Author Topic: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?  (Read 29650 times)

Missy B

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #100 on: June 01, 2017, 12:01:44 AM »
Ride a bike. We hates it, Precious.
I'm f---ing killing myself. OMG. Because I hate cycling, and I live in Vancouver, criss-crossed with bike lanes.

I eat out still. Sometimes. Put it through my corporation. I also buy silly, fancy convenience foods like boxed Tazo passion Tea, that I could totally make myself for a fraction of the price, but I can't be bothered to organize it, when I can have a nice, sterile box of Tazo tea ready whenever I want it. And dolmathes. In a can. They're a great price, why would I stand there cooking rice and trying to roll the grape leaves up properly? I f----ing love the Costco dolmathes. And costco chicken wings (pre-slathered in sauce for lazy me) and barbecued chickens.
Also, I turn the heat up when I get cold, and have an air-conditioner (which I use a few weeks of the year so I can sleep when it is 90 degrees in my south-facing apartment). And I eat 2-Bite brownies. all the time. Those are probably too good to be mustachian.

Nudelkopf

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #101 on: June 01, 2017, 12:36:06 AM »
I'm surprised at the number of people who don't hang their clothes on the line.   I don't know anyone with a clithes drier but that might be a Queensland thing.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #102 on: June 01, 2017, 01:33:59 AM »
I'm surprised at the number of people who don't hang their clothes on the line.   I don't know anyone with a clothes drier but that might be a Queensland thing.

It could also be a climate thing. When you live in a place where it can rain unexpectedly at any moment, you'd better hang your clothes under a roof. I experienced that in our first apartment where the clothes line was hanging outside the balcony. Each time of was almost dry, it would start to rain. Eventually my mother bought us a tumble dry.
In my current house, as in  my previous house, I am so lucky to have a balcony under a roof. That's where I have my clothes lines. But I only hang out in the summer half year. (April/september-ish). The rest of the year it is either too wet or too cold and clothes wouldn't dry anyway.
But since I found this website this winter, I have started hanging clothes to dry on a rack in the bathroom, which has a floor that is heated in the winter half year. Now I only use my dryer for when I am i a hurry to get things dry.

Dicey

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #103 on: June 01, 2017, 06:15:24 AM »
I also buy silly, fancy convenience foods like boxed Tazo passion Tea, that I could totally make myself for a fraction of the price, but I can't be bothered to organize it, when I can have a nice, sterile box of Tazo tea ready whenever I want it.

Wha??? You can make Tazo Passion Tea yourself? Please do tell!

Hell, I thought buying the boxed stuff was Mustachian! One little bag makes a whole pot, no sugar needs to be added and it has no caffeine. This could be a complete paradigm shift...

boarder42

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #104 on: June 01, 2017, 07:22:20 AM »
I'm surprised at the number of people who don't hang their clothes on the line.   I don't know anyone with a clithes drier but that might be a Queensland thing.

probably more common to hang dry out side of the US.  we have cheaper energy here the cost of a dryer is minimal compared with the time it takes to hang dry clothes, as well as the differing climates.

MMM lives in CO they are very dry i live in MO we have very humid summers. 

Morning Glory

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #105 on: June 01, 2017, 08:13:56 AM »
I'm surprised at the number of people who don't hang their clothes on the line.   I don't know anyone with a clithes drier but that might be a Queensland thing.

probably more common to hang dry out side of the US.  we have cheaper energy here the cost of a dryer is minimal compared with the time it takes to hang dry clothes, as well as the differing climates.

MMM lives in CO they are very dry i live in MO we have very humid summers.

I live in Minnesota and haven't used my dryer in 4 years. The winters here are very dry so I find it helpful to dry the clothes on racks in my bedroom instead of using a humidifier. I hang them outside during warm weather. My dryer takes LP gas which can be cheap some years and expensive other years, but I consider line drying something easy I can do to reduce my environmental impact. I used my Mom's tumble dryer when I was visiting her recently because she doesn't have racks/ lines, and I was surprised it took longer than hanging the clothes outside on a sunny day. Also it is much easier to fold sheets if they are on a clothesline, and you don't get wet spots.

Otherwise I am not the most badass mustachian (fair-weather cyclist, disposable diapers, riding lawn mower)

Systems101

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #106 on: June 01, 2017, 03:14:49 PM »
+1 to I don't budget (echo Paul der Krake on this one)
+1 to I'm not cheap on A/C (because I have money, so I can be comfortable ... and the cost difference is crazy minimal)
+1 to using a clothes dryer (although I have to say the "hang things as a form of humidifier in the winter" is an intriguing idea for certain items)

I don't believe it's universally valuable to trade time for money.  I'm not going to avoid a dishwasher, for example, because it's less pennies to wash by hand.  The time spent washing is far more precious than the pennies.

Own a bike, enjoy riding, but haven't yet mustered the will to ride it to work, since it's a different risk profile than casual riding.

The Money Monk

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #107 on: June 02, 2017, 01:37:20 AM »
Yeah, we bought our 2003 Echo in 2013 for around $6K.  Used, old, cheap - but totally not a beater.  Still looks great and runs great.


Gotta say - I never thought the MMM message was to drive a beater.  An unreliable car that belches smoke and spends time in the shop?  Just no. Cheap=/= mustachian.
Well, in his car recommendation article in 2012, he makes recommendations of cars ranging from about $5k to $10k, absolutely none of what I would consider a beater.  But his target potential-new-readers audience of conspicuous consumers probably considers a $5k car a "beater" or "shitbox" and a giant step down from a brand new $20-30k car.

For myself, five years later, that article is finally relevant, even though all the numbers are smaller now.  Still not really beaters to me.

Yeah I don't consider a car a beater almost no matter what its price, age, or mileage, if the car is clean, reliable, and not falling apart. It's about condition, appearance, reliability.

My car is 11 years old and has 120,000 miles and it is not even close to being a beater. Looks great, is in great shape, reliable - no issues. I'm never going back to beaters unless I have no choice.

Anon in Alaska

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #108 on: June 02, 2017, 04:25:15 AM »
I don't bicycle either. Last time I bicycled I fell over into the road and was nearly hit by a car (I'm a klutz due to chronic ear infections messing up my sense of equilibrium). I've been thinking about buying an adult tricycle.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #109 on: June 02, 2017, 05:34:56 AM »
I don't bicycle either. Last time I bicycled I fell over into the road and was nearly hit by a car (I'm a klutz due to chronic ear infections messing up my sense of equilibrium). I've been thinking about buying an adult tricycle.

In the town where I used to live as a child, there was a man cycling in a tricycle. He also had a balance problem and not drive a car either. He could get around fine on his bike.

Rosy

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #110 on: June 02, 2017, 03:08:09 PM »
Thrifting - garage sales - flea market ... I still enjoy it on rare occasions for it's "entertainment" value, (everyone loves a bargain:), but never as my wardrobe source.
Biking - I love it, but the weather and road-safety conditions in Florida make it difficult. No riding in the heat for me, but when it is "cold:)" I don't mind folding it up and take it along to one of the many big parks or trails in the area.
Heat or AC - damn right I want to be comfortable. Sure this old lady will wear a sweater and socks or turn down the AC when I leave the house - but other than that, give me comfort or suffer the consequences.
Budget - just the word alone makes me feel poor and deprived.
Beater car - well, this next car will be the last car that I'll ever be driving, so this time around I will be looking for a decent vehicle 2012 and up, hell, maybe even new. Thanks to MMM I can afford to pay cash. Besides, I am beginning to feel unsafe in my lil ole red 1998, it is time to say good bye.
Cable - only because you need cable for NFL football games - for Mr. R. I'd be fine with hulu and netflix et al.

Savings rate - ya baby, 50% or more.
Re-evaluating all our expenses and so called "fixed" expenses on a regular basis? Of course, sometimes expenses are only fixed in your head or we are too lazy to actively seek a different solution. 
Make and take lunches - no problem.
Hang-dry - yup, here in Florida everything is dry in no time. Clothes last longer that way too.
MMM made me re-discover my love for the library and the cool perks of libraries, like ordering a book from another library. I was thrilled to discover the overdrive app and that I can read on my phone for free or listen to the audio.
Cooking more at home - I love to cook and garden, even know my way around growing herbs. It is nice to go out to eat on occasion - we cut down to 2-3 times max a month.
Getting control of and understanding our own finances and investments - priceless. .. not there yet, but working on it:)
« Last Edit: June 02, 2017, 03:12:50 PM by Rosy »

Rosy

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #111 on: June 02, 2017, 03:23:03 PM »
I'm surprised at the number of people who don't hang their clothes on the line.   I don't know anyone with a clithes drier but that might be a Queensland thing.

Around here they will consider you a "poor dear" assuming that you can't afford a clothes dryer. I live in Florida, whyever wouldn't I dry my clothes on the line?:) I always find that amusing.

JustTrying

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #112 on: June 02, 2017, 03:42:45 PM »
Hang dry laundry. I've lived in the South Pacific where a clothes dryer was hard to find, and my clothes were crunchy. I do not like my clothes being crunchy.

Be a one vehicle family. We tried. It lasted less than a week before my spouse freaked out and insisted we get a second car (which we paid cash for).

Reduce the grocery budget. I mean, it seems like a great idea, but it also seems like a TON of work.

I also can't seem to get the thermostat below 67 in the winter, but I'd prefer it at 70, and it took me 2 years to work down to 67 degrees!

SachaFiscal

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #113 on: June 02, 2017, 05:32:34 PM »
Where do I begin. We're really not all that mustachian except that we save half our income, invest in index funds, and will retire early (at least I will). We spend too much on entertainment, eating out, our cars, our house. We live in an HCOL city. I just tracked our spending for the first few months of the year and it was way too much for two people, I feel a little guilty about it. But we spend a lot less than we used to before finding MMM. Our eating out and grocery spending is high because we eat at nice places and buy organic food. I guess food is a major thing I'm unmustachian about. Although I do cook a lot too and we are vegetarian so we don't buy meat which can be expensive I hear.

Bee21

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #114 on: June 02, 2017, 07:36:43 PM »
Some of our spending belongs to the antimustachian wall of shame and comedy (ok tragicomedy).
1. Crazy commute.(houses close to work start from 800k+. Even 2 br appartments start with  7, so hell, no)
2. No bikes.  Ever. I walk.
3. The man's non negotiable vehicle needs (financed 4WD truck.paid off Boat). No rowing. We have crazy adventures with these, so I am sort of fine with that.
4. International travel (not business expense, khm).this is my non negotiable.
5 childcare at 100 a day. Kids are 'spensive.
6. Not reselling crap. I just donate unwanted items.
7. Airconditioning.yay. best thing ever.

We will probably have to work for an other 6-8 years, but whatever.

facepalm

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #115 on: June 03, 2017, 11:22:24 AM »
1. Line dry my clothes. I even send some shirts out for laundering.
2. I pay for a pedicure rather than trim my own toenails.
3. Do any form of garage sale-ing, as one person's unwanted crap is still crap.
4. Workout in my garage/backyard. I used to have a fantastic home gym (squat racks, bumper plates, lifting platform) but space requirements now mean I have to rely on a gym. I may build up another home gym at some point.

Linea_Norway

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #116 on: June 03, 2017, 02:55:11 PM »
No unnessesary driving. Today we drove for a moose safari, just driving slowly around the village where we have a cabin. Mooses are not so affraid of cars, but are for people. We saw a lot of them and made some good pictures.

Lmoot

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #117 on: June 05, 2017, 05:14:58 AM »
biking - I live in FL (hot, not bike-friendly, motorists who are not used to pedestrians/bikers)

maxing out 401k/buying up stocks as priority
- for the time being, I'm making investing in rental property a priority, though I contribute to my employer's max

get a degree in a high-paying field - this would stress me (both at the education level, and the career level)

being overly judgemental - I've met people who always "do the right thing", but are miserable, and many who flew by their seats and still have/had a wonderful life. Just because someone is not doing what you think they should, doesn't mean it's not the best decision for them

FIRE - I just want to get to a place where I can afford to work a min wage PT job, as that will assure me that I can pick any job I want without compensation being a factor.

Only sacrificing today for tomorrow - I sacrifice today for tomorrow, and vice versa. We might be able to predict our FIRE date and financial status for the next 30+ years using theories, and calculations, and trends, but nobody can predict life's expiration date; so I prefer to spread the mulch.

benjenn

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #118 on: June 05, 2017, 06:53:46 AM »
We FIREd almost 2 years ago. Some moustachian things I/we choose not to do include:

- re-using ziploc bags.  They're not expensive, it's just not worth it.
- line-drying clothes.  Our HOA doesn't allow clothes lines in yards and I remember when I was a kid how much I hated the way line-dried clothes feel compared to dryer-dried clothes.  Not doing it.
- Limiting A/C use.  I get mean when I'm hot.  DH doesn't want that...and we live in south Florida.
- Biking for anything besides pleasure.  We're too far away from stores, the speed limit is too high and there are no bike paths on the roads.  We do have a great bike path close to the house but you can't get anywhere on it, it's just a great trail.
- Buying in bulk.  Can't stand the clutter, enjoy organized closets and cabinets.

Our biggest non-mustachian thing we do is that we're members in a boat club.  It's all of the fun but none of the responsibility. It costs way less than owning our own boat but we budget $450 a month for membership and fuel.  But we live in south Florida and there are so many great places to boat and we have all the time in the world to do it.

We still budget (although it's constantly changing running estimate, not set in stone), we limit eating out, we rarely pay anyone to do anything for us (DH is incredibly handy), and we're happy with our Republic Wireless phones that cost us $34 a month for two of us. We own one car, a 2007 Honda CRV. We don't travel much (living in south Florida with so many beautiful beaches nearby makes it unnecessary).

Having reached FIRE at 51 & 52, we are happy being frugal where we think it's important to be frugal and spending when it brings us happiness to spend.  So far, that's working out well for us....and we're incredibly happy.  That's the whole point, isn't it?  :)


Gone_Hiking

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #119 on: June 06, 2017, 10:44:19 PM »
About that old beater car...  I refuse to buy one.  DH, too.  We buy new cars that are a combination of lower MSRP, great gas mileage, just enough space, and high ratings from Consumer Reports.  We pay cash.  Then we keep them for decade or more.

But line drying is works well in our dry Arizona climate.

- line-drying clothes.  Our HOA doesn't allow clothes lines in yards and I remember when I was a kid how much I hated the way line-dried clothes feel compared to dryer-dried clothes.  Not doing it.

HOAs say the darnest things, don't they?

Goldielocks

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #120 on: June 07, 2017, 01:49:24 AM »
What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?

I refuse to pick up dead animals.
--- oh,  that is not a Mustachian trait?  Really, there is very little that I refuse to do, and that is one of them.  And I know this because I have had the opportunity to do so too many times in my life, and each time there was  no way I was voluntarily going to do it.

Here is another

I refuse to us Mint.  or YNAB.  I have tried both and disliked them very much.

and..
Credit card hacking or travel hacking -- it never seems to work out better than cash back.

ETA -- Minimalism.   Declutter = yes, Minimalism is a No.  I would rather have lots of spacious, semi-used storage.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2017, 12:23:21 AM by Goldielocks »

Poundwise

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #121 on: June 07, 2017, 10:08:43 AM »
Live in a LCOL area.  BTDT and it was too depressing and stressful.

Husband loves his job, and is doing good, meaningful work, so we won't move away from the big city. So we are now living in a medium-fancy suburb... the schools are great but boy is housing expensive.

CutTheFat

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #122 on: June 07, 2017, 11:02:29 AM »
Interesting thread.  I don't bike, the last time I tried it, my rear end hurt for over a month and I only went up and down the street to try it out.  I work 19 miles from home so there is no way I would ever do it to commute to work!  DH works only about 2 miles from home, but when he leaves work he has to pick up DD from practice and often get her to another practice or game.  It just wouldn't work logistically with all that DD is involved in.  We have 2 teenagers, one is driving she is works a lot of hours and is going to community college.  The other DD plays 3 sports one is year round,  one in the winter and one in the spring.  There are expenses including travel involved which we are happy to pay to have her so involved in what she loves.  We usually go on vacation 1-2x per year.  For the first 14 years of our marriage, being young parents we couldn't afford much for vacations so we camped.  We still camp occasionally, but vacation and camping are 2 very different things.  We also don't let ourselves freeze in the winter or over-heat in the summer.  I use the clothesline more than DH but he does the laundry more often than me, since he is home so much earlier and he tends to use the dryer. 

cookielover

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Re: What common mustachian things do you refuse to do, and why?
« Reply #123 on: June 10, 2017, 01:05:16 PM »
Very interesting thread and I enjoy reading it.

The things that we don't do:

1. Beater Car - We buy new cars (not expensive but reliable cars) and keep them very long.
2. Cut my own hair or highlight - No way.  I like my hair style with nice highlight. 
3. Big house - I like a big, clean, and beautiful house too much.  After we retire, we can downsize.
4.  Entertainment gears - We buy high or medium end ski gears (with annual ski season pass), kayak, etc.
5. Budget - We only track what we spend.

The things that we do:

1.  Only eat out for special occasions
2.  Re-use ziplog bags
3.  Line dry (in-door) delicate clothes and my undies. 
4.  Don't waste food
5.  Buying in bulk
6.  No desire for expensive vacations, especially air travel.  We have a beautiful RV and prefer RVing/camping.