chuck, and I found this site by accident while googling ways to tax optimize my investment accounts. I'm a 25 year old DoD contractor vet living in NoVa burbs. A very recently reformed Volcano of Wastefulness, I converted to mustacism before I knew it had a name by changing my eating habits, moving extremely close to work, and cutting my car spending by over 80%.

I'm quite a ways away from FIRE, but I'm close to the the more attainable "Financial Security" (which I define as "can get by on minimum wage if necessary."

Been a reader for 6 months, figured it was time to participate. Glad to be here :)

ragstoroths

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #918 on: November 10, 2013, 06:43:14 PM »
Hey Everyone,

Originally from the cornfields of IL and now living in Philadelphia. I grew up poor and, although I've always worked, all of my earnings have gone to my education (and one manic spending spree in 2011). I'll have my $200,000+ degree in December with only $7,000 in debt. Only asset is a very small Roth IRA,  but also no liabilities.

Right now working to finish up my last semester and start the job hunt. My degree is in the humanities and I have work experience in non-profit program management and in retail management. In hindsight, I wish I would have done more with economics, management or business strategy because my interests tend to lean in that direction. Not sure where to go from here.

Hoping to learn a lot and connect with interesting, like-minded people like you through this blog.




baniak

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #919 on: November 11, 2013, 08:42:45 AM »
Hello,

I'm Layne (aka baniak). I discovered Mustachianism a few weeks ago via the YNAB podcast interview with MMM. Definitely was a wake up call to me - that I have veered far off the path towards goals that I have held for most of my life.

I'm 35, and in the past 7 years I have yo-yo'ed between having savings and being in debt. Currently, I am "lucky" only to have a small credit card debt, which I will be paying off ASAP. From there, hope to start growing my 'stache.


Bartstache

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #920 on: November 13, 2013, 11:59:33 AM »
Hi I'm Bart and I've been a viewer of MMM for about 4 months and thought it was finally time to jump in.  I'm married and look to be a bit older than most here at 47.  My wife and I have always tried to live within our means but never really had a plan for getting to retirement.  MMM has given me the direction I was looking for and has already sparked multiple changes in my life. 

After years of hearing financial experts saying I need to have more in retirement savings than I'll probably ever make, it is refreshing to finally hear some people making sense and finding out i'm not really all that far away from FI. 

Torgo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #921 on: November 13, 2013, 08:07:55 PM »
I aM tOrGo... I tAkE cArE oF tHe PlAcE wHiLe ThE mAsTeR iS aWaY...

Bonus points to anyone who catches the Manos/MST3k reference.

24 year old molecular biology graduate student here, trying to deal with the fact that a lot of the biological research jobs with the most professional freedom have lower pay.  Gotten various bits of inspiration from this place over the last few months.  For the past two years, my savings rate on a grad student stipend already averages about 26%, so not doing terribly already, rather interested in poking around here more.

aspiring mustachian

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #922 on: November 14, 2013, 06:53:18 PM »
Hi,

I'm 28 and working on getting myself out of the financial hole I dug. I graduated with a B.A. in history from a "prestigious" (i.e., brand name, lol) university in 2011. I have $31,000 in student loan debt, around $800 owed to a bank, and probably some other things that haven't caught up to me yet. I decided never to get another credit card after getting into trouble 7 years ago and subsequently realizing how evil credit is (and how irresponsible I can be, so I'm not blaming the CC companies), so at least I don't have any credit card debt.

I just got my first ever full-time job that pays a living wage. I've been following MMM for a couple of months now and figured it was time to join the forum so I can learn from people who are farther in their journey towards FI. My partner isn't on board with total frugality, which is a little frustrating, but I figure he will either come around once I start making progress. I got him into couponing and stocking up on insanely cheap groceries, so perhaps there's hope. At this point we don't have joint finances, but I know it will be a problem if/when we get to that point and still don't quite see eye-to-eye on finances. One example that bugs the living crap out of me is that he believes in buying stuff just because he wants or I want it. I'm content with ogling and handling something, then realizing that I don't need it and the money is better off in my pocket.

I've made some progress so far. I upgraded from a POS oversized vehicle to an early '90s manual transmission econobox in decent shape and I'm learning how to drive it (yup, I'm one of those millennials who doesn't know how to drive stick) with the help of my partner. When I was working at a shitty job at a big box retailer that shall not be named, I got into saving part of my paycheck during the weeks I was given almost full-time hours. Once I have a decent income (currently I only get paid from my side gig and when the on-demand temp agency has work for me), I want to set up a $1000 emergency fund, start paying down my loans more aggressively, and start saving up for an expensive medical procedure I know I'll need in a few years.

olsmj

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #923 on: November 15, 2013, 06:36:19 PM »
Hi! I'm a 26 year old chemistry teacher in the south and I've been reading MMM for about 8 months.

I was raised by musicians who encouraged education and experiences over "stuff" and prestige, so I've always been pretty frugal. My saving was always pretty short-term, though, focusing mainly on travel or other big purchases. I traveled to Italy this spring and realized that I want to have the freedom to go where I want when I want, and I don't want other people to own my time. I started researching how to do long-term travel and that eventually led to ERE and MMM. It opened my eyes to all the cool stuff my salary can do! I started investing in more than just my IRA and critically examining everywhere I put/spend my money. I'm saving at about 55% right now (investing about 45% - the rest goes to travel) and I'd like to increase that but I also feel comfortable with my spending.

I think the focus I've devoted to my financial situation has led to more awareness of my life overall. I feel happier while spending less money! I'm developing healthier habits (still not on a bike yet, I have a boatload of excuses that are all empty but I cling to them for some reason!) and am more appreciative of what's around me.

(also, the Manos reference above is awesome! MST3K and Rifftrax are delightful!)

sunshine

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #924 on: November 17, 2013, 05:28:34 PM »
Hi everyone! My spouse and I are both 43 and retired is where we want to be! I looks forward to sharing some info and picking everyone's brains!  We are debt free with an ok start but we have a lot to learn.

suzanneseale

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #925 on: November 18, 2013, 06:55:27 AM »
My goal is to own (i.e. no mortgage) my first property at 25, and completely financially independent by 30.
Other things I dream of are owning a franchise, owning an apartment complex, taking a trip to space, inventing something useful, building my own house (i.e. pulling out the hammers and saws, not hiring contractors. Never understood why people refer to that as building their own house) I may get married after I achieve the above.

Wow, your dreams are epic!  Good luck with them all!

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/05/28/weekend-edition-the-magic-of-thinking-big/
I also read the book and take it seriously. Thank you :)

I think that goal is quite possible. I did it but I don't have kids. My 4-year college education was paid for by my parents and I paid for my 2-year grad school with money I earned while working nights as a mental health counselor which paid a very low salary. One thing about the job though was that I was not required to dress well, drive a nice car or pay for expensive lunches. In fact, the opposite, I was encouraged to look poor.
I ran my own graphic design business which was quite lucrative at the time and still worked at the nighttime mental health job 3 nights a week which was full time and I was able to sleep during my shift.
I had a husband who spent more than me, so I had to support him and the house we bought. We added a small income apartment to the house right away.
Our parents each gave us money toward the down payment. My husband's schooling was also paid for by his parents. We divorced and he got a sum of money from our savings. He did not like the mustachian ways and decided to take the savings and spend. (Something to watch out for when you are married.)
Once he left, I got 2 roommates, plus having the tenant and I had reached financial independence and paid off the house in 5 years. It could have happened sooner.
I worked the 2 jobs for a total of 10 years while also working on the house.
Since I had expected to have children, I wanted to be there to take care of them instead of always worrying about money and going to a 9 to 5 job.

myllanac

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #926 on: November 20, 2013, 11:05:18 AM »
Hi, I'm a recent fan of MMM (thank you Jesse at YNAB) and young enough (27) to benefit from this approach.

I plan on asking more specific questions in a separate post but a little about me:
- Age 27, married (wife is 26), two kids (one is two and the other is four months).
- We have no debt except our one-year-old mortgage (30 years at 3.5% fixed).
- I am the sole breadwinner; my wife does some babysitting/child care but that is less than $5,000 a year, and not year-round. With two kids and our income what it is, we do benefit from a negative payroll and income tax rate thanks to the EITC. We use that for once-a-year expenses (car registrations, life insurance premiums), and our short-term savings goals (a replacement minivan within two years).
- After (minimal, due to above) tax withholding, health and retirement contributions (maxed 401k), our core expenses minus our mortgage ($9k per year PITI, 30 year fixed) are already at about $25k, close to MMM.

The main things I'm looking to get advice for are:
- How to optimize our spending, particularly in the largest areas of our control: food, car gas, utilities, and personal and household expenditures (basically the non-food staples you buy at the grocery store - toilet paper, paper towels, cleaners, toiletries, etc.).
- Income generation ideas for stay-at-home-moms of infants and toddlers. We don't do daycare and we have another 9-12 months until our oldest is ready for preschool.

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to meeting many of you.

20out

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #927 on: November 20, 2013, 02:31:40 PM »
Hi.  Been lurking for a couple weeks.  Wife and I are 29 and plan to retire at 50.  Debt free except house.

melalvai

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #928 on: November 21, 2013, 09:23:51 AM »
I don't read these introductions and I don't expect anyone to read this, but providing a bit of background just in case anyone reads something else I wrote and wonders "Who does she think she is?"

I learned about MMM through YNAB and through a friend (the director of the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation is a fan).

We just became a 2-income family (combined income $129k) but mine will go away in a few months. We own one car (paid cash) and we rent our house. My husband has student loan debt and our daughter is quickly incurring student loan debt. :(

We're on average 40 yrs old (as of Dec 2013), and I'm overeducated with a PhD in Biology. I'm a research professor in a private osteopathic medical college-- research only, no teaching. My research area is a collaboration with an orthopaedic surgeon and we are studying posttraumatic osteoarthritis. This is not the field I was trained in, and sorry, we haven't discovered anything useful yet. In fact we won't discover anything, as we didn't get a grant this summer and therefore my contract is not going to be renewed.

Far from being devastated when I got this news, I was excited. I've been dissatisfied with this career for 13 years-- far too many-- and I welcomed the opportunity to change. I haven't been able to before, because I've been supporting the family. On a postdoc salary. But 3 years ago, my husband went back to school and got a degree in Computer Science. While I was a research prof, he wasn't able to get a job since we lived in a small town. But when we got the news about my contract, he put in 2 applications to a slightly bigger town and immediately got 2 offers.

That student debt of his is looking a little less of a stupid decision now that he has a job which enables me to finally break free of a career I dislike.

We became a 1-car family in 2004 and I started biking, just until we could afford a car payment for a 2nd car. Ha! Not on a postdoc salary, and I discovered that I loved bicycling and I loved not having a car payment. Wow, that opened my eyes. Not have a 2nd car! Not have a car payment! These amazing concepts fly in the face of everything I thought I knew.

What I don't like is traffic, and bike/ped advocacy is the one thing that makes me feel empowered to handle the inevitable honks, yells, buzzes, and the worst kinds of harassment on the road.

You know what else I like? Bike touring!

As I look ahead to switching careers when my contract expires, and saving up during these few months that we have a hefty double income, I'm considering urban planning, traffic engineering, or bike/ped advocacy.

Our daughter is a freshman at an engineering school. She's considering civil engineering. I'm jealous. Also worried, as she will end up with a lot of student debt and she has been very unhappy during her first semester. But I have to let her make her own financial mistakes, and who knows, maybe the student loans won't be a mistake for her.

That random collection of facts will explain quite a lot if you're stalking me. If you're curious, I'm happy to share more. :)
« Last Edit: November 21, 2013, 09:28:38 AM by melalvai »

bdonney

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #929 on: November 22, 2013, 05:55:36 AM »
Hi, my name is Kyle, I'm 26 years old living in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. found this blog about a month ago. Never really do blogs or forums ever despite being in IT, computer and programming work. so this is new to me. I've read through quite a few of MMM blogs and most interested in joining discussions because I'm not used to meeting people with similar frugal thinking. MMM preaches to the choir with me, but I may have just saved one of my friends sending him to this blog. I talk about retirement and people think I'm weird. Engaged to a girl with some debt issues that I've been trying to teach the frugal ways to her for the past several years. That's my story in a nut shell.

FrY10cK

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #930 on: November 22, 2013, 02:21:56 PM »
My second post on the forum.

The Porsche 911 that I wanted when I was a kid is now a Campagnolo equipped super light road bike.

The pickup truck I used to have is now a 29er with a cargo trailer.

My version of the Hummer/Suburban/Escalade that never goes off-road is a fat bike with 4.7" wide tires and it does go off-road, very well in fact.

I'm really interested in recumbent trikes but that's something for the future.

ReepWhatYouSow

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #931 on: November 23, 2013, 08:40:01 PM »
Hello All,

I'm a 28 year old mechanical engineer in Columbus, OH.  I was turned on to the blog by a co-worker about 10 months ago and have been catching up and following along ever since.

Was raised by a family of entrepreneurs so have always been somewhat frugal, but trying to implement things from the blog that are an improvement from what I've been doing.

Looking forward to getting some advice on a new adventure to join the family business in the near future.

Woodreaux

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #932 on: November 25, 2013, 09:01:01 PM »
Hi all,
Just found MMM and have enjoyed reading thru from the start.

Married. 2 boys (5 & 3) and a girl on the way.  But I'm determined to "retire" early dammit.

Cut my debt free teeth on Dave Ramsey and have since moved on.  We snowballed about 40k in debt in a year and a half and now just have the mortgage.
I plan to pay the house off (157k) in 5-7 years.

Anyway, that's a glimpse of me. Just wanted to say hi and I look forward to learning the Mustaschioed Way with all of you.


frugalchevy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #933 on: November 26, 2013, 06:37:39 PM »
Hi, I'm Shavonne and live in Calgary, Alberta Canada.  Married with one grown kid.  Love Money Mustache and have learned so much.   42 years old, no debt, emergency fund in place, looking at our first revenue property. Just built our dream home and are working hard to pay off our $425,000 mortgage before I hit 50!

Dreaming of early retirement......
« Last Edit: November 26, 2013, 06:39:50 PM by frugalchevy »

lovesthesea

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #934 on: November 27, 2013, 12:07:44 AM »
Hi, I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband.  We got out of consumer debt this past March (debt due to start up cost for starting our private practice businesses) and have been saving about 40% of our income since.  While we were digging out of debt, I had this very simple system of decorated envelopes which kept us on our budget: we allocated cash into them to pay our expenses throughout the month.  Counting out hundred dollar bills for rent really does have a different effect than writing a check or debit.  We now have enough $ to get into a small house after we do our taxes in January, one that we plan to have paid off in a few years.  Our plan is to have a house we own outright, at least one rental, and also funnel excess money into stocks.   To get all this expedited, we've been living in a 375-square-foot studio apartment for the past two years!  Every married couple should do this, as it will either make you or break you, plus every home afterward will feel like way more than enough.  I'm glad I found this site; I was on ERE for a little while but found the tone too serious.  Saving money is fun!

azmtnbiker

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #935 on: November 27, 2013, 09:04:57 AM »
Hi Mustached ones.  My name is Mike.  I'll be 50 next year.  I live in Tucson, AZ with my wife of 26 years.  We have two awesome kids, ages 21 and 15.  We started the debt-free journey years ago using John Commuta's (sp?) book Debt Free and Prosperous Living which is very similar to the Dave Ramsey "snowball" method.  We eliminated all credit card debt prior to our first child's birth, took a couple of years to eliminate the car loans and three years ago we made the last payment on our primary residence.  We also own a vacation home free and clear.  My wife hasn't worked since our youngest was born and we have lived well below our means for many years.  I like what I do so, even though I could call it good right now, I plan on working for another five or six years, unless I get a wild hair.  ;)  (We can't really hit the road until our youngest is in college anyway.)

We are sold out on the MMM philosophy and a several years ago began moving toward a simplified lifestyle.  What used to be counter culture now seems to be mainstream.  I am encouraged by the Mustached One's blog and am working even harder to streamline my life.

Really glad I found this blog!

Mike

2goodkids

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #936 on: November 28, 2013, 08:37:06 AM »
Happy Turkey Day!

Hi, I'm Joe, lucky father of 10yr old twin boy and girl and husband of a great woman.
Just discovered MMM and what perfect timing to find it; wife and I are 46 and putting refined plan in place now to allow "retirement" in 9 yrs from my full time, big company job. She works part time. Got a good head start on savings, low debt and grandma is adamant to foot the full bill for both kid's college educations. That last one I still have to pinch myself about. I paid for 100% of my own education.

Anyway, Not sure if the full MMM lifestyle is for me but what I've been reading so for on the site and comments in the forum is hugely inspiring and helpful to me.

Looking forward to reading and contributing.

Joe

hernandz

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #937 on: November 28, 2013, 09:58:53 AM »
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm very grateful to have found this community that will help me pick up the pace to financial independence. 

I'm a native New Yorker, originally from Brooklyn, now in the lower Hudson Valley, in a cottage with a mortgage. I have a car loan that I want to kick to the curb and I'm working down the last $4K of medical debt as my husband retires on disability. 

You guys will laugh at this -- Went to Mint and read that my credit card, which I have vowed to kill, has a balance of $0.73. So rather than waiting a full month, I decide to send an extra payment of $1.00. Yesterday, went to Mint and start swearing as Mint indicates balance is now $1.73      &*#% credit card company must have socked me with a minimum finance charge, right?  Nope.  I have a credit of $1.73.  I am *so* used to saying I owe $x, that I couldn't see that it wasn't a negative figure.

The big fat hairy goal for 2014 is going back to school to complete a 4-year degree. We have an emergency fund that is separate from the funds that can be used for school or car loan repayment.  The plan is to find an online or mostly online program so that I will continue to work  and save for retirement while attending school. 

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #938 on: December 02, 2013, 02:02:55 PM »
Hi there,

I've been lurking for a bit and am impressed with both the crowd and the results I've seen so far. This enticed me to join and share ;) The nickname Wauske is Dutch (as am I) which losely translates to Spiffy.

Mrs. spiffy had already convinced me to more agressively pay back our mortgage but after reading the forums and Blog I thought to crank it up a noth (or 2). Currently we have already reduced the principal to about three-quarters of the original 120k in 2 years.

Pre-MMM:
Income: 40K annual income (22k after taxes) for myself and some 2k after taxed for the missus.
Expenses: 500-ish mortgage (about two-thirds is interest)
Extra payment: 500
Water, heating and electric: 250 (35 water, 100 electric and 115 heating). The electric and heating is pretty high because over-paying results in a major cashback at the end of the year. Practical amounts would be about 50 for electric and heating each (electric is also hot water, heating is via a shared heating system).
Health insurance (is mandatory): 168.5
Other insurances: 55
Cellphones: 12 (2 cellphone plans, not 1)
Groceries: 250-300 (produce is not very cheap but we go to the cheapest possible store)
Cable TV+Internet: 45 (Cable TV is mandatory for Cable-internet, I severly dislike the DSL monopolist so this was my only viable alternative)
Car-tax: 24


After MMM (won't list the unchanged values):
Extra mortgage payments: 850
Cellphone: 6 (killed my data plan)
Health insurance: 148.5
Cable TV+Internet: 38 (can't go cheaper)
Insurances: 24 (killed an obsolete one and transfered the others to a cheaper party with higher deductible)

As it stands the above should result in being mortgage free in about 7 years (with additional payments from tax returns etc.). Spiffy jr. however might throw a wrench, he's currently 9 months old (and relatively cheap). Depending on schooling and pre-school the timing would likely end up being 10-years before being mortgage free.
The current stash is large enough for us to risk spending roughly 60% on our mortgage relief. No definite plans on investing yet though, me and DW are in disagreement :P

Maltipoomoney

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Sassy Lady Doctor
« Reply #939 on: December 03, 2013, 03:14:11 PM »
Hi! Maltipoo doodle dog lover here.
45 married, 2 teens, aiming to FIRE from full time work in 5 years. I work 60-100 hours per week as a physician in a small US Midwest City.
Saving 27% of income now (I include the match)
Will be 30% next month
Jan 14 am aiming to increase to 50+% - got a raise, and paid off a 2011 car and cash flowed a home improvement in 2013, these $$ will be redirected!! Home improvement should encourage staycations, over vacation home.

Goal - 1. Build a fat emergency fund in 2014  - The Fat Fund
2. pay off mortgage in 3 years.  - 5 years ahead of schedule - Debt Free !!
3. Then Live off husband  returning to work (he has been stay at home dad for 7 years) or just some PT  shift work then; 1-2 per week.  Would be ok to help out college for 2 kidlets.

Adopting some MMM habits;
Cooking in
Bringing lunch
family game nights, park hikes instead of pricy spendy events
fixing broken things
DIY projects in the house
Reconsidering spendy kids lessons and travel teams;
Spendy lady clothes (wearing mostly scrubs anyway!)
Family vacations, retooling to family visits
 
MMM habits under scrutiny

Unfortunately, I Can't bike to work, or grocery; but only to a CVS pharmacy and park. I work some nights and call shifts and hospital is in a high crime inner city area 20 miles away - and - I am a wimpy girl afraid of being shot. Also time is of the essence in my line of work. I do drive a hybrid though. I am considering where I could relocate though, to bike to library/grocery/parks eventually, maybe work in a closer hospital here in the burbs.

Though we bought cars new,  we do keep our cars for a long time. Will examine this in the future. Our 2005 Odyssey has 124K on it and is doing great!! Perfect teen learning vehicle.
Needed for sheetrock transport, etc.

Confession; Am guilty of expensive private school syndrome. Started in public school. I appreciate the extra attention my kids get. They are a little uncertain at times.
DD is a junior and I am not going to pull her out in the end zone. Am ok with this. It is late in the game already.




ricky bobby

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #940 on: December 03, 2013, 06:29:51 PM »
Hi,
I'm Chris, and I have bad spending habits.....

New to the forum and learning every day

Mlkmn

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On fire for FREEDOM!
« Reply #941 on: December 04, 2013, 05:47:50 AM »
Hi everyone. I found MMM a month ago and got my wife on board, so we are are going full force.

We are both 28 yrs old. We just moved back to Indianapolis from Tennessee because of jobs. My wife makes $42k and I make 40-45k depending on how many extra days I can pick up at work. We live across the street from where she works and I bike 7 miles one way to work.

We have 59k in student loans, 25k in upcoming adoption costs (Its not negotiable and I just count it as part of our debt emergency), and 4k in upcoming school costs to do an RN-BSN program because it is pretty much required in Indianapolis to have a BSN for nurses to do anything outside Long Term Care.

Post tax income: 5k/month
Rent: 1200
Cellphone: 26
Internet: 30
Electricity: <70
Food and household goods: 300
Insurances/Registration: 60

We are trying to keep our total living costs as close to 1600 each month as we can.

We don't eat out, have canceled our Amazon Prime membership, and are challenging each other to not spend money this entire week.  Also, we are selling a bunch of stuff, I am learning web programming languages in my spare time, and our family and friends are donating to our adoption costs.

We plan to be debt free and investing in two years or less. Its going to be a fun ride.

Ambergris

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #942 on: December 05, 2013, 02:11:58 PM »
Hi everyone,

Long time lurker finally decides to post.

I'm a 37 yr old university professor, from Britain but living in the US for the last (gulp) 16 1/2 years.  I'm tenured at a good 4 year state research institution.

I grew up with some excellent Mustachian principles (including some poor but spectacularly resourceful and ingeniously Mustachian-before-there-were-mustaches family members) and hence never really got into significant debt.  I was slowed down on the income side a bit by the inevitable lots of years in school and an early marriage that ended shortly after I got my first full time job.  Fortunately, all those degrees were essentially full ride, and I paid off my total of approximately $2000 in student loan debt about 9 years ago.

I'm probably about 8 years off a fairly comfortable 3%WR FIRE, despite a bit above mid-5 figure income; I have about a 50% savings rate.

I'm car free, which is fun but makes my neighbors think I'm crazy.  I'm a walker, rather than a cyclist; my walk is about 5 miles round trip to work.  I don't understand all this mustachian obsession with expensive machines when they have perfectly good feet to get them around. :D

I've been a Boglehead for some time (I first learned about investing and indexing from the Motley Fool before they became a series of ads for investing newsletters; I picked up on the BH's from there).  I found MM (IIRC) on a thread on the BH's, and enjoyed reading him talk about all the things I'd been doing for a while.  MM opened my eyes to a variety of other possibilities, such as early retirement. 

« Last Edit: December 05, 2013, 02:18:59 PM by Ambergris »

GodlessCommie

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #943 on: December 06, 2013, 09:05:39 PM »
Hello Comrades, GodlessCommie here.

Found MMM on FatWallet. I have been reading it pretty much non-stop for the last week. I think my wife is getting worried about this new obsession of mine. I better scale back a bit, just so that she doesn't think it is some sort of a cult.

As I now realize, I was in many ways close to Mustachianism all my life. Growing up in Soviet Russia gave us plenty of good examples of (and experience in) simple and frugal life. We got caught in consumerist craze upon coming to the US, and made plenty of stupid moves, but fortunately managed to still spend below our means and never get into any debt besides the mortgage.

What has been lacking for me is understanding of what was possible and systematic approach. MMM provides plenty of both, which I already started putting to a good use.

PS: funny how life gives us opportunities that we don't recognize... Within the first year in the US, a guy at work told me about Millionare Next Door (or a similar book), and how it was possible to acquire amazing wealth by doing simple things like bringing lunch to work. I thought he was an idiot. Now I know an idiot was the other guy in that conversation.

somepissedoffman

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #944 on: December 06, 2013, 10:08:40 PM »
Hey guys,

My girlfriend introduced me to MMM a few months ago.  MMM resonates with me because I abhor debt and love bikes, and I believe ranting is the pinnacle of human expression.
I came out of school 30k in the hole, plus a 10k car loan pre-MMM (in my defense it was the cheapest new car one can buy, and is a manual hatchback) about 3 years ago, and have since obliterated those emergencies.  Girlfriend and I bought a house, so most of my money goes into that.  Hair's not on fire any more, but still looking for ways to improve savings.

I work as an electrical engineer, which is pretty sweet.

MicroRN

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #945 on: December 08, 2013, 03:19:15 PM »
Hi everyone - I found MMM through a minimalism/voluntary simplicity board, and I think the two go hand in hand beautifully.  I'm a nurse, my husband is a navy nuclear engineer, and we have two little boys (10 mos and 2.5 years).  We're fortunate in that we have no CC debt and we'll be able to have our remaining debt ($15K car loan and $6500 student loan) paid off by June.  We also have a high income and military benefits, so we've managed to get by for a long time without having to really think about money.  We're also fortunate that we're 31, so we have time to make some serious changes in our lifestyle.     

I really want us to be in a position that we can do whatever we want, so I'm trying to get our debt gone and our savings/investments bulked.  It'll be a hard road with my husband, because he's of the "I work hard so I spend money to make up for it" camp.  Unfortunately, that attitude is really strongly reinforced by the Navy officer culture.  I handle most of the family finances, so I'm trying to put together some information for him.  Basics like groceries/household goods I handle anyway (and I've cut those expenses by 50% over the past 2 months), but he has bad eating out, buying-gadgets-on-Amazon, and funding-things-on-kickstarter habits.  Anyway, I'm here for ideas and support! 

jbmatth

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #946 on: December 09, 2013, 06:35:53 AM »
Hello all, I'm JBMatth, I've lurked for a while and am now getting into some better habits.  I'm a mechanical engineer, and have been working in that field for 5 years and am up to around 110k.  My wife is a GM for a couple hotels and pulls in 60k, but after our second daughter is born (30 days from today, woo hoo!!!!!!) She will be the regional manager for the same company making ???.  I have reduced our expenses by about $500 a month and am still working on reducing them further.  We were saving around 50% before joining the MM fan club, and that will only rise from here.  We have three debts as of now, our house which we owe 77k (5.5%) on, a rental house my in-laws live in we owe 23k on (6.1%), and my wife's new car which we owe 10.6K on (.9%).  I know a new car, but it is a manual and gets 31.2 mpg so far.  My wife uses it for work and has to drive 25 miles each way for work and day care, I bike 4.6 miles each way when the temp is above freezing (read wimp).  We plan to knock out the rental house first, then save for another house that will fit us a little better.  Then knock out all housing debt while saving for retirement.  We could be FIRE by 40-45, 27 now, but may work until 55 because of great retirement benifits I wouldn't get if I retired before 55.  I plan to donate a sizable amount from our stach shortly before retirement for a personal goal.  I look forward to reading/learning more as time passes.  Good luck to all!

erinlibrarian

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #947 on: December 09, 2013, 05:51:05 PM »
Hi there,

I've been reading MMM for a year or so and have slowly made changes here and there. I just got married a month ago and my husband and I agree that it's time to really buckle down.

I called Sallie Mae this morning and paid $12,500 of my student loans that were accruing 6.8% interest. I figured that it was better than having the money sitting in my savings account earning 0.01%. I still have about $7000 left to pay (at 1.8%) and hope to do by next summer.

Looking forward to turning over a new leaf in 2014!

bugbaby

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #948 on: December 09, 2013, 06:57:51 PM »
hi, i'm babybug. i've been lurking all year until a recent little post binge. I'm 37 y/o single mum in new england. working to pay off massive student debt and hopefully go part-time in 1-1.5 yrs. thank you for all the learning & motivation from mmm blog & forum.

vogon poetry

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #949 on: December 10, 2013, 06:24:15 AM »
Hi!
I'm Cadence, librarian and recovering cheapskate.