Author Topic: Making Space for Badassity  (Read 5539 times)

acroy

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Making Space for Badassity
« on: July 15, 2016, 12:57:27 PM »
This one really resonated with me. A nice return to form for MMM!

Especially the bits about optimizing time. Make time to be badass. Time (just like money) slips through the fingers if not managed.

12-15yrs back, starting the MMM journey, I was making lots of money but had no money and no time. Always the next thing to buy, and unfinished 'projects' everywhere.

Since then I think myself and DW have done a pretty good job managing both the money and the time. There is always room to improve of course, but we have a nice balance of work/responsibilities, while still managing to have several hours free every day. And almost all of almost every weekend. It's really nice. Actually a lot less stress now.

Anyone else go through this?
« Last Edit: July 15, 2016, 01:09:38 PM by acroy »

Rezdent

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2016, 02:23:22 PM »
I really liked this post too.
I see so many people who have committed all their (and their kids) time and apparently don't connect the dots that this is WHY they don't have time.

Jrr85

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2016, 02:25:17 PM »
Working to go through this right now.  Commented on the main blog, but don't feel like I can make any significant progress until I cut my hour and twenty minute commute down.  Between the commute and two toddlers, we have trouble keeping our head above water during the week.  I could probably make better use of my 2 and a half hours of drive time each day.  I was listening to educational materials, but I didn't have any time to implement anything.  Now I just zonk out to fictional audiobooks.  But otherwise, hard to do much.  Can't manage our rental property (which costs us 10% of rents off the top), don't have much time to plan or prepare meals (my wife works too, although she has some flexibility, it's mostly used up being the only parent in town during the work day).  And then we wimp out a lot and pay for convenience.  Takeout when we're too tired or the kids are being too disruptive to cook.  Paying for repairs or maintenance that I would do except I hate to spend my entire work week working and commuting and then giving up my weekend with the kids to catch up on projects.  Etc. 

Really looking forward to changing jobs so we can start trying to live a little more reasonably.

Crusader

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2016, 10:05:50 PM »
I did not think much of this until he actually made this post. I really value my spare time to just stay at home a relax. Everytime I get back from work I love just being able to stay home and not do much. I also greatly enjoy staycations since I can take the time to enjoy hanging out at the house and not waking up to an alarm clock or trying to keep a schedule. I actually find myself less willing to go out for my more extended and remote outdoor hobbies, but it is mostly because of the really hot weather right now.

Mika M

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2016, 01:14:50 PM »
"A great way to save money is to have too much social anxiety to go out and do things."

Saw that on a meme floating around on Facebook. DH and I are both introverts and have very few people we choose to hang out with regularly, which helps keep any party-like spending low.

I've come to believe that the most important categories to focus frugal efforts on are housing, transportation, and food (and number of children, for us at least).

We have a very short commute from a 1300-sq-ft townhouse (which albeit we still do by car (but which at least is definitely not a Silverado)) but it gives us far more zoning out time (and home-cooking time, and quality play time) at home than most of our peers who despite being in the DC area seem to equate townhouse living with 3rd-world slum squatter huts... and therefore deliberately chose to have a minimum 45-minute commute from places we consider weekend getaway destinations in order to have their McMansions (from which they escape to further destinations on weekends).

DH and I also carpool in together and brown-bag all our weekday breakfasts, lunch, and coffee while most of our peers go down to the office food court for all of that every day.

And since we have a very restless, handful-and-a-half, night-owl of a toddler, all attempts to persuade us to have a second kid "just cause" continue to fall on deaf ears. I'm also loathe to sign myself or my kiddo up for any commitments like lessons on evenings and weekends (even though I would be interested in learning Judo) because well that would still eat up more down time (and cash) than I'd care to give up.

On the flip side we wimp out on lots of things too - besides driving most places, still also use the dryer, outsource home repairs, and always keep Costco cheese pizzas in the freezer... Also have three cats (as we were originally leaning toward no kids at all) but once they start passing away in the mid- to semi-distant future, I think I'll definitely be ready to take a break from pets...

It's also become easier for both of us to resist the call of alcohol, partly to save on calories, and partly cause we're both feeling old and tired lately and even a small amount of alcohol feels very unhelpful the next day.

"Strategically misbehave"... great way to put it.

Mika M

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2016, 01:26:12 PM »
I like the parts about decluttering and procrastinating on non-grocery-food purchases. Those are two areas I continue to focus on. I'd say unloading the unused stuff collecting dust in your storage spaces is as helpful for your mental state as keeping yourself from buying more stuff for your storage spaces...

Crusader

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Re: Making Space for Badassity
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2016, 07:14:22 AM »
I am really happy he made the post. I have felt like this for years, but without the articulation to really explain it. This kind of developed for me growing up and staying at home alone for summer break from school. It also gave me a light taste of what FIRE would be like. Waking up whenever, do what I enjoy that costs nothing, having all the time to enjoy it. I felt the same way after school not being scheduled for whatever extracurricular activity. Now even working I heavily value the free time I get after work when I get home. I do not try to schedule every night with bar time, clubs, and sports. Granted if you actually enjoy them and costs you little then rock on. Those are not me, I been mainly listening to podcasts and reading my library back log right now. I also been "greasing the groove" with here and there workouts. Helps me avoid having to run to the gym to workout, but still stay active around the house. The biggest thing is that if something does come up, be it I need to repair something or friends invite me for something, I can just pick up and go for it.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/01/20/get-stronger-by-greasing-the-groove/