Author Topic: Soldier of Luxury  (Read 11990 times)

C. K.

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
Soldier of Luxury
« on: December 10, 2013, 01:42:06 PM »
Mr. Money Mustache's latest post is inspiring: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/12/09/soldier-of-luxury/

You've all read it. He uses a fable, an extended analogy (sort of like those business books - The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, Who Moved My Cheese) of a soldier to reiterate key points of his frugal lifestyle. The minimalist soldier with everything his backpack is fun to follow.

Here, as it is throughout his blog, MMM emphasizes what others in personal finance often do not
  • that frugality is enjoyable
  • that frugality does not have to equal harmful deprivation
  • that frugality is preferable to many other forms of living
The soldier notices how well his body works for him, wonderful little things like this that are folded into the entire mustachian lifestyle is what makes it appealing.

Notice that at no point in the fable is the soldier living minimally to spite anyone. Instead, he chooses this life because it works for him.

In far too many frugality blogs is an off-putting, knee-jerk stance against "The Man," when really it's just a guy in his dingy apartment who is jaded about life in general and must blame someone to feel better about his own circumstances instead of improving life for himself.
MMM blends the almost perfect mix of personal responsibility, inventiveness, openness to being different and appreciation for society's advances. He doesn't completely throw the baby out with the bathwater and it shows in his newest blog post.
Well done, again, MMM.

CDP45

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 509
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2013, 11:22:06 PM »
I like when he talks about the best things in life, spending time with family leisurely, taking vacations, learning new skills, helping friends, and inspiring others. I'm not sure if he counts this site as charity, but I hope he does do some or and to church too.

C. K.

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2013, 05:03:10 AM »
CDP45,
From what I remember reading, MMM has said he hasn't yet found a charity that he trusts. (Someone else can chime in here to correct this impression.)

matchewed

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4422
  • Location: CT
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2013, 05:10:49 AM »
You can see his spending, just go to the site's main page and search for spending exposed. He does donate and more than is shown because his businesses also donate.

*edit for crappy auto correct
« Last Edit: December 12, 2013, 06:17:34 AM by matchewed »

C. K.

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2013, 05:13:42 AM »
You can see his spending, just go to the site's main page and search for sped ding exposed. He does donate and more than is shown because his businesses also donate.

Thanks.

Bayou Dweller

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 118
  • Location: Houston, TX
  • Spend less. Live more. SWAMI.
    • Just Stop Spending
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2018, 07:22:36 AM »
Replying to a very old post because... I recently was searching for MMM's "Luxury is just another form of weakness" post and came across this one. I thought I had read them all, but this just goes to show that I missed this one at least.

Anyway, what a brilliant article. So many of my friends and loved ones are struggling in so many areas of their lives. These are grown adults, 30 years of age and on, too. The main theme I keep trying to tell them is that comfort isn't comfortable in the long-run.

I sent a few people this article and not a single on read it. And this is a short one too.

Cheers to those who are comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Bloop Bloop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2139
  • Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: Soldier of Luxury
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2019, 03:34:40 PM »
I think many forms of luxury, probably most, are objectively just ways to keep up with the Joneses or otherwise seek social proof in situations where social proof is just a reflection of one's insecurity.

But not all luxury spending is like this. A good set of bed sheets, or a really nice pair of shoes, might have genuine value to a particular person even if they are priced at a point where the $/utility equation is not maximised.

Similarly, someone who is genuinely doing well financially might choose to buy a sports car or other luxury item just for its emotional or aesthetic appeal.

As much as I think most people are wrongly focussed on consumerism, I also think it's wrong to blanket say that luxury items are a weakness.

Someone on $50k a year spending $30k on a luxury item is being silly. Someone on $500k a year doing so is probably not being silly. I think somehow there's a tendency to think that someone who spends on one luxury item has to necessarily replicate that with all other purchases and sink into a whirlpool of decadent spending. I'm not sure that that's true. Moderation in all aspects of life is a good approach.