These observations resonate with me (no surprise) and much of my ethos stems from being totally unconcerned with what others think about our lifestyle. I actually recently wrote a post on the very topic of
why frugality isn't mainstream. My husband and I feel free from peer pressure and social norms--not to say we don't fall victim at times, but we live our lives the way we want to, which just so happens to be extraordinarily frugally :). We've always structured our lives in such a way that frugality is a by-product. It truly defines our world view. The fact that we'll retire early is, in a sense, another by-product...
Some of our frugal by-products:
-My husband and I have always eschewed the concept of paying people to do things for us--him because he's stubborn and likes to figure things out and me because I'm usually convinced we'll do a better job since we have a vested interest in the outcome.
-We're deeply concerned with health and nutrition and cooking one's own food is healthier. As is eating fresh, non-packaged goods.
-We love being active and exercise is a free method of entertainment. Our ideal day is spent hiking in the woods.
-We're both competitive by nature and we love "winning" at frugality. We regularly high-five over net worth and spreadsheets. I'm sure we're not the only ones...
-We are homebodies. We both get overwhelmed and stressed in excessively social situations. We used to live in Washington, DC where we had to do the cocktail party circuit for work and while we both CAN work a room, it leaves us exhausted and drained. It's a lot cheaper to chill at home with our dog and a few friends (or better yet, in the woods!).
-We've always been unusual and we 100% own it and thrive on it.
...and my husband is a software engineer, which certainly plays into our non-conformist, minimalist, efficiency mindset...
I deeply appreciate this forum because it's helpful, inspiring, and fun to hear from others who are navigating a similar journey. So I say, thank you fellow Mustachians for the advice, thoughts, musings, humor, and wisdom!