Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3317565 times)

GPendragon

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2550 on: January 06, 2016, 04:58:04 PM »
Hi all, I just joined the forum. I have read the majority of the blog and had a look through here a few times before. I came in to make a new thread but my issue would probably receive about the same advice as Bartleby the Scrivener's current thread.

I am 24 and in London, UK. I'm a millenial and feel like I don't know anything about anything, but this is also because I had episodes of severe depression for about 7 years and have only finished treatment for this in the recent past (end of 2014/start of 15). So I feel like I missed out on a huge chunk of time, my main teenage/university years, in which I was supposed to figure out how things work and how I want to do things.

[anxiety/feelings]
I have a creative writing BA. I do have an ongoing interest in creative writing, I was originally going to do English because it seemed like the most general degree and I didn't really care about going to uni (I just wanted to sleep all day but I felt like I had to) and I was talked into doing creative writing because it was thought I might then start feeling some enthusiasm about going. I obviously didn't start feeling enthusiasm for anything until I got on anti-depressants (after uni) and I don't know that I can even say that I liked/would have otherwise liked the course or thought it was particularly good. I don't think these forums are going to facepunch me for this like they would for something like credit card debt, but I thought I should put this here anyway.
[anxiety/feelings]

 I work as a hospital administrator and make just over 12k a year. I started working in the hospital immediately after leaving uni and have just moved around departments since then. I really want to leave the NHS. Not least because the general situation is not good. But I have really started to loathe this job in the last couple of months and would like to quit, honestly as soon as possible but of course I need to know what I'm going to do if I quit.

[anxiety/feelings]
I still have mild anxiety issues, and I get stressed by the idea that in having to take the first job I could get out of uni I've stuck myself in a job range / payment range that I will find it very hard to get out of.

My job, despite being slightly higher paid than the one before that, is basically just organising meetings and associated tasks and it feels like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. Before I started this job I felt reasonably positive that I at least had potential and all the basic necessary skills but my job requirements now make me feel like I could be replaced with a robotic arm if it had the right programming. There is of course no potential to move up and it absolutely does not require my degree, none of the jobs have.
[anxiety/feelings]

Depression probably had a minor effect in that I have no credit card debt or particularly lavish spending habits or anything like that, I'm quite frugal already I think. I have £15k saved and my main vice is eating out for lunch (working on it).

I'm aware I need to learn to understand investing, but for the moment I just like having it there because it is of course over 1 year's salary for me and it just makes me feel like I have a little control over how often I get tired and frustrated at work.

I live at home with my parents, someone above me who is also from London has mentioned, the renting situation is wild here but I would like to move out soon as well. Get the job sorted first I think. If I stay on £12k I could do that but would have next to no savings rates.

I do have student loan debt but it'll be just above 10,000 and it seems like there are quite a few UK people here - but for those who aren't, it's not screaming ab dabs with student loans here so I don't feel like I have to be hair on fire about it. If it's more sensible to pay it off then please let me know.

I've mostly joined to start reading the forum now that I'm almost finished with the blog, and to try and pick up How to Have Finances. Happy to answer any questions if anyone has any.

I will say, I feel like there is a lot more inherent frugal thinking / less extravagant consumerism in Britain than in America. Nearly of my friends earn more than I do but have attitudes similar to mine. I only know a few people who seem noticeably consumerist (of course most people still have iphones etc, I do), and those who have spending problems are older and it seems to be an unexamined emotional problem for them. Do other UK people feel this is true?

Squirrel away

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2551 on: January 07, 2016, 02:21:02 AM »
I do have student loan debt but it'll be just above 10,000 and it seems like there are quite a few UK people here - but for those who aren't, it's not screaming ab dabs with student loans here so I don't feel like I have to be hair on fire about it. If it's more sensible to pay it off then please let me know.

I will say, I feel like there is a lot more inherent frugal thinking / less extravagant consumerism in Britain than in America. Nearly of my friends earn more than I do but have attitudes similar to mine. I only know a few people who seem noticeably consumerist (of course most people still have iphones etc, I do), and those who have spending problems are older and it seems to be an unexamined emotional problem for them. Do other UK people feel this is true?

I thought that you didn't have to pay off your student loans if you earned under a certain amount? I'm not sure about that as my uni days were ages ago now.:)

I think you are right about Brits being more frugal, I don't have a car and that isn't considered that weird here but if we lived in the US it seems like most people drive.

Squirrel away

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2552 on: January 07, 2016, 02:27:02 AM »

[anxiety/feelings]
I have a creative writing BA. I do have an ongoing interest in creative writing, I was originally going to do English because it seemed like the most general degree and I didn't really care about going to uni (I just wanted to sleep all day but I felt like I had to) and I was talked into doing creative writing because it was thought I might then start feeling some enthusiasm about going. I obviously didn't start feeling enthusiasm for anything until I got on anti-depressants (after uni) and I don't know that I can even say that I liked/would have otherwise liked the course or thought it was particularly good. I don't think these forums are going to facepunch me for this like they would for something like credit card debt, but I thought I should put this here anyway.
[anxiety/feelings]

I'm aware I need to learn to understand investing, but for the moment I just like having it there because it is of course over 1 year's salary for me and it just makes me feel like I have a little control over how often I get tired and frustrated at work.



Now I think about it more, what about using your creative writing skills and see if you can get freelance work writing articles, writing a blog or even writing an ebook?

Monevator is often mentioned as being useful if you want to know about investing.
There is also a good book called Smarter Investing by Tim Hale.

GPendragon

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2553 on: January 07, 2016, 03:01:28 PM »

Now I think about it more, what about using your creative writing skills and see if you can get freelance work writing articles, writing a blog or even writing an ebook?

Monevator is often mentioned as being useful if you want to know about investing.
There is also a good book called Smarter Investing by Tim Hale.

I have thought about freelance writing - I've applied for a freelancing editing job that a friend does. I've never freelanced before, and according to her it's quite low compensation (£130 for 14 pages of feedback). The company's website says the max you can earn in a month is £1000, and Google tells me that 14 pages is about 6000 words. I guess it is quite low, but honestly I have no point of comparison.

Is it really possible to support yourself just through freelance writing? she makes it sound like it isn't, but she is pretty much bankrolled by her husband who's in software design I think so maybe she has no idea either, really. Similarly, I was under the impression making money from an ebook or a blog was very difficult.

I quite like the suggestion of technical writing as made in the Bartleby the Scrivener thread, but I'm not sure I have / if I would need background knowledge for that. 

Thank you for the recommendations, I'll look into them!

edit: Sorry - re: student loan repayment, there is a threshold, something like £17k, and I am just at that before tax. My repayments are miniscule. When I was writing my first post, I thought it would make more sense to put in what I actually earn vs what I technically earn but that's probably not very helpful.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2016, 03:11:29 PM by GPendragon »

The Good Lawyer

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2554 on: January 08, 2016, 01:57:10 PM »
Hello MMM Gang! I am super-psyched about Mustachianism. I am a lawyer and this morning, for the first time, I rode my bicycle to court, suit and all. Then I rode from court across town to work! True, I have to use my clownmobile later today to pick up my infant son, but I'm going to ride that bicycle all that I can!

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2555 on: January 08, 2016, 02:11:04 PM »
Hello MMM Gang! I am super-psyched about Mustachianism. I am a lawyer and this morning, for the first time, I rode my bicycle to court, suit and all. Then I rode from court across town to work! True, I have to use my clownmobile later today to pick up my infant son, but I'm going to ride that bicycle all that I can!

Outstanding!!!

The Good Lawyer

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2556 on: January 09, 2016, 12:40:35 AM »
Do you do much riding in a suit, Jordan? I'm thinking that my dress shoes might not be the best footwear...

Hello MMM Gang! I am super-psyched about Mustachianism. I am a lawyer and this morning, for the first time, I rode my bicycle to court, suit and all. Then I rode from court across town to work! True, I have to use my clownmobile later today to pick up my infant son, but I'm going to ride that bicycle all that I can!

Outstanding!!!

pbkmaine

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2557 on: January 09, 2016, 05:55:00 AM »

I'm taking the plunge! My DH and I have been married for 33 years and have 3 adult children. He's 58 and I'm 52. We have probably made every.single.bad.money mistake ever devised over the last 33 years. We've traded cars every couple of years, leased expensive vehicles, financed almost everything, have major credit card debt, etc etc etc.

Several years ago DH was downsized very unexpectedly (went to work one day and they said he was done) and, of course, we had no emergency fund in place. Consequently, our credit cards got maxed as he tried to find a job and we tried to keep living. We are STILL working on paying off that debt.

We live in a huge house in a tiny, rural town. If we lived on a coast it would probably be worth half a million or more. Since the kids are moved out, we purchased outright the tiny house he grew up in down the street and are remodeling it. It was built in the early 1900s and has no insulation, needs floors, etc.  We are gutting it and starting over. Because we're in a small town and he is very handy, we are doing the work ourselves.  Right now that house is not livable. When we get moved into it, we will do some work on the huge house and sell it. We currently have about 60% equity in the big house. We plan to use any profit from the sale of this house to pay off any remaining debts.

I am currently vested in several public retirement systems in Illinois where we live and also in Iowa where I worked for many years. DH has a small retirement account with his employer and we have a few small investments. DH has already decided he will have to work until he dies, which I don't want to happen, of course!

We are working hard to pay off as much debt as possible. We are cooking at home; getting rid of cable as soon as we can get out of the contract, etc.
 
We have a car loan (of course we do!) that we are about $5000 upside down on. I'd love to sell the car and get rid of that payment. We don't have the $5000 to pay off the balance so we are stuck with it for now.

Now, here's a dilemma.  I work full time in education--I have a master's degree and a specialized job in the schools. I used to love this work but in the last couple of years, I've disliked it more and more.  Lately I have to make myself even get out of bed to go to work. There are some days I just can't do it and end up calling in sick. My blood pressure is up and I've developed Type 2 diabetes. The stress is greatly affecting my health. The problem is money.   My "dream" job would be to get out of education altogether and go into retail.  I realize that's quite the change and a much lower "status" job but I absolutely love retail. I've been working part time in retail for 10 years while working full time in the schools. I would love to go full time into retail management. I'm weird, I know. I also am very aware that retail has it's own stress; however, it's not the same as making literally life-changing decisions on children all day long.

If I were to find a full time retail job, my income would reduce about $20,000. We could get by, but barely. Additional debt snowball would grind to a halt and we'd have no extra money for anything.  My current commute is 45 minutes each way; the job I'm wanting is walking distance from home. DH is working a couple side gigs that he's hoping will take off to supplement his income to make up some of the difference also. We are not counting on that; just hoping.

Am I crazy for wanting to switch careers? Actually, I know I am. But I'm concerned about my health, mental and physical. My goal is to NOT be in my education job at the start of next school year--no matter what!

If anyone has any ideas or thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Deserved face punches are welcome, but I'm already bloody and bruised for self-inflicted ones!!!!

With your situation, I think it would be helpful to do a case study and perhaps start a journal.

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2558 on: January 09, 2016, 01:36:36 PM »
Do you do much riding in a suit, Jordan? I'm thinking that my dress shoes might not be the best footwear...

Hello MMM Gang! I am super-psyched about Mustachianism. I am a lawyer and this morning, for the first time, I rode my bicycle to court, suit and all. Then I rode from court across town to work! True, I have to use my clownmobile later today to pick up my infant son, but I'm going to ride that bicycle all that I can!

Outstanding!!!

No, I have panniers that I put my suits/dress clothes in. I have been known to go a couple of miles to an appointment wearing full on dress clothes though. I did determine that my loafers scraped on my bags more than my biking shoes, though. Red biking shoes with formal dress clothes does make me happy. Just got to make certain not to sweat.

HabitualLineStepper

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2559 on: January 10, 2016, 03:36:37 PM »
Hello I am HLS,

I am glad to apart of this forum.  April 2016, I became completely debt free. Now, I am looking to build wealth.  I am 42 and feel like I have some ground to make up.  I have almost completed my emergency fund.  And I look forward to learning from these posts and appreciate any advice to help me become FI.

Thanks.

Quetzal

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2560 on: January 10, 2016, 05:23:33 PM »
Hi all. I lurked a lot last winter and am finally getting around to introducing myself. So grateful to sol, arebelspy, exflyboy, financial.velociraptor, dude, Gray matter, Deborah, James, dr. Doom, rootofgood, Eric, Chippewa, limeandpepper, malaysia41, NinetyFour and so many more whose contributions to the forum last year gave me food for thought. Thank you for your courage and sharing!

I'm 44, no debt, married, no kids, and have been saving aggressively since my first job out of college. Based on MMM learnings, now know I could RE with $850K net worth (all of it in the market, which makes that number somewhat pretend to me), not including value of house or DW's net worth (she earns more than I do). Though I am not yet ready to pull the plug on work, but that's for another post!

MMM and this forum caused me to pay off our mortgage last year, which feels great, and to up our charitable giving. I think our spending is face punch-worthy in these parts, but this is the year to fully get a handle on how much so. I also know my vehicle habits are not mustachian, but I HATE being cold and as a resident of the Northeast, I realistically know I will never make the choice to cycle to work October - April (I'm a weenie). At least I live only a few miles from work, so don't throw away a lot of money on gas, and have a vehicle that's 14 years old.

That's all for me for now. I look forward to 'meeting' some of you.

eveline

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2561 on: January 10, 2016, 06:39:38 PM »
My name is Eveline [35f]. I have a 10 year old son. Debt. A new job, making okay money. 55K per year. I need to learn how to plan for my, and my son's future. I made a lot of financial mistakes, and had hard times, personally, fall on me. It's a process... and I am eager to reboot and make my money work for me.

Astreja

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2562 on: January 10, 2016, 09:04:14 PM »
Hi there!  I'm a lurker of a couple of months' duration who finally decided to take the plunge and get serious about FIR.  Not sure about the 'E' as I'm 58 and have a job that I love, but it'd be nice to not have to go to work.

I live in Winnipeg (originally from Montreal, but I've been living here for almost 40 years now).  Work in medical transcription and spend most of my free time either fixing up the house or pursuing various musical interests, usually involving clarinet or saxophone.

This is the year that I pay off the mortgage -- For the second time.  I did it before with another house back in the late 90s but had to give up half the house's value in the course of a divorce.  Needless to say, I made sure that for *this* house I'm the only person listed on the mortgage papers.

My saving skills need a bit of work.  Not much cash stashed so far, although I'm getting better at that.  I have a little over $20K in RRSP and LIRA retirement savings and an employer-matched pension that's slowly growing, and a somewhat attenuated Canada Pension Plan (no thanks to the aforementioned divorce, and legally-mandated splitting of the pension at the time).

Small credit card balance that does get paid off every couple of months, with a credit limit of $1000.

Net worth currently in the low $200K range but most of that is the house.  Definitely interested in building some serious wealth, both through increased savings and by cautiously branching out into investments.

Pleased to meet you all!

Ebrat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2563 on: January 11, 2016, 03:13:40 AM »
I just found the blog and forum a few weeks ago.  I'm in my 30s and not really looking to retire too early (pension and a flexible job I mostly like), but the idea of being FI appeals to my risk-averse nature.  I love the idea of not having to worry if my husband or I lost our job, and that we're not tied to our jobs if things go downhill there.

I'm a few years out of grad school, so I kind of got a late start to the money-earning portion of my career and have some low-rate student loans.  In addition to those, we have 2 houses--residence and a rental--with low-rate mortgages but PMI.  I calculated that if we consider the PMI as interest on the portion of the mortgage balances that are above the 80% LTV threshold (e.g., with a $170k mortgage on a $200k house, you're paying PMI to borrow $10k of that $170k) and add it to the mortgage interest rate, we're paying close to 10% APR for that money!  At least the mortgage interest and the PMI on the rental are tax deductible I guess.

So the next few years will be focused on eliminating PMI (~$40k combined to do this), then the student loans (~$25k), in addition to putting money into pre-tax retirement accounts and maxing our IRAs as usual.  We're naturally pretty careful with our money, but I'm planning to tighten things up a bit because there are definitely some places we can improve.  In addition to starting to track our spending more carefully to see where our money's going, I'm currently working to bring down our grocery and discretionary expenses and trim our energy bill a bit.

I'm looking forward to getting a lot of knowledge, inspiration, and procrastination out of this forum! :)

OutlierinMA

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2564 on: January 11, 2016, 08:37:14 AM »
I'm fairly new to the forum and discovered MMM about a year ago. I am hoping to FIRE soon - this year with any luck, at age 46. I read Your Money or Your Life around 20 years ago but due to some free-spending in my first marriage and losses due to the divorce set myself back a bit!

I am so grateful to MMM, his blog has helped me cut my expenses, amp up my savings and understand that I could FIRE earlier than I would have expected.

This blog has been great too, it is so inspirational! Just read about someone living in a Volt! Awesome.

Best of luck to all!

DoofusOfErasmus

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2565 on: January 11, 2016, 08:59:03 PM »
Hi, Every BAH thee!  <a la Dr. Nick from "The Simpsons>

I started reading MMM about a year and a half ago.  I found the website through a Google search for "no contract cell phone plans" and clicked on the link to the article advocating the merits of Republic Wireless.  A few more clicks and I discovered that MMM had retired in his 30s.  Whoa.  I was intrigued yet skeptical.  My initial thought was, "Ok, so he probably lives in a dump and eats ramen noodles three times a day."  But as I read more, my mind slowly opened to the ways of the 'Stache.  I had spent the past five years making pretty good money and spending most of it on eating out, new clothes, electronics, traveling, a new car, and other sundry expenses that a typical, single thirty-something would blow his paycheck on.  Even before I found the blog, though, it had dawned on me that constantly buying new things wasn't making me any happier.  I don't drink or do drugs, but the thrill of owning a shiny new whatever was basically my way of self-medicating. 

So I was already leaning toward a less consumerist mindset.  But I never knew that retiring before 55 was a realistic option.  The more I read, though, the more it all made sense.  I thought about all the other things that my money could do for me.  I thought about never having to roll out of my warm bed to stumble into the office on a Monday morning.  And never having to deal with arrogant managers or pointless office meetings.  And being able to spend my days traveling, learning foreign languages, drawing, playing tennis, or snowboarding instead of studying for mind-numbing Society of Actuary exams. 

So I put an end to the impulse buys.  I cancelled my cable subscription.  I went from eating out every day to just a couple times a month.  I paid off my car loan and decided not to buy another car until my current one has at least 200K miles on it (and to never buy another new car).  I started maxing out my 401(k).  And I made up my mind that I would join the FIRE club before my 40th birthday.

I turn 37 in May, and it's kind of surprising how much my mindset has changed in the past year.  It turns out that I'm perfectly happy without so much of what I thought I needed to spend my money on.  Based on the 4% SWR, I should have enough saved to leave the rat race sometime this year.  I'm more motivated than ever to make it a reality!  Looking forward to joining you guys that have already made it.

BusySnevl

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2566 on: January 11, 2016, 11:33:37 PM »
Hello all - I've been reading the blog for a while, but just joined he forum.

Wife and I are 57/58, both retired early at age 55. I can't say we have given up all excesses, but we are getting closer. Still have one kid in college (threatening to go on to graduate school, so our retirement is still somewhat tied up), but we are still managing to travel lots and enjoying our freedom.

We've paid off our mortgage, and we are not somewhat obsessed with finding good deals, from cash-back credit cards to gas discounts and last-minute reservations. Not quite MMM, but we are trying!

Snevl

jlh992

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2567 on: January 12, 2016, 11:48:40 AM »
Hi, I'm Jon.

I'm very new to all of this (I've been researching for maybe a week now!), but very excited to join in the community here and as a whole. I found this site via Mike and Lauren's Youtube channel, and am spending a lot of time learning all I can from here as well as Mike and Lauren and Afford Anything.

A few bullet points to keep my jabbering short.
-23 y/o, engaged (Oct 8th, 2016!)
-Have two AAS degrees from a local tech collage
-Make $14/hr FT (I try to work ~10/wk OT)
-Fiance is a waitress and makes good money (~$15/hr average w/ tips)
-Debating going back to school for Mechanical Engineering
-Fiance is starting CNA program next month

Income/Expenses (touched on this above)
-Rent $0 (living at parents currently, hope to move in Oct)
-Debt ~$4800
--Prosper $2300 @ 10.47%
--Loan from family member $2500 @ 0%
-Income $14/hr FT and ~$15/hr PT
-Investments: $8800 w/ EJ (I'll be moving this to Vanguard or paying off loans with it soon)
-Additions to net worth: '99 Outback (23mpg) '96 Grand Cherokee (17mpg) +~$5000

I'd like to start living a more minimalistic life (We both tend to keep unnecessary "crap") to start and see where we can go from there.

PhysicianOnFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2568 on: January 13, 2016, 01:01:37 PM »
Hello, PhysicianOnFIRE here.

I'm a 40-year old anesthesiologist.  I found the MMM blog about a year ago and found many of his ideas very inspiring.  I had already been doing many of the things he advocated, and I like his outlook on life.  I discovered the White Coat Investor shortly thereafter, another great site from another 40-year old physician who has shared a wealth of financial knowledge.

A real estate transaction late last summer (sold a house we used to live in) pushed me from the "doing well" category to the coveted "Financial Independence" category.  I'm going to keep working for the foreseeable future, but I may very well retire early in the next 5 to 10 years.

I see fellow physicians making cringeworthy decisions with their lives and money, while reading article after article about the increasing burnout and bureaucracy making life as a physician unbearable.  I still mostly like my job, but I decided to start my own blog to give physicians and other high earners a different perspective, and perhaps a way out if that's what they're looking for.  The blog is only 4 days old as of this writing.  I hope to add content weekly and as I learn the technical side of blogging, improve the site gradually over time.  www.PhysicianOnFIRE.com 
« Last Edit: January 13, 2016, 01:03:09 PM by PhysicianOnFIRE »

NESailor

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2569 on: January 13, 2016, 01:28:47 PM »
Hello!

I'm Matt, 31, married, 1 toddler and another kid on the way.  CPA in private practice, you'd think I'd be good with money.  I guess we do OK but not as well as we'll be doing with MMM principles at work going forward.  We made some conscious compromises on top line income to settle in a particular (low cost low pay) area and also keep my wife's job (which pays well below market for her degree) that she loves.  The thinking is that at least one of us should be doing what they love full time:)

Current calculations have us mathamatically FI in another 12 years but I'm secretly hoping for much better results since the calculations assume almost no above inflation pay increases.  I'm optimistic that I can outpace inflation in my own career and fairly optimistic my wife can do the same starting no later than 5 years from now.  This should have us looking pretty decent at age 40.

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. MM and good luck to everyone!

sorrycanook

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2570 on: January 14, 2016, 02:52:54 PM »
Good day everyone,

I am 'sorrycanook', another humble Canadian who is intrigued and inspired by the MMM principles and community!

About sorrycanook:
A. I am sorry
B. 23 years of age, and resides in Alberta
C. Still has a Car loan (Damn it past- sorrycanook!), but will be paying that sucka off in '16.
D. Employed as a Business Operations Analyst despite his Car loan. Makes (0.5 x 100,000) on an annual basis doing so.
D. Doesn't understand alphabetical lists
E. Thinks he is funnier than he is
F. Will be starting to invest in Canadian Real Estate in '16 for complimentary income.
G. Will be starting his CPA PEP in May '16


With some guidance (read: face punches) from MMM articles/ Forum users, I feel more equipped than ever to reach for FI at a young age.

I still spend far to much on Dinning/ Tainted Maple Syrup, but it is slowly improving with each monthly report from Mint.

A big thank you to those who contribute to this wonderful forum, it is nice to meet you!

- sorrycanook








StubbleToStart

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2571 on: January 14, 2016, 03:21:35 PM »
Hello. I'm Debbie. Love this blog. Hate how blind and dumb I've been for the last 15 years. At least now I can do something about it!! Married, dog, no kids. That is all.

Late2TheGame

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2572 on: January 14, 2016, 06:03:30 PM »
Hello everyone, as you can tell by my username I am a bit Late 2 The Game, however I believe I am really starting to merge onto the correct path for FI.  I have been reading these boards for well over a year, and have read MMM blogs along with a number of other FIRE Blogs as well (Fruglewoods, ERE, etc..)

A bit of Background:
48 Years Old
Married (51 Years Old) with 2 grown kids (21/23) - empty nest!
IT Professional (Late to the Game here as well, started this career path 5 years ago)
Wife is an office worker.
Side eBay hustle - going on 16 years.

Decent combined income, and a nice start to FI, but a long way to go.

Can't wait to start posting and getting engaged with other like minded FI enthusiasts.

Late2TheGame

EXLIer

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2573 on: January 15, 2016, 08:01:57 AM »
Hi Everyone -

What an awesome forum - seems like such a great resource!  I look forward to contributing and learning! 

Been reading the forums for a few weeks after finding it via a Google search on how to simplify our lives.

ETA:

About our family:
 
I'm 39, wife is 38
Married 9 years - 2 kids 4years old & 18 months
Live in Colorado - from Long Island originally
Wife is an attorney by education.  Myself - I own and manage rental properties along with a small business.
We're wanting to primarily simplify our lives, get debt eliminated, and perhaps retire early.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2016, 08:04:44 AM by EXLIer »

CATman

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2574 on: January 15, 2016, 08:35:42 PM »
Hello world,

The name actually comes from my profession as a catastrophe adjuster for a major insurance company. It's the job (and the significant raise it brought) that led me to do some research as to how I could spend the extra money I was earning as wisely as possible. That brought me to the FIRE section of reddit which eventually led me to MMM. I've been lurking around the community a while and I love all the of the great advice and support everyone gives. I'm pretty new to the FIRE game, but it really jives with my minimalist sensibilities.

 I look forward to interacting with as many people here as possible and contributing as much as I can along the way!

Bmore Swing Dancin Fool

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2575 on: January 16, 2016, 07:07:07 AM »
Hey MMMers,

I've been reading the site for 6 months now and am completely sold on the lifestyle.

I'm a 32 y/o single guy who lives in Baltimore, works as a math teacher, enjoys swing dancing and hiking, and recently picked up his first rental property. 

In some ways I feel like I'm retired already. Since I'm working a job that I'd like to do until I'm 80 and get three months of pure "retirement" every summer, in some ways I've accomplished the goal without having a huge stash (although I'm working on growing that just for fun:)

Please drop a line if you live in or around Baltimore!


aetherie

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2576 on: January 16, 2016, 08:20:10 PM »
Hey MMMers,

I've been reading the site for 6 months now and am completely sold on the lifestyle.

I'm a 32 y/o single guy who lives in Baltimore, works as a math teacher, enjoys swing dancing and hiking, and recently picked up his first rental property. 

In some ways I feel like I'm retired already. Since I'm working a job that I'd like to do until I'm 80 and get three months of pure "retirement" every summer, in some ways I've accomplished the goal without having a huge stash (although I'm working on growing that just for fun:)

Please drop a line if you live in or around Baltimore!

Welcome to the forum! There are a few of us in the Baltimore area - I'm in Columbia - and more in DC. Maybe I'll see you at Mobtown!

CanuckExpat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2577 on: January 17, 2016, 11:57:22 AM »
Please drop a line if you live in or around Baltimore!

FYI, there is Baltimore thread in the Meetups and Social Forum: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/meetups-and-social-events/baltimore/

meghan88

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2578 on: January 18, 2016, 01:41:01 PM »
Hi, I'm Meghan.  Though late to this forum, I've been living the good frugal life for years.  Some really, really lousy investments have prompted me to do a lot of research lately which is how I found this blog.

Here are my vital stats:
- fifty-something
- live in Ontario Canada
- barely scraped through high school in the 70's
- worked at various non-traditional odd jobs for years - never earned more than 25K
- went to university at night in the early 90's
- got accepted into a professional degree program, graduated in the late 90's
- worked part time while going to school
- have earned in the low six figures for 13 years
- SigO, no kids
- bike everywhere, all year, unless I absolutely have to walk if there's a storm
- own 3 kijiji bikes including a Trek ($80), a Norco ($30) and a winter beater ($20)
- hate shopping (for clothes and anything other than food)
- cook from scratch; buy organics as much as possible
- base my grocery lists and meals on flyer specials and coupons
- will bike extra miles to save .10/ lb on something
- paid off 100K mortgage in 2 years in 2008-2009
- very handy on all kinds of DIY stuff around the home

Claim to fame:
- biked home with a 66-lb bag of parging cement strapped with bungee cords to the back rack of my beater bike ... that was four years ago just in case you might think it was during my young(er) and (more) reckless days

Claims to shame:
- after 13 years of saving, my investment losses have cancelled just about all of my investment gains ... and I had a low-risk portfolio put together by advisors!!!  Dumb, dumb, dumb.  No more advisors.  If I'm going to make stupid moves, might as well stop paying extra to do so, so I'm moving everything to a few diversified low-cost index funds.
- very afraid of eating cat food when I'm 80

Looking forward to participating and learning new things.

faramund

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2579 on: January 19, 2016, 01:53:58 AM »
I'm not too sure about how I feel about this site, about 3 years ago, I was 43 and worked out I could retire at 55. Which I thought was pretty good, then I worked out how to trim two years off, which made it 53, which seemed really good.

And then.. I discovered MMM and read through all of his posts, and then started looking at the forum.

Over the years my wife and I have had 3 kids, and have probably averaged about a 30% savings rate. But because our incomes kept increasing (we're both well-paid professionals), our net wealth to expenditure isn't that great.. Its now about 9%.

We both have good jobs, so its not like we're in any rush to retire, but reading what others have done, certainly makes my mind go.. what could have been...

Still, its not all bad, I have a job that averages about 10 hours a week, and so I have many free days, and feel like I'm semi-retired already.

One of the things that draws me to MMM, is how the heck am I supposed to happily live the next 50 odd years of my life.

douggtg

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2580 on: January 19, 2016, 09:54:12 PM »
Hi everyone,

My name is Doug and I'm married with two sons.  I've recently been forced to take a vacation (aka: laid off) from a well paying tech job.  I'm not close to where I need to be FI, but I've learned so much since I've had more free time to think clearly.  By chance I came across Mr Money Mustache's video on YouTube as he was being interviewed by a local reporter on how he and his wife retired early.

Since reading this blog/site I began reading Your Money or Your Life as recommended in the Books section has helped me gain more perspective on what my goals are when it comes to money and aligning with my values.

I've managed to save some money, but haven't taken investing serious enough due to fear I guess.
I'm close to paying off my home and hope that will bring me closer to my goal of FI as well as to learn more about a potential career change by reading some forum posts.


Geekenstein

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2581 on: January 20, 2016, 06:18:46 PM »
Hello!

Another long time lurker going legit.  I found out about MMM from a friend who asked, because I'm so frugal, if I was a Mustachian.  Of course I laughed because I had no idea what he was talking about.  I learned :)  I'm 57, divorced for 10 years, now engaged, and working towards FI.  No debt, no mortgages, done working for megaCorp a few years back and I'm now doing contract work from home.

The site and the forums have been informative and entertaining, as well as being an inspiration to keep our eyes on the prize. 

Abel

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2582 on: January 22, 2016, 08:35:38 AM »
Longtime reader and forum lurker, I thought it was about time to join the community. I hope that I can contribute and grow in the process.

About me:

- mid 20s
- live in California when not deployed overseas
- grew up on a family farm in North Dakota (the practical skills and joys of this upbringing bear more fruit as the years pass)
- went to college in New England, worked a number of interesting jobs
- after graduation, before joining the Marine Corps, bicycled the Americas and camped for a year
- after joining the Marine Corps, lost my mind and briefly became a silly consumer zombie
- discovered MMM a while ago, and came back to my senses and the wisdom of the way I was raised
- paid off all debt in 2014 by reducing waste, significantly downgrading vehicle, religious bicycle commuting, and general MMM badassity
- aspire to next level of badassity through DIY skill development: carpentry, plumbing, electrical, hydroponics, etc.
- financial goal: FI by age 40 which will enable the freedom to work on high impact endeavors without the stress about making ends meet
- interests: bicycles, urban design, community, architecture, building / craftsmanship, photography
« Last Edit: January 23, 2016, 09:54:35 PM by Abel »

Machteld

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2583 on: January 22, 2016, 01:58:35 PM »
Hi all,

I'm Machteld, I'm from the Netherlands and I like the way MMM blogs. Just funny.
Me and my hubby get 4.000 k a month, mortgage is done in 16 years and we will be FI's then as well. And this while I work 3 days a week and my hubby 4. So loads of time for our 2 year old son. So, semi-retired so to say.

I've grown up with a frugal lifestyle: my parents, with 2 young kids, paid off their mortgage in 4 years and have been FI's since a quite long time. My mum was a stay-at-home mum but picked up her lawyer career when I moved out, my dad worked full-time and had a company on the side. Although FI's, they both loved their jobs and enjoyed every part of it until (forced) retirement.

I must say, being raised frugal has been beneficial for me. Good understanding of money and what it can do for you. Never to have debt (except for mortgage), never to spend more than you have and build up a (big) buffer.

VanDyk

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2584 on: January 23, 2016, 07:54:04 AM »
Hi,

Living in UK with the love of my life.

- Mid 40s, no kids
- Both Dutch, working in the UK for the last decade
- We were never big spenders, so we found ourselves 'accidentally' paying off our mortgage early, and saving most of our money, and after reading MMM we just found out we're actually only couple of years away from FI - who'dathunkit!
- We were also never big on investment or anything so most of our savings were in dumb bankaccounts - fixing that now
- Hoping to move to the US in the none too distant future which complicates the investment picture a little, but it is a nice adventure to look forward too!

See ya later,

VanDyk




Yaeger

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2585 on: January 24, 2016, 01:18:21 AM »
Hi,

- 33, single male, no kids
- Have a bachelors, working on a MBA now
- Transient lifestyle due to work, moving to different state about every 18 months
- This site is a great source of information, been lurking for a while, can't wait to keep learning about just about everything I can.

Erma

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2586 on: January 24, 2016, 07:34:45 AM »
Hello

I am Erma. I am from Switzerland, so I have to live with relatively high costs in almost every part of life.
I went to university, but work now in a field where no degree would be required, but I think I am relatively well paid for what I do.
I live with my boyfriend and two cats in an apartment, but we want to buy a house this year.
I was always good at saving, but did not earn a lot of money until I finished all studies. At the moment I try to discover how I can invest money so I don't have to work in the boring job.

August

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2587 on: January 24, 2016, 10:02:40 PM »
HI this is August

I am 50 and live in New York.  I have deliberately tried to keep my life simple for a long time to reduce my expenses.  About 14 years ago I became debt-free, then soon after started saving.  Unfortunately I didn't start investing properly until about 2010.  I am working full time, but would probably be okay financially if I was laid off.  My expenses are abnormally low right now because I live in someone else's house.  My future housing expense is a big unknown so I keep working and saving.

There's more to my story but this is just an introduction, so... hello.

August

withbatedbreath

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2588 on: January 27, 2016, 07:10:32 PM »
Hi!  I've been lurking for a while and decided to finally post to force some accountability on myself.  I have no hopes of retiring early, but I want to get out from under my law school debt ASAP (~149k) so I can quit a job that is killing me slowly.  Single and trying to save money in NYC doesn't seem to be a good mix.  Hoping to make some big changes this year though!

DividendMonster

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2589 on: January 28, 2016, 05:56:03 PM »
Hi,

I'm Brad and I run the blog, Dividendmonster.blogspot.com. I started into investing a short few years ago and it's the bug that I just can't shake. I'm hoping that it never cures and leads me to financial independence as soon as possible!

CTLiving

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2590 on: January 28, 2016, 10:43:35 PM »
Hi everyone - I discovered MMM and ERE about 6 months ago, and while it may be a tad cliche to say it changed my life, it... did.

I'm a 33 year old dude, and I live with my lovely fiance in Cape Town, South Africa.  One car, one mortgage, and one newly purchased MTB. I've never been particularly good about imagining myself 10, 20 or 30 years from now, but luckily managed to avoid a lot of financial potholes. No credit card debt, a car that's fully paid off, and 2/3rd's to go on the mortgage.  Even so, the realization that at some point I'd like not to work has been creeping up on me for some time, and what with my country's political leadership and tanking economy, it was all looking a tad grim. Started researching how one goes about ensuring their financial future, and discovered this whole arena. This newfound hope that I may actually get to retire before I'm 80 has me all fired up!
« Last Edit: January 28, 2016, 10:49:21 PM by CTLiving »

ELLIE786

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2591 on: January 29, 2016, 12:30:59 AM »
Hi fellow Mustachians,

My name is Eleanor. I have been reading frugal blogs for a while. I have become more and more interested in frugal/simple living in the last several months. I have had a very difficult time last year because I am living beyond my means, have been all my adult life, and want to change that.

My story...

Starting with the bad...

I recently moved back to Europe from New Zealand (where I lived for 7 years). I didn’t have much cash to spare at the time and couldn't really afford such an expensive move. I soon found myself homeless - I hadn’t banked on not being able to find a rental place because I was a returning expat and landlords were asking for 6 months rent in advance as my income and references were overseas ones.

I didn’t have 6months rent in advance. At the same time, I was making some updates to my online business (installing a new shopping cart and email subscriber system) and it went horribly wrong – I hired the wrong person to do it, lost a lot of money as a result, and had a website (my source of income)that wasn’t functioning properly and no means to fix it. It was a mess.

Luckily the website is now fixed :)

I now find myself homeless, living in a variety of substandard Airbnb accommodation that doesn’t meet my needs, in debt and with no savings or emergency fund. I am very annoyed at myself for being in this position and I am currently working on saving up for the 6 months rent in advance so I can get into a rental place.

The good:


I have a profitable online business that on average has made me $70,000 US annually after business expenses and before tax. I don’t normally work more than 2-3 hours per day and much of my income is passive, with great potential for making more.

**************

My debts are as follows:

$26,000 in business loans (15% interest)
$5000 overdraft
$2000 owed to the IRD
$41,000 in student loans

No emergency fund or savings. Living pay cheque to pay cheque.

I am 32. My lifelong dream has been to own my own house. As a tenant I have been asked to move on frequently as landlords want to move themselves/family members back in or sell the house. I have had very little security or stability these last several years and would LOVE the financial peace and security that comes from knowing no-one can give me notice to move out once I own my own home.

I would also like to own a modest second home in another part of the country for when I am visiting family.

Here are my goals:

1.   Save up 6 months rent in advance
2.   Build up an emergency fund of $1000
3.   Pay off the debts one by one(Dave Ramsey’s snowball method)
4.   Save for a home down payment (this will happen concurrently to goal 3)
5.  Save up for second down payment

I am expecting this will take me around 6-7 years.

Here are the ways I plan to do this. Please don’t laugh at me if some of these steps seem really basic to you!

1.   Start consulting on the side

I can typically make an extra $65,000 per year if I do this 40 hours per month, every month.

2.   Cut grocery bill down to $140/week. I am currently spending way more than that.

3.   Go to public yoga and pilates classes instead of private ones, which I had done in the past, and community acupuncture, instead of private sessions

4.   Cleaning my own house

I may get a bike too. I am not sure on that one yet.

I could also trim my monthly budget of $850 discretionary spending (for toiletries, entertainment, stuff for house etc.) But don’t want to be totally miserable. I don’t know anyone where I’m moving to, and work from home so making friends and getting a sense of community is important and I don’t want to trim my budget so much that I find it harder to do that.

Things I am already doing right:

•   Haven’t bought any new clothes in the last 12 months
•   Bought a reliable used car with cash so no car payment
•   Negotiated my virtual assistant for my online business down to half of her hourly rate

Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing you all around the forum!

-Ellie :)

Fluffy Clouds

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2592 on: February 01, 2016, 06:26:37 AM »
Hi and introduce yourself

:)

francophile

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2593 on: February 01, 2016, 12:56:32 PM »
Hello! Been reading MMM for about a year and a half, posting here a bit, though still have struggled to get everything together. I'm finally feeling like I'm making progress though, my financial picture is cleared. To FIRE one day is the dream, but to create more freedom and flexibility throughout my 30s.

I'm 31 and live in NYC with my lovely boyfriend. We hope to get married and have a kid or two in the next few years, creating a sense of urgency to get our money in line. We will never have a fancy wedding, I don't want one.

I'd like to say I have a positive NW but sadly, it's still negative, so this is what I'm working on:

DEBTS
-$13,500 student loan, refi'd with Sofi @ a variable interest of about 4%
-$22,000 consumer debt, parked in a combo of balance transfers and personal loan with interest ranging from 0-8%

ASSETS
-$4k in 401k
-$1600 in savings acct

SALARY
$62,000/year + 2-3k side income (me)
$82,000/year + 5k bonus (boyfriend)


The boyfriend has a similar amount in assets, about 3k in consumer debt, and about 90k in student loans. He is 30. His loans will continue to haunt us for years to come but I figure if I can wipe out my debts this will put us in a good place to aggressively tackle his when married.

Right now we split rent and all bills 50/50. He buys the majority of the groceries, which we try to keep around $100/month. We don't have cable, no cars (public transportation paid for with pre-tax income), share a family plan for our phone (T-Mobile for their free intl data, he travels a lot for work), and live in the cheapest neighborhood in our city pretty much possible, while still being relatively safe.

We used to spend far too much eating out and drinking but have curbed that a lot. I had a nasty clothing/beauty shopping habit, like a sucka, and have curbed that too. I am only buying essentials now. Obviously the consumer debt shows I have past sins. I hate myself for it and spent years in a cycle of 30% interest rates because I didn't know better.

At least now I know, and every little chunk of progress I make gets me excited to keep going.

Midcenturymater

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2594 on: February 01, 2016, 07:29:13 PM »
Hello to everybody.

John, 30. Engaged to the Mrs., 26. Both computer engineers. Found this forum and the blog 2 days ago. Since then so much more things make sense to us. Without actually knowing about it, we have been living quite a part of the Mustachian life. Other parts we have been missing wildly, mostly because of our ignorance. This will lead to some hilarious statements you will see below, I swear these are true. Plus side that will make things interesting: We are from the other side of the Atlantic. Recently (5 months ago) moved to the Netherlands and we are currently planning to stay here at least for 6-8 years. we are currently behind the retire-early train, as we were ignorant to much things that would accelerate our plan a lot earlier, but we have recently decided to chase after the 42-44 year old retirement. Here's some of our info:

Couple net income: 60.000 euros (approx. 69k USD). Yep it is low, we are on the beginning of our engineering careers anyways, and salaries in most of Europe are on a low standpoint for the moment. Expected to rise by 3000 annually.

You sound like you are doing pretty good. But I would consider buying a house if your rent is that much for that little
Zero property taxes. That's precise, we own nothing that is taxable. No car, no house, no land.

Bank assets: 80k euros (92k USD) currently sitting completely idle (yep, that's one of the big things we have been missing -  not a single little plan for any kind of long term)

No kind of any debt whatsoever. No mortgage (obviously), no credit cards, no nothing.

We are living quite the modest life. We haven't have a TV for the last 12 years. We don't have expensive subscriptions to anything. I really really dislike new books and at the same time I love used books. I also never keep books at home, once we read them we give them away (that's right, we give stuff away all the time, we have a soft heart when it comes to taking other people's money for something that should be free in the first place like books). We use our bikes all the time (we're in the Netherlands, right?), rarely go out. I almost never shop for clothes but I do waste money on my personal computer and for my hobby of assembling and painting futuristic toy soldiers. Mrs buys clothes, but never expensive shit. We do on average 3 trips abroad per year, 2 to visit family and 1 to take some personal time. On that last one we were currently spending ridiculous amounts because it felt like we deserved it (more stuff I wisened up from during the last two days alone). With a rough estimation I would say we get by with spending 23000 euros per year. So we are saving 55% more or less.

Looking at the above, someone would say we got off to a great start and the mustachian dream can be seen in the horizon. The problem is I am not seeing it. My bank assets are too low to invest, or maybe I'm a coward. I also hate the fact that practically 50% of our yearly expenses go to pay for house rent. We plan to move in a much more affordable house come new year which would save us about 4200 euros per year (4800 USD). I am also wildly considering purchasing a house but I think I am too chicken to do it. Currently we are bleeding 1100 euros per month to stay in a 55 sq meter (500 sq ft) little apartment. Yes, I am aware that I do this wrong. I actually got aware of this 2 days ago, thanks MMM.

So my main question is: How do I un-coward myself to actually start doing smart choices when the purchasing prices are high?

Midcenturymater

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2595 on: February 01, 2016, 07:34:04 PM »
John...you are doing ok to me. But I would consider buying a house.

I also give books away as most of them have little value on today's digital world. Most books that is.

I got chatting to this character at my local good will that sells books for 50 cents each. His job is reselling books. He turns up at good will at 10. Collects books, checks their value on his app. Then he travels to two bookshops. A good days haul is $200. A weak day us $70. Not bad for 5 hours work really.
But he probably goes through 1000s of books to get the 30 valuable ones he sells on. I was quite impressed by his initiative.
John you have good savings.I was still in college at your age. Just read everything on here and learn and live simply. The dream can be yours.

FINate

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2596 on: February 01, 2016, 08:44:07 PM »
Hi,

My name is Nathan. Married w/ two young kids. We live in the Santa Cruz, California area. I FIRE'd last year at age 38 and am loving our life without the stress of work and commute. I've read MMM for a long time, finally got around to registering. We stay very busy with the kids and too many hobbies. Honestly, I don't know how I ever had time to work :)

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2597 on: February 01, 2016, 08:50:11 PM »
Hi Nathan, welcome from another Santa Cruz area member! I feel exactly the same as you, don't know how I ever had time to work :-)

FINate

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2598 on: February 01, 2016, 09:23:55 PM »
Hi Nathan, welcome from another Santa Cruz area member! I feel exactly the same as you, don't know how I ever had time to work :-)

Thank you, and great to meet you! More specifically I'm in Scotts Valley, but figured few people would have any idea where that is. Amongst many other things, very happy to not be commuting over The Hill this year with El Nino.

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2599 on: February 01, 2016, 09:57:01 PM »
Hi Nathan, welcome from another Santa Cruz area member! I feel exactly the same as you, don't know how I ever had time to work :-)

Thank you, and great to meet you! More specifically I'm in Scotts Valley, but figured few people would have any idea where that is. Amongst many other things, very happy to not be commuting over The Hill this year with El Nino.
LOL I'm in Scotts Valley too, a few miles North of town. And yeah, I was commuting over the hill too, for way too many years. I've had to drive over there a few times since FIRE and I just can't believe I did that every single day. Now it feels like a long drive when I go down to Santa Cruz.