Author Topic: Losing mustachian motivation  (Read 4246 times)

NW Girl

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Losing mustachian motivation
« on: March 28, 2015, 02:10:48 PM »
So….with full understanding that this is a "good problem"….. our portfolio is such that a 100 point swing in the markets on a given day will increase (or decrease) our net worth approximately equal to an entire months worth of paychecks for us.   I am getting more and more unmotivated to pull out $.25 grocery coupons, etc. with this knowledge…even though I know that these small habits is what got us in a good financial position to begin with.  I am staying mustachian out of habit, but hate how unmotivated I feel at times to continue to cut our costs, or to even go to work!  Today, I cleaned my house and grumbled the entire time about wanting to hire out the job.  Previously, I would have been excited about the cost savings.

Anyone been in this predicament?  How can I reframe this in my mind?  And yes, I need to stop tracking market performance on a daily basis, but it is kind of like watching a train wreck….hard to stop!

A little bit of background:

I am 38, DH is 36.  We have two kids 10 and 12.   We have no debt, minus a $120,000 mortgage…which we're working to get rid of.  Net worth right now is about $1.3M.  We do plan to FIRE in the next 10 years, but it is a bit tricky as one of our sons is severely disabled, so we need to insure that we have enough to take care of him as well.

Argyle

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2015, 02:14:23 PM »
When the market swings, you can't control it, but when you do your own cleaning or clip a coupon, you are totally in control of that extra money you have.  And all those things make it possible not to panic when the market swings — because you know you have a cushion, and you know you can live cheaply.

Being on these boards is motivating too, especially for folks like me with a competitive streak.  So sometimes what motivates you is "I'm going to retire early!" and sometimes it's "I'm going to beat those other folks at their savings rate, wahoo!"  Whatever works!

NW Girl

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2015, 02:45:06 PM »
Good points, Argyle.  Thank you.  I am trying to regain that motivation…..thinking about making a giant mortgage payoff chart or something to that effect.  The interest rate is low it is hard to get motivated, but it is still a goal and needs to happen before I feel good about quitting our jobs.

horsepoor

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2015, 03:02:35 PM »
First off, congratulations on building up 1.3m while raising two young kids!

I agree that focusing in on the mortgage might be a good step.  Think about how freeing it will be to not make that payment each month, and if your lender will let you, do multiple "snowflake" payments each month, so when you spend $100 instead of $150 on groceries, put the extra $50 on the mortgage - that kind of thing. OTOH, it might be worth assessing whether some of the penny-pinching isn't truly worth it right now.  Are you giving up time for yourself and your kids right now to clip coupons and scrub the toilet, and is it worth cutting a few months off your FIRE date, vs. working a little longer but enjoying the present more?

MDM

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2015, 03:41:25 PM »
I am getting more and more unmotivated to pull out $.25 grocery coupons, etc.

Today, I cleaned my house and grumbled the entire time about wanting to hire out the job.
Maybe give yourself the gift of not worrying about $0.25 things, and save the emotional bank account for the $50 (or whatever it costs to pay someone to clean the house) and higher things...?

Retire-Canada

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2015, 03:47:56 PM »
Are you giving up time for yourself and your kids right now to clip coupons and scrub the toilet, and is it worth cutting a few months off your FIRE date, vs. working a little longer but enjoying the present more?

^^^^ this.

If you are unmotivated to clip coupons it may be because you have rationally determined the effort in is not worth the benefit.

I'm not close to $1M NW and I don't see the value in couponing. I've got other things to do with my limited time I get more value from.

-- Vik

NW Girl

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Re: Losing mustachian motivation
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2015, 04:22:20 PM »
The "couponing" wasn't the best example….but YES, I agree you all are getting to the crux.  I do think I need to reevaluate cost v. benefit with my time.  My husband and I married fairly young, came from modest backgrounds.  At the beginning of our marriage, all of those time-intensive "little things" did make a difference.  We've pushed hard with our careers while taking care of our children…I think we're both a little tired and need to find a way to get past the mindset that we have to keep saving every penny before the "bottom falls out"….definitely a product of scarcity in our childhoods (his more than mine).    Thanks for helping me sort this through in my brain a little …. I'll definite think it through a bit more.