Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3317529 times)

aj_yooper

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #550 on: May 05, 2013, 07:36:30 PM »
I recently started reading MMM (I'm a fan!) and am grateful for the humor, good will, and expertise on the blog; I wish I knew more of these ideas when I was younger, which is true of a lot of things, I guess.  My wife and I were never into consumerism and we are socially and environmentally conscious, but the blog and MMM has given me more motivation and validation.  We are retired (I am a late retiree at 62 while my wife retired at 52).  We love being our own boss of time and definitely believe ER or retirement is a very good thing.  We have a Vanguard stash, but I need to get ready for mandatory withdrawals and we enjoy learning how to be more efficient with our household expenses.  We are in an un-stuffing phase of our lives.  I enjoy reading the members' questions and it pleases me that many are starting out early. 

Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Money Mustache and the MMM helpers for doing all this stuff-the blog, bulletin board, and personal appearances; you have helped many find their bearings and move to greater joy and personal freedom.  We all lucked out when you got to ER. 

NoraMaha

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #551 on: May 06, 2013, 02:30:06 AM »
Howdy howdy!
24-year-old female, located in Southern California.

I am a freelance artist and fine artist.
Stumbled on the blog while researching used cars.

Started reading around, and OH LORD this community is for me.
Making my "living" trading doodles for money has certainly taught me how to live creatively and frugally.

golffan63

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #552 on: May 07, 2013, 03:06:43 AM »
Hi, I am a Mustachian wantabe!Stumbled upon it for the first time. From Southern Ontario Canada. Just me and my wife who is anything but a Mustachian. My life is good but need to curb spending and get myself out a jam. I made a post yesterday and despite several viewings no one has offered advice to date. Love the site so far and look forward to it  helping us in the future!

acroy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #553 on: May 07, 2013, 01:50:47 PM »
Howdy from cool & sunny North TX!
Long-time living a MMM-lite life, found the site a couple months back, finally got round to registering.
About me:
-Married, 35yrs old
-5 kids (a 'handful'!) 7-4-2(twins)-1
-no debt other than 30yr note at 3.75%, 130k balance on 180k house
-100k income, lower management @ a food-related company
-450k assets between 401k, ira, and savings
-saving about 45k/yr, living on about 45k/yr
-Biking has been the primary form of transportation my entire friggin life!
-but I still have 3 cars ....
-NEVER any debt (other than mortgage); paid for Engineering degree myself by mowing thousands of friggin lawns, etc.
-Been living a frugal lifestyle since forever. I am fortunate to be genetically repelled by most expensive things. Except cars... damn you Porsche and your kin.

Living a 'well below our means' but not quite 'badass MMM' lifestyle. We have a few luxuries like the 33,000 gal inground pool (makes Texas summers very nice); 3 cars for no good reason other than 'cause I'm a dumb gearhead, and occasionally we buy more clothes than really necessary from the thrift store.

Cheers all, looking forward to bouncing about the forum a bit.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2013, 01:53:00 PM by acroy »

alex

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #554 on: May 07, 2013, 08:33:44 PM »
Hi, my name is Alex.  I live in West Palm Beach.  I'm the guy who made the U.S. Version of the retirement spreadsheet (a while back).

I’ve got a new web-based tool that estimates your savings over time based on your budget.  It’s still in early beta at this point, but I would love to get some feedback.   Please let me know what you think! 

Check it out here: http://forecast.calcitout.com

Mayan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #555 on: May 07, 2013, 10:22:48 PM »
Howdy all.  I'm pretty new to the blog and figure the community will be a nice motivation booster.  I'm 25 and in many ways already live in line with Mustachian principles (debt free, bike to work most days, cheap hobbies) but there are certainly some areas I can improve on.  My goal isn't early retirement per say, but to transition to working in an area of my profession that I love.  It will likely require more school and has limited opportunities for lower pay than I make now.  Living frugally and building my 'stash right now will go a long ways towards making that happen!

kk

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #556 on: May 09, 2013, 07:57:28 AM »
Hello all.

I am Karunesh Kaushal, 23yo. I live in north India as of now but will be shifting (most likely) to Mumbai in a few months. No girlfriend, unmarried. Having some gluttony and laziness issues, nothing too much, but enough to put on some extra weight :-)

I have some savings, substantial by Indian standards for middle class kids of my age, but not enough to buy some real estate. Maybe I will do that later. I think the reason for having saved till now is because I have been living with my parents, and though they have not read this blog, they are Mustachians in every sense of the word.

As a kind of hobby, I like to go through different blogs once in a while, and read a whole blog within a few days. This time, MMM is the one I will be reading. And this one seems the one with the most bang for my time. The comments at posts are really helpful too.

Loved reading posts here on this forum.

phillyfilly

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #557 on: May 09, 2013, 08:07:28 AM »
Hi, everyone!

I found this site through the Washington Post article, and it really intrigued me. I'm 22, finishing my final semester of college, and hoping that implementing some of the lifestyle changes shared on this site will help me become financially secure once I enter the "real world."

Mr. Minsc

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #558 on: May 09, 2013, 08:11:10 AM »
Hey all!

My name is Kevin, 31, and born, raised and residing in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  Through one way or another I found my way here.

Being what I suppose you'd call a late bloomer in life I didn't step far away from the family dairy farm until I was 25.  That's when I went out and did my plumbing apprenticeship and began catching glimpses of life beyond my doorstep.  During this time I started getting caught up in the "status quo" mindset but something about it never set right with me.

Here I am, financial goals to clear off.  The first is to streamline my spending.  Thanks to MMM and other awesome financial blogs I'm developing new spending habits.  Debt wise, I've bounced between slightly under and over spending so it more or less balanced out.  There's about $99K left on my mortgage.

There's changes I want to make but as you know it can be difficult with out motivational support.  It's difficult to find it within arms reach so I'm casting my net out to the world wide ocean. :D

While I don't personally like to grow actual moustache I do hope to grow one in my mind. ;)

Shzasaver2

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #559 on: May 09, 2013, 10:05:53 AM »
Hi!
 I made my first post over in the Rental Propterty forum, so I kind of already introduced myself, but I feel like a big mooch asking for help over there and not contributing anywhere else.

I've been reading MMM for a few months and lurking in the forums.

I love all of this and hope to streamline our lives even more then we have. 

We are 5yrs from FI, maybe earlier, and looking forward to it.

M

KidneyBeansMD

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #560 on: May 09, 2013, 12:25:43 PM »
Greetings!

I'm a 4th year medical student who is graduating and will be starting pediatric residency next month. Looking forward to actually getting paid rather than paying to practice medicine :)

I found MMM awhile ago after reading several blog posts and have adapted some frugal techniques to try limiting my expenses. I'm glad to see there's an active forum of like-minded people with whom I can discuss these things :)

CU Tiger

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #561 on: May 09, 2013, 09:16:36 PM »
I am 48 and my husband is 49. He has an IT job making $120,000 and I am an administrative assistant making $41,000. He loves his job and I...do not.
We have $20,400 left on our mortgage and expect to pay it off within the year. We have no other debt. Our net worth is about $650,000 including 401ks, Roths, and after tax investments.
I thought we were doing ok, comparing us to the average American. Compared to MMM and the hardcore savers and investers here I now see that there is a lot more we can do.
We have no children, but do have two funny dogs. We love them and they bring a lot of silly fun into our lives.
Years ago we took Dave Ramsey's Total Money Make Over. We did not have debt but the course taught us to communicate about finances and make plans to grow our assets. I look on this blog and forum as two great new tools to live smart and retire more than comfortably, whether we retire at 52 or 62. I am glad I found this place while googling YMOYL, a book I read years ago.

Kibryant

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #562 on: May 10, 2013, 12:14:47 PM »
Hi, all!

Kathleen here, living in Arlington, TX, squashed between Dallas and Fort Worth. I'm a newbie on the forums but have been following the blog for a good while - I figure it's time to stop lurking and join the conversation.

Just bought my first bike for my work commute, and am in the process of unloading the 5-year free-loading, money-blowing boyfriend so I can focus on building my financial future in earnest. My current financial status is somewhat bleak (Dare I say nonexistent? No 401k, all of $1,600 in savings, $1,400 car loan, and a few thousand in student loans), but that should change substantially in the next several months when he finds a job and moves out. It's sobering how fast my 52k/year has disappeared supporting two people and two cats.

Fortunately I've got plenty of time - being 25 and ambitious means there's plenty of time to get my at together! Looking forward to learning and growing with all the folks here on the forum.

rebeltoconform

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #563 on: May 10, 2013, 02:18:28 PM »
Hi everyone!

My name's Ray in Ferndale, MI - currently a very up-and-coming suburb on the outskirts of Detroit.

My financial situation:

Mortgage: 72,400 @ 5% ($800/mo)
Car lease: $300/mo for 33 more months

Salary: 30K plus overtime (this has averaged to an extra $10K/year)

And that's it - no debt and no savings. I grew up mostly frugal, and a job in video post production taught me the evils of consumerism. When I decided to trade in my paid off used Hyundai for a new Ford Fusion in February, I didn't realize how much I would regret it. Now that I have embraced Mustachianim, I am considering both a refinance on my mortgage to get that paid off quicker and/or trading in my lease, incurring whatever penalties come with it, and buying a reliable used car.

freerider156

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #564 on: May 10, 2013, 09:37:04 PM »
Hi. My name is Mike and I live with my wife in Portland OR. We have a daughter who was born a week ago and we're looking to get out of debt and work towards and early retirement. We are a one income family and have a lot of student debt, so we're trying to figure out the best way to go about paying things off, saving for a down payment on a house and to start saving for retirement. I am very new to MMM so i am just trying to read through the articles and get some encouragement and ideas as we move forward.

Not Fully Baked

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #565 on: May 11, 2013, 10:21:05 AM »
Hello All from Vancouver Canada,
Just joined after a few days of appreciative reading and badass action planning. So grateful to find this resource and community. As a family, we've got a long way to go. MMM will be the homebase.

Cheers all. Thank you.
Not Fully Baked (i.e. always learning and growing)

PolymathPaul

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #566 on: May 11, 2013, 12:16:47 PM »
MotelyFool seems geared more towards those who want to be rich by the time they retire, not people who want a long life of retirement, so I decided the MMM spot was more for me.

I took my time to finish college, and luckily avoided too much debt, but at almost 30 and just recently getting my first stable job with a real income, I've got some catching up to do.

OnMon

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #567 on: May 11, 2013, 12:38:03 PM »
Hi! I'm a 30-year old RN in Chicago, married, renting, no kids. Current assets: $36K in a joint savings fund for a future home down payment; $16K in my rollover IRA from an old job; $15K in my work 401K; $9K in my husband's 403b; misc CDs, savings bonds and investment accounts at prolly $19K in total. Current debts: Student loans! $21K at 6%/15yr; $8K at 5.45%/10yr; $30K for my husband at 4.35%/30yr. We currently both save way more than we did in our 20s, largely due to higher incomes and no changes in expenses, but still pretty low compared to a mustachian ideal (maybe 20% or so, prolly a little higher if you count after-tax pay that we throw at our loans). Our debts are grating on me (I still don't know if it was the right choice to go back for my Accelerated BSN at $90K instead of an AD which I probably would have paid through school at about $30K - but eh, what does regret buy you?) and I've been dreaming of FI, oh, since my godfather gave me a copy of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" when I was 22. Obviously, though, I'm flighty when it comes to implementing FI! Mostly my dream of FI involves being a part-time parent, free to take sabbaticals doing things like WWOOF or volunteering my skills internationally as a nurse. I do really love my job, the flexibility and freedom of nursing employability, so I can totally see myself as a part-time worker (non)drone until age 50 or 65...but maybe if we work on it, I'll be our sole income earner during that time, and my husband can be free to pursue his renaissance-man dreams of radio production or teaching schoolkids how to build computers. Or I'll volunteer my experience and time to work on changing the U.S. healthcare system for the better! I come from an upper-middle class family & both my parents are in their 70s, so that's how we've come to have random assets in the middle of our debts, though what we should do with those assets leaves me scratching my head. In this low-interest rate market we've been working on buying, but I'm bummed about adding more debt to our load by buying, and Chicago still doesn't seem to be an equitable market comparing our rent to ownership costs - not to mention the choke-hold of low availability right now (so NOT a buyers' market, when the lack of properties on the market is leading to bidding wars on the piddling stuff available).

So yeah: to sum up, I'm a do-gooder and daydreamer who is hoping that working toward FI will take us to a happy place in 10-20 years or so, or maybe even sooner. I'm inspired to do better on saving (switch out my Trader Joe's frozen meals for something like Jacob's lentil soup as a work lunch, maybe?) - I already bike to work, shop at thrift stores, wash hair with baking soda, have a $15/month prepaid cell plan plus Google voice...but I know I can do better, and I long for a day when my husband will also be more motivated to make his lunch & take public transit to work. Hi!

lbdance

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #568 on: May 12, 2013, 01:26:12 AM »
Hi All
Another Kiwi joining the forum. I found MMM approx 2 months ago and spent the first month catching up on all the posts. Had been on a plan to more aggressively pay off our mortgage and have never had any other debt. However I had never thought about aggressively saving to ensure that we could achieve early retirement. MMM opened my mind to this, and subsequently I have got my significant other somewhat onboard. He leaves most of the most stuff to me :)
Slowly working my way round the forum - nice to meet you all

Tammy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #569 on: May 12, 2013, 05:14:19 PM »
I'm Tammy. Been following the blog for a long time. New to this area of the site.

Live in phoenix. Work as psych nurse. Ride my bike a lot and it makes me happy.

Anybody know if theres a smart phone app for the forum?

factminder

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #570 on: May 13, 2013, 11:58:52 AM »
Hi, I'm John,
 
trying to read between the lines and mind facts vs. opinions.
* Even if you on the right truck, you will get run over if you just sit there.(Will Roggers)

Itchin4Scratch

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #571 on: May 13, 2013, 08:20:23 PM »
Hi everybody!!!  We became a family of 3 last year, and my "hubby" and I are approaching the end of our 20s this year.  I just discovered the MMM blog in December, and I am halfway through reading it.  Unfortunately, I haven't even THOUGHT about getting serious with money or retirement until our son was born, and my hubby is still not serious.  Throughout our 20s we also experienced terrible financial hardships, all that could have been avoided if we were given any tiny little bit of financial management lessons. 

Now, I'm learning things way too late, and I am furious that our school systems and colleges don't require any classes in these skills.  Financial management is extremely important to learn!!!!

I'm going to start a journal blog now, and I am excited to meet other Mustacians and learn from the best!!!!  :)  Thank you so much for this blog!!!!

GrayGhost

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #572 on: May 13, 2013, 09:57:46 PM »
Hi everybody,

I'm currently a student in the NYC metro region, and upon graduation, I will be commissioned as an officer with the military. My commitment with them is four years; after that, I'll be free to stay on or go on my own way depending on my wishes.

I'm very responsible with what money I have so far, as I am able to max out my IRA, pay rent in one of the most expensive places to live in the US, and sustain myself.

I intend to buy a house wherever I'm stationed, for the most part, and then rent it out once I get stationed somewhere else.

I've got a couple hobbies, but for the sake of privacy, I'd prefer not to discuss them.

I look forward to learning more about how to live frugally and happily, and I am glad for any advice that comes my way.

KiwiMust

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #573 on: May 13, 2013, 11:56:51 PM »
I'm Heather, 37, living in New Zealand, not married, no kids, no debt, but not much else to my name either.

I have always lived semi-mustachian (always paid off credit cards monthly, walk everywhere possible, which in my case includes work and everywhere else I need to go regularly (I have now started cycling those places that were a bit too far to walk) and have ancient low fuel car (not that it gets used much, just can't seem to give up the convenience), but somehow still managed to spend ridiculous amounts of money (I couldn't tell you what on).

I miraculously somehow had enough money to take four months off over summer (anyone living in NZ will know this was the best summer ever), this was not exactly by choice, but when my contract finished I decided not to panic until February when, happily, a new contract was given to me, and it made me realise there is a lot more to life than work. The last couple of months while getting through the MMM blog, have got me excited about every extra dollar that comes my way, dividends that before I would have ignored, I am now gleeful about, it is quite amazing how much money comes your way when you start taking notice of it.

To be honest apart from rent and house expenses (shared house, so fairly low) all I spend my money on is food and drink (slowly weaning myself off the excessive nights out). I have no interest at all in shopping anymore and am selling my excess stuff online, while previously I would have thought it not worthwhile, now I am loving watching the dollars come in.

Property prices here are crazy high at the moment, so my plan is to save hard and when it becomes more reasonable, or at least there is decent choice, buy. If anyone can advise on where to put my cash in the mean time, that would be fantastic, currently have some shares, but looking putting any new savings into Smartshares after reading other Kiwis' discussions.

I have never, ever read a blog from beginning to end before, this has been enlightening and although I am a little jealous of those in their twenties who have seen the light already, I am so grateful to have got there now rather than in ten years, or never.

Thanks MMM!

SkinnyGreenMan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #574 on: May 14, 2013, 01:16:10 PM »
Hi Everyone!

I'm Scott, 24, from California.

I've been a lurker for a while, and I feel like I should probably just go ahead and introduce myself.  I started reading the blog a while back while trying to optimize my finances, and was hooked from the start.  I did the whole "start at the first article" thing and just plowed straight through all the posts in a few weeks.

Low-cost living is not new to me.  I'm a recent college graduate, and basically lived quite frugally while in college to keep student loans down.  After I graduated, I was hired by an institution within walking distance of the college I went to, so I basically decided just to keep living with my roommates and maintain my low expenses for a while.  In fact, I rode the bus to work and didn't even buy my first car until I had saved up enough to buy it outright.  I've always paid credit cards in full each month and built up a great credit rating while in college.

I graduated two years ago.  Living cheaply since has paid off.  After one year my student loans were gone, and after the second year, I had saved a down payment for a condo nearby.

I found MMM a few months before I had finished saving my down payment.  After I digested the whole idea of FIRE, I was able to attach a goal to all the savings and groundwork I had laid so far.

I'm currently in the process of moving out from my rented apartment and into my new home.  My intention is to rent out my spare rooms to college students (currently to people I know and lived with as a roommate for the last few years.  I'm still connected to the student community in general, so chances are I'll be able to find people wanting the rooms for some time).  I estimate I can cover more than 2/3 of my mortgage from the two spare rooms.  This is a temporary lifestyle for me while I build my net worth.  But even years down the line, when I'm ready to move on, I very well may keep the condo and just rent out all three bedrooms.

Once I get through the whole financial whirlwind of buying this place, I'll start investing through Vanguard and my job's retirement accounts.  My goal is FIRE in 10 years, at age 34, since that's what my calculations tell me is the most appropriate.

I think my path is pretty much set for now, but I look forward to learning and improving my short-term and long-term way of life on the cheap as I go, and I look forward to participating in this great community!

warpgirl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #575 on: May 14, 2013, 03:25:43 PM »
Hi, I'm Sarah. I work in DC and I'm married to a frugal guy, but it took finding MMM for me to fully get on board and get serious about saving everything we can!

FrugalAussie

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #576 on: May 14, 2013, 08:18:40 PM »
Hi.  I'm an Australian, from the West coast where the average cost of a home is $450,000 to buy, about $1800/mth to rent, and food, especially compared to the USA is expensive, so reaching early retirement is that much more difficult.  I'm enjoying life now my kids are independednt (well one is, the other's taking his sweet time, he gets way too much financial aid from me but that's going to stop soon) after being a sole parent for 17 years.  I'm frugal but am going to step it up a notch so I only need to work when I feel like it ie. when the job is inspiring.  My preference is 2 days per week, to get the perks of employment without the BS. I also do contract work - organisational development and training, which pays well.  BUT I have enough FU money to last about 5 years, then I could sell a rental which would buy me another 5 years, then my supannuation kicks in for another 5 years, then the Age Pension if it's still around when I'm 67. Being frugal and financially literate are the two tools that got me ahead.  Then three years ago I meet a fellow Mustachian, together we really kick ass so he's looking to retire in the next couple of years also, something he wouldn't have considered without my influence.  We're a great team and have so many plans that we'll never find retirement boring. 

exranger06

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #577 on: May 15, 2013, 10:27:36 AM »
Hi I'm Jon. I live in CT and I'm 25 years old. I like to think I'm very good with money, even though I still have some very anti-mustachian habits. I enjoy reading personal finance blogs among many other hobbies. I'm currently helping my fiancee get out of debt and trying to improve her spending habits. I'm also trying to save up money to buy a house.

mgbrin

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #578 on: May 16, 2013, 10:15:35 AM »
Hello, I'm Marvin, 52 and live in Lincoln, NE.  Discovered MMM from the Washington Post article.  Where have you been all my life?!?!?!

At any rate, while I don't have much debt (mortgages on two rental houses, a small business debt of $2k), I really have nothing else to show for my 30+ years of earning.  I'd put my net worth under $100k with the houses.

But, most importantly, my wife and I have agreed to follow Mustaschianism and are working on constantly optimizing our lives towards it.  Our incomes are modest (62k for me, 24k for Mrs Marvin), but I am looking forward to begin saving a large chunk of our take home pay ASAP.   For instance, my daily commute is 10 miles RT, I'm looking at trying to bike it.  My wife's is 6 miles RT, and so far we are trying to carpool even though our hours don't mesh up that well.  We plan to move closer to her work so she can walk, and hopefully get to a place where my commute would be no more than 6 miles RT and on bike routes. 

PCRepairCat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #579 on: May 16, 2013, 10:31:43 AM »
Hello everyone,

     I'm Josh, just about to turn 30, and I'm certainly interested in cutting the day job loose early so I can focus on writing full-time.  No debt, but a fairly useless generic English B.A. and I'm still working on getting certified to prove my PC necromancy (repair) skills aren't ethereal.  Then I hope to jump to a job that pays more than 17k so I can save a greater percentage of my income.

      Twitter brought me here, and I hope to use Mustachian lessons to frugal my way to a better life.

catccc

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #580 on: May 16, 2013, 12:38:25 PM »
Hi, I'm 33, married, w/ 2 kids, living in bucolic Southern Chester County, PA.  Spouse stays at home with our DDs, ages 4 & 2. 

Our current stash consists of 243K in retirement accounts, 133K in cash, and 31K in other investments (mutual funds).  No debts.

My salary is 88K/annually, and my PY bonus (paid in March of this year) was 6K, so our income is about 94K.  This year, the plan for that 94K is:
5K- benefits (medical and dental)
15K- taxes
28K- retirement (we max my 401K and both our Roth IRAs)
6K- non-retirement savings
40K- other living expenses

Our expenses last year came to a whopping 49K.  Big ticket items included multiple family vacations- Turks and Caicos, a New England Road Trip, and the Holidays on the West Coast.  Other than travel, we live pretty frugally.  Before kids we did a lot of backcountry camping and traveled internationally about every other year.  We've always loved travelling, but this year we will learn to be homebodies.

Trying to cut it down on expenses a lot.  I am hoping to stay below 40K this year.  Would love to bike to work (about 10 miles) but need to learn to bike/work up to that.

Why so much cash?  We are currently renters, but looking to buy in the future.  We have very specific land desires and would like to buy in the 300K range so we can easily pay off in 15 years, the cash will a giant down payment to assist with that.

Would love to be financially independent by 45, that is 12 years away!  I actually had previously set 48 as my goal (15 years away, nice round number) but I wonder if we can speed things up a bit... I  also post a early-retirement.org, but I love the more "extreme" ways of mustachianism.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2013, 12:44:36 PM by catccc »

RMD

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #581 on: May 17, 2013, 08:07:14 AM »
HI, I'm RMD.  I arrived here from some posts on the Family Finances board on Baby Center.  :)  I've been reading for a while and finally decided to jump in.  Learning a lot, solidifying stuff I already know and haven't put into to practice.  Glad to have found a community of like-minded people!

Oh...and I'm 42, married with one son- age 5.  I'd love to retire in 5 years...but the spouse isn't entirely on board with the concept.

workathomedad

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #582 on: May 17, 2013, 08:19:12 AM »
I'm 30 and work from home. My "job' recently took a big pay cut, and I'm looking to reduce our family's expenditures down to at least 30-40k/year to start. I haven't actually kept a budget, but estimate in the past we've been spending 80-120k/year without realizing where the money actually went.

After reading MMM I've had the motivation to stop buying new stuff. Just with this simple step, I think my spending will be reduced to ~70k/year.

My largest current expenditures are:
  • 3 vehicles (1 leased, 2 owned)
  • 2,600 sqft house - including basement (utilities, property taxes)
  • Repairs, updates, renovation of house

My first step will be to list one of the owned vehicles for sale. I then plan to list the second. I believe I will be stuck with the lease as I entered the contract only 1 month ago before reading MMM (d'oh).

Heather in Ottawa

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #583 on: May 17, 2013, 08:41:34 AM »
I'm Heather... 38, married, no kids, but a clowder of stray cats I collected along the way. Finally settled in Ottawa, no mortgage (thanks to many years of moving around Canada renovating as we went). Looking forward to earning a predictable income now and cruising towards FI, ETA about 8 years from now. I love biking, board games, and interesting adventures. I have a natural frugal streak in me, and reading this blog and forums is definitely helping me to develop it to a whole new degree of badassity!

Ms Prosperity

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #584 on: May 18, 2013, 05:20:27 AM »
Hi from Australia! I just found this site last night, and haven't read all the blog posts yet, but intend to work through them slowly.

I'm engaged to my partner, we have three kids together and we own our house outright. We're mostly good at cutting back on things, but there are a few more bad habits we still need to get rid of. I look forward to getting to know everyone.

Chowder

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #585 on: May 18, 2013, 07:08:37 AM »
Hi, I'm 24 and finished school with 6 figures of student loan debt.

I've been reading for a while and I'm already putting 60% of my income towards my loans. I'm also constantly trying to optimize my payoff strategy and the latest numbers should have me to a positive net worth in 4 short years...

rubybeth

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #586 on: May 18, 2013, 08:10:03 AM »
Hello all! I'm Beth, early 30s, married, live in Minnesota, and have only 5 months left until we are debt free ($52k in student loans; necessary degrees to get our jobs). After finding MMM a bit over a month ago, I realized that we are much closer to retirement than I ever could have hoped. We are already pretty 'mustachian' without realizing it, much of which I learned from my parents, who are financially independent but still work because they enjoy it (both part-time, and my dad has his own business he runs from home). Looking forward to reading more of the forums and chiming in when I have something useful to add.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes: "You're not stuck in traffic, you are traffic."

geekette

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #587 on: May 18, 2013, 01:43:34 PM »
Just found this place a few days ago - about the time my DH got laid off (wah wah).  I can't say he was happy in that job, but it sure beat looking for a new one...

Thankfully, we've always been frugal and have no debt and a low 7 figure net worth, including about 800k invested, plus our paid off house.  I would almost consider us at the FI point, but the sticking part is health insurance.  Early 50's and each of us have a history that makes insurance companies quake (we're both quite healthy, but they still don't want us).  I'm hoping the next couple years will allow us to get coverage outside of him working.


grantmeaname

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #588 on: May 18, 2013, 03:03:43 PM »
Just found this place a few days ago - about the time my DH got laid off (wah wah).  I can't say he was happy in that job, but it sure beat looking for a new one...

Thankfully, we've always been frugal and have no debt and a low 7 figure net worth, including about 800k invested, plus our paid off house.  I would almost consider us at the FI point, but the sticking part is health insurance.  Early 50's and each of us have a history that makes insurance companies quake (we're both quite healthy, but they still don't want us).  I'm hoping the next couple years will allow us to get coverage outside of him working.
Could this be the time to downshift and do something else that's entertaining, if you don't need to accumulate any assets and just need health coverage? What about an adjunct professorship at a business school, for example? (Obviously that's dramatically limited by the specifics of the situation, though.)

geekette

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #589 on: May 18, 2013, 03:13:12 PM »
Just found this place a few days ago - about the time my DH got laid off (wah wah).  I can't say he was happy in that job, but it sure beat looking for a new one...

Thankfully, we've always been frugal and have no debt and a low 7 figure net worth, including about 800k invested, plus our paid off house.  I would almost consider us at the FI point, but the sticking part is health insurance.  Early 50's and each of us have a history that makes insurance companies quake (we're both quite healthy, but they still don't want us).  I'm hoping the next couple years will allow us to get coverage outside of him working.
Could this be the time to downshift and do something else that's entertaining, if you don't need to accumulate any assets and just need health coverage? What about an adjunct professorship at a business school, for example? (Obviously that's dramatically limited by the specifics of the situation, though.)
Interesting thought, but not for him.  He's great one on one, but never in front of a group.  He's more the "stick me in an office, give me a buggy program, and I'll fix it" type person.  Neither of us is good at thinking outside the box, but you're right, there should be something out there, and we do have the freedom to wait for it.

Tesseljoan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #590 on: May 20, 2013, 04:20:34 AM »
Hello everyone! I'm Tessel and I'm an idiot, as I managed to accumulate 55000 euro in student loan debt... In the netherlands, a country where higher education is so subsidized, a student loan this high is a feat in itself. Stumbled on Dave Ramsey two years ago, and decided to get rid of this debt as quickly as possible. However, finding MMM was such an eye-opener! With Ramsey frugality feels like a chore, and not like you can lead a rich life while getting out of debt. Now we enjoy making ht emost out of what we have and slowly but surely we plow through the debt and save a bit of money.

SimpleMama

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #591 on: May 20, 2013, 09:30:00 AM »
I guess I posted a long intro with a question in the general discussion but I'm a middle aged mom who is working hard to live on a budget.

I wish I had found MMM way of life a long time ago. I want to relieve stress off my husband, and while he may not be able to retire too early, I'd love to see him enjoying an earlier one than some of his peers.

audrey

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #592 on: May 20, 2013, 12:17:56 PM »
Hello.  I'm another one who came over from the Washington Post article.  DH and I live in Northern VA.  He is 39 this week and is in a job he doesn't really like, but pays really well.  I'm a 36 year old stay-at-home mom with two kids, ages 11 and 8.  I'm half way through a master's of library science program, but wondering if it's worth it in the long run since I really enjoy being a SAHM.  I was offered a job as a librarian's assistant in December and decided not to take it because I really love staying home with my kids and getting to do what I want to do when I want to do it (I volunteer regularly in a library so I get to decide when I help out).  I'm glad that my DH works hard for our family, but at the same time, feel guilty because he doesn't like his job and I love mine.  I wish I would have discovered this way of living right after we were married and before we had kids, but alas, some things are not meant to be.  I'm trying to let go of my regrets as I know there's nothing I can do about them now.  We're trying to figure out ways to cut our spending to save more money so DH can retire earlier.  I've been devouring the MMM blog since I discovered it a month ago and finished reading all the posts today.  I have a list of things to do and I'm excited for the journey, even if it seems daunting at times.

Albert

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #593 on: May 20, 2013, 01:29:47 PM »
Hi,

I'm 35 year old man currently originally from Latvia and currently living in Switzerland (previously 8 year in US). Found this blog a week or two ago by reading MSN. I love my job and don't wish to retire any time soon, but many of the ideas expressed in this blog are close to my heart. Being careful with money must be in my nature - I've never had any debts in my life, not even a mortgage. On the other hand I don't have huge amounts of money saved either...

MJ

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #594 on: May 20, 2013, 07:51:37 PM »
Hi,

I'm MJ. I've got 4 rental properties that pay for my current house, but my wife and I both work like dogs for The Man. Cars are paid for - and we save a lot - but we spend a lot, too. I love the idea of spending less in order to work less. Hoping to learn more about it here... and maybe convince the wife, too.

Lennart

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #595 on: May 21, 2013, 08:33:14 AM »
Hi,

I'm 21 and studying Civil Engineering (on my way to getting my Master's Degree at the age of 25). These past days I've been pushing the 'random article'-button to the limit, after being referred here by LifeEdited (which is a great blog and a recommendation for every Mustachian). Since I'm getting mostly articles I've already read, I decided to join the forum to get even more tips 'n tricks.

Stranger

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #596 on: May 21, 2013, 09:17:24 AM »
Hi there,

I'm 29 and an accountant. My spouse is a psychologist. We're working on beefing up our work experience and professional credentials so that we can go hard for the next five years or so, and then have kids and reduce our work to part-time in our forties.

The good: We're debt-free, own our cars, and have a healthy amount saved up through savings and a few small windfalls.

The bad: We're still fighting trying to break bad spending habits. For her it's clothes, for me it's gadgets and entertainment. We're anticipating the need to take in (i.e., house and feed) my parents in the next 10-15 years as they have nothing saved and are spendthrifts with inconsistent income streams. That's going to be tough.

I'm glad I found this blog and this community, I've decided to join the forum to share and gain wisdom.

MissGina

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #597 on: May 21, 2013, 09:37:42 AM »
Hi All,

I'm a tax specialist and soon to be CPA with no debt. Right now I save $2,500 a month and live off around $1,000 a month. I'm hoping to continue my savings rate, but I'm a little unsure of kids right now (age 33). If no kids, I should be retiring in another 15 years MAX!


Mozactly

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Hello
« Reply #598 on: May 22, 2013, 05:49:35 AM »
Hello everyone.

I've been reading the blog nonstop for the last couple of weeks after seeing the story in the Washington Post.

I grew up in a frugal family, so find myself with minimal student debt a year after getting my M.S., no car loans and a savings account for cushion.

I thought I was badass until I started reading the blog and these forums. I hope to learn more to reduce my spending and increase my life enjoyment.

Look forward to the discussions!


LWYRUP

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #599 on: May 22, 2013, 09:55:04 AM »
Hi,

I am a 28 yo living in the Boston area and a lawyer (married with a baby coming soon).  I have always had the temperment of a saver but recently got a little more spendy after getting a corporate job with lots of hours.  I am trying to cut back now and get back in my old ways so I don't get sucked into a certain lifestyle, and a certain job to maintain that lifestyle. 

I love the philosophy of this blog because it goes beyond traditional investing sites (like Bogleheads, which is great in its own way) and hits a number of seperate passions for me.  First, there's no need to spend lots of money to have a satisfying and fun life.  Most of messages our consumer-driven and advertising-saturated society has thrown at us are, pardon my french, bullshit, and need to not only be actively ignored but vocally resisted.  Picnics rule, Gucci drools!  Second, consuming less is not just good for your wallet but good for the planet -- you don't need to buy a new Prius to protect the environment, you can just hop on your bike!  Third, income - expenses = freedom.  Freedom doesn't mean working 60 hours per week for 40 years to buy a fancy house in Palm Springs and sit on your yacht.  Freedom means having the time to pursue your passions without needing to worry about paying the bills or what other people think.  Love it.

« Last Edit: May 22, 2013, 10:03:50 AM by blinx7 »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!