Author Topic: Meeting frugal friends  (Read 4850 times)

DougStache

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Meeting frugal friends
« on: July 29, 2013, 04:53:26 PM »
I was searching around the forums here, and was surprised I couldn't find a topic on meeting frugal friends.  In many places its mentioned that it's helpful to have frugal friends, but very little about actually making these connections. 

As a software engineer, many friends from college have developed into big income / big spender types.  I have gently prodded two of them recently to see if I'd be able to make any converts (the yahoo video made that easy!) and got the halfway expected "uhhh he didn't have debt. I have 20k in a student loans and a car payment and a motorcycle payment.  That could never work for me."  Fortunately, they're always down for game night, even if it is cheap :)

So, lets hear it.  Besides hanging out with the fine folks on these forums, where do you go to meet like minded friends?

matchewed

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2013, 05:06:10 PM »
I slowly convert them to the dark side (try mentioning the cookies).

Other than that, I'm not exactly sure how to make new friends as an adult to begin with (just be nice has been my general tactic), and I'm especially not sure how much it matters that they're mustachians. If they're your friends they will support you and you will support them (as long as they aren't destructive to themselves or others).

hybrid

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2013, 06:01:35 PM »
Hey, I work in IT and me and my buddies do (board)game nights too!  Two of my friends were easy converts.  One was already good with his money, and the other sure wants to be better.  All three of us cut cable this year, among other things.  Some of my other buddies?  Harder sell.  But just like all the other threads about getting the SO on board, it's not so different with the buddies.  Lead by example.  They'll either get on board or they won't.  Don't let it mess up game night...  It's your stache, not theirs.

But having a Mustachian Buddy sure does help.....

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/mustachian-buddy/msg92600/#msg92600

FuckRx

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2013, 06:24:42 PM »

i didn't think there would be people who would want to live this way but i actually have met one couple that lives in our building and another coworker of mine ... man that cowoker has it figured out really well too! so it's great... now i just have to make closer friends with them :)

avonlea

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2013, 06:07:51 PM »
I became friends with a group of secular homeschooling moms when I started teaching my son.  I remembered feeling relieved when I finally met people who didn't spend tons of money on toys, expensive activities, or cable television.  They all have frugal, environmentally-conscious lifestyles.  I'm inspired by their determination not to waste anything.  When we get together for playdates, I see mason jars as the top containers of choice for every kind of food or beverage.  I feel guilty pulling out the tupperware. They mostly shop at thrift stores for clothes--I'm not the best with this, I usually go through the clearance section at a retail shop.  The only area I am probably more mustachian than they are is in gasoline consumption (many live outside of town), but they kick my butt when it comes to growing food in a garden.  All of our kids are involved in paid activities, but the activities are reasonably priced and helpful for our children's educations.  We take advantage of the free experiences offered through the local university.  Everytime I go to the public library, I run into one of them.  None of them own cable.  I've gotten a little too comfortable probably.  It's a shock when I return to my hometown for a visit or meet up with conventional friends where I live now, but it's really nice to feel like I'm not fighting against the machine all of the time. 

I'm also inspired by a few families and teachers at my daughter's charter school.  They bike to school quite often and strive for voluntary simplicity in many areas of their lives.

I don't really ever talk about finances with any of these people, though.  I don't think that they are "mustachian" in the sense of saving lots of money.  They could be.  I do know that many of my homeschooling friends eat only organic foods (or the healthiest alternative if organic isn't available), so the food that they are not growing themselves is pretty expensive.  We only buy about 1/3 organic.  I admire their convictions, though.  They are really inspirational.

mikefixac

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2013, 11:55:34 PM »
I don't really look for friends that are frugal. I suppose in a way, I consider most who post in this forum as my friends.

That's why I'm here at midnight typing words in my computer. But seriously, it's nice to come here and find like minded people. I'm especially impressed by you young people who realize frugality is an honorable way to live life.

Not only does it have an immediate payoff, you'll be rewarded for the rest of your lives.

Adventine

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Re: Meeting frugal friends
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2013, 12:12:28 PM »
But seriously, it's nice to come here and find like minded people.

This is exactly why I come here. It gets so tiring sometimes to be around people still plugged into the (consumerist) Matrix.