Whats your Mustachian Super skill?

[Kruizey]

I realise that much of mustachianism is psychological (minimizing waste and maximizing contentment with what you have) but I am interested in what Badass skills people have that they consider mustachian?

I feel like going through school/university the mindset was very much "If you work hard on your intellect and get a good well paying job there will be other people to do the practical/menial tasks of life and you can just pay to get them done."

Now that I am a few years beyond that I am realizing that many of the things that give me the most happiness are learning practical skills and doing things myself. I feel that this helps keep me grounded and present and enjoying the moment.

What skills would you consider mustachian both in their abilities to save money but also in their ability to give pleasure? I am thinking to develop skills that are sort of an investment in the future.

Currently I feel like I am good/decent with:
Cooking
Gardening
Bike mechanics


And I would really like to learn/develop:
Fishing
Auto Mechanics
Home preserving/ canning

Any thoughts or ideas of valuable mustachian skills would be greatly appreciated.

[deborah]

I sew. Sewing clothes is not often a super skill, because they are so cheap. However, sewing bras and bags definitely saves you a ridiculous amount, and being able to adjust anything or fix it can definitely save. Furnishings (I have made all my curtains) also are much cheaper when you make them.

I also do home preserving and have saved a lot over the years because of it.

A lot of these types of things cost money - especially in the novice stages. For instance gardening costs more money than just having your house block covered with grass and mowing it each fortnight. Landscaping your garden can cost a heap. My mother has this absolutely stunning rose garden, which actually reduces the sale price of the property because it spells "work" to most people looking to buy the property. However, I have 20 different fruit trees in my garden. It doesn't require much maintenance, and it gives me valuable fruit crops year round.

[Kaspian]

My superpower:   I'm really good with wires. I can make electric things--computers, guitar amps, soundboards, vacuum cleaners, almost anything with wire issues work.  Sometimes I think I could wire absolutely everything together into one big orchestra and it'd all work.  I can also take most electronic things (and appliances) apart and put them back together correctly (or even better than before.)  ...Learned that I can't fix the new point-and-shoot digital cameras though--the parts inside are way too tiny.

Every hero has a kryptonite:  Bloody plumbing!!  Pipes leak and I can't fix them, I buy parts for taps they don't fit, I can't get the washers aligned properly, etc., etc., etc.  Hell, I hate plumbing!  It always seems to take at least four tries before I get something to work even semi-properly.  I've had more mini-floods than I'lll ever admit.

Cooking:  Yeah, pretty good with that too.  I don't need recipes.  ...Do other people think my cooking's good?  I have no idea.

[forummm]

I'm a planner and good with numbers. Those come in handy in many, many ways. And I'm a problem solver.

[Rezdent]

There are "hard" skills and "soft skills"...
Hard skill: cooking.

Soft skill:  finding things.  I find money on the street, the perfect item in a thrift store pile, the specialty items online.  I also find things that aren't desirable but important to find: spider in the closet, the spot where the squirrel is getting in the attic, the water leak.

[Gone Fishing]

Butchering 

I can take a whole animal and break it down into respectable looking cuts of meat you would recognize.  I am not particularly fast, but the return per hour is probably the highest of any of the "self employment" activities I engage in.

I can not remember a phone number to save my life, but I can remember hundreds of prices for various items at various stores as well as what I paid for many items going back almost 20 years.  Getting harder though, I hope it is due to all the analytical work I do on the job, vs age.  It'll be interesting to see if it changes when I FIRE.   

[arebelspy]

I have no discernible skills.

Learning skills is on my FIRE goal list though!  :)

[ioseftavi]

I have no discernible skills.

Learning skills is on my FIRE goal list though!  :)

An absurd lie.  You run your 'stash like Henry Singleton.  Capital allocation is a rare skill, you nerd.

(also congrats on the baby!)

[ketchup]

Me: Cooking, auto maintenance/repairs, home renovation, math (so much math), not giving a fuck what others think, pragmatism, optimism, planning.

GF: Cooking, dog grooming, cutting my hair, cleaning, home renovation and design, giving far less of a fuck than average about what others think, incredible optimism, action-taking to overcome analysis paralysis.

I think I covered the basics.

[johnny847]

I have some of the skills previously mentioned.

I don't know if this qualifies as a "super skill," but I can fix computers myself (well okay, PCs only, can't fix Macs), whether it's hardware or software related.

[music lover]

DIY.  I do it all...framing, drywall, mudding, electrical, installing doors and windows, deck and fence building, etc...

[wordnerd]

Not wanting things.Being open to doing things differently. Recognizing when people know more than me and taking their advice.

In terms of real skills...cooking, building strong social connections (helpful for swapping items), budget travel...not much, but I'm hoping to learn!

[Lski'stash]

Simply put, I'm a super learner:)

Sounds kind of ridiculous coming from a teacher, but whenever I'm determined to learn something or have a goal, I research and learn until I'm 100% sure I have it all right. So when I decide to do something, rest assured it's done right, including learning how to handle money finally.

Kryptonite= laziness. Man, I can sit for hours and do absolutely nothing and not get the least bit bored.

[MitchCraft]

My super skill is carpentry. I am 27 years old, been a carpenter my whole adult life in every aspect from furniture making to cabinetry to framing to remodeling.

Right now, my girlfriend and I are building our own Tiny House!  It is a beautiful piece of art, and only costing us about $15k to build.  One step closer to our own financial freedom.

[YK-Phil]

I can survive on rice and legumes, and not much more except a few additional ingredients like onions, mushrooms, and olive oil and various herbs and seasonings to change the taste. Day after day. And I don't get tired of it.

[Kruizey]

Wow, some badassity on display. Thanks for all the responses.

Finding things/scavenging is a great mustachian skill. My in laws are excellent at this as they live in a growing town with lots of construction dumpsters. Also full of wealthy young oil patch workers who throw out the craziest stuff.

I have so much respect for people with carpentry/plumbing/electrical skills. In the long term once we own rather than rent I expect I will spend a lot more time learning those skills.

Butchering is a useful skill if you hunt or have access to meat. I grew up on a Dairy farm but never did any myself.

A big thing for me is at the moment we have been moving house almost every year so any hobbies/skill development that requires a bunch of stuff is out. I do try and grow veges in community gardens though and in pots when I can.

[Alchemilla]

Ha ha Ketchup. I also claim "not giving a fuck what others think"
Also packing lunch and glamourising it by calling it a picnic.

It gets the kids every time.

[Sloeginfizz]

I'm pretty good at cooking, cleaning/housekeeping, sewing, knitting, the whole gamut of domestic skills. But my domestic super power? Mending. Not talking about sewing on buttons. Anyone should be able to do that. I'm talking I can darn a sweater so that small holes completely disappear. The last time I wore my favorite lace skirt out, I tore a two inch hole in it. A while with thread and needle later you can't even see where the hole was. It's like a puzzle for me, fixing something like that. Some do sudoku, I mend.

As you can imagine,this has saved me a bunch of money in replacement costs. Now, if I could only learn to stop bumping into things that tear my clothes.

[Alfred J Quack]

Simply put, I'm a super learner:)

Sounds kind of ridiculous coming from a teacher, but whenever I'm determined to learn something or have a goal, I research and learn until I'm 100% sure I have it all right. So when I decide to do something, rest assured it's done right, including learning how to handle money finally.

Kryptonite= laziness. Man, I can sit for hours and do absolutely nothing and not get the least bit bored.

Couldn't have said it better myself!
Though my kryptonite is not doing nothing though (I wish I could). My biggest flaw is likely that I am to driven to do it right that I keep looking for other ways to do it better, so much so that I sometimes read about 10 methods but never tried any of them to see what worked best for me :D

[Nancy]

Skills:
Vegetable gardening, bike maintenance, sewing, mending (though I don't always try to make it invisible), food rescue (cooking meals with on the turn but perfectly good veg), planning and follow through execution (get 'er done), creating fun for myself (and general silliness).

Desired skills: everything involved in building and maintaining a house, public speaking, more languages, flight or super speed

[Gone Fishing]

Skills:
Vegetable gardening, bike maintenance, sewing, mending (though I don't always try to make it invisible), food rescue (cooking meals with on the turn but perfectly good veg), planning and follow through execution (get 'er done), creating fun for myself (and general silliness).

Desired skills: everything involved in building and maintaining a house, public speaking, more languages, flight or super speed

Vegetables "on the turn", I like it!  I'll have to use that one sometime soon.

[thurston howell iv]

Not sure if super skills or not but it seems like there's lots of folks who don't possess them.

What I can do:
basic diy to include---
VERY basic carpentry
basic plumbing
VERY basic electrical
general auto repair
general home improvement/repair
drive a stick shift car
drive a motorcycle
sew buttons (not mend)
cook reasonably edible food
fishing


Want to learn
Gardening
landscaping
how to rebuild an automatic transmission
math (I think I got to Algebra and it all went downhill from there)
cook gourmet food
how to pilot a helicopter, airplane and boat (never know when you might need to have this skill)
how to start a fire rubbing the 2 sticks together (I've seen it a million times on tv- still not sure I could do it)
how to weld
how to fabricate

[cerebus]

Well, I can cook. I can build and fix any pc. Yeah that's about it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bracken_Joy]

I'm pretty good at selling stuff online.

Good at your standard domesticity: basic clothing repair, laundering, stain removal, cooking, cleaning, etc. Gardening, meal planning, learning or making up new recipes. I'm good at canning.

Less standard: basic carpentry and plumbing, pretty good at hunting, good at interior painting, can change my own oil (although I usually make DH do this, heh). And then of course the DIY healthcare (and vet care) that comes with being a nurse.

Also, my super power is that I'm able to assemble ikea furniture properly on my first try.

[Shinplaster]

I'm pretty good at figuring out how to fix things using "non-standard" pieces.  e.g. Fixed a swivel kitchen chair with plumbing parts.  Generally good at minor plumbing and electrical, but would like to get better at this.  I'm an excellent interior painter.  No slops, no drips, and no roller marks.  I hate doing exterior painting though.

My Dad taught me how to do bodywork on a car when I was 18, by buying me a beater, and then showing me how to make it look better.  That's a skill that I have used ever since, and love seeing people's surprise when the subject comes up, and I tell them I do it myself.  (Picture a 60-something, gray-haired old lady, up to her elbows in bondo, fiberglass, sandpaper, and paint  : p ).

[TrMama]

Domestic Goddess: Advanced sewing and mending, meal plan and cook anything from nothing, preserving, brewing, clean and organize the house in no time (including troop deployment, aka direct the kids to their duty stations), many types of home repairs, painting.

My super skill of veggie gardening is on hold since my kryptonite is fence building. I can't keep the deer out of the yard to save my life.

[FIRE me]

What skills would you consider mustachian both in their abilities to save money but also in their ability to give pleasure?

When it comes to household DIY, what I'm not good at is a shorter list that what I'm skilled at. For me, it is more about saving money than pleasure.

I'm not good at (or at least no experience):
Brick and block laying
major concrete work
A/C repairs involving freon or vacuum
major plumbing
major wiring

What I'm good at:
everything else.

[jollygreen23]

Skills:

Cooking
Child Care
Chicken Raising
Soap Making
Very Basic Gardening (working on this)
Writing/Editing
I can also fold a fitted sheet, so...

Want to Learn:
Nursing (in the process)
Basic Carpentry
Preserving/Canning

[Vasilisa]

My Dad taught me how to do bodywork on a car when I was 18, by buying me a beater, and then showing me how to make it look better.  That's a skill that I have used ever since, and love seeing people's surprise when the subject comes up, and I tell them I do it myself.  (Picture a 60-something, gray-haired old lady, up to her elbows in bondo, fiberglass, sandpaper, and paint  : p ).

@Shinplaster- So badass!

Skills I enjoy:
-gardening guru (plant identification; propagation from seeds, cuttings, division; garden design; composting and soil health; growing food to feed people; growing beauty to enrich our world)
-mending clothes and fabric things
-hand-sewing and hand-quilting (I’ve made four so far, all by hand)
-cooking
-creating and maintaining a welcoming, comfortable home
-event planning and logistics (great for volunteering)

Interesting, a bit of a loss at what skills I would like to learn and do for pleasure!
Thanks for the thought provoking post and awesome lists of skills folks have!

[brotatochip]

I do brake jobs for all my siblings and parents.  They buy the parts, bring the car to my house and I install for free.  I'm not even a mechanic nor do I play one in real life.  They tell me that mechanics charge a lot for a brake job but I wouldn't know... I've never paid for one, ever. 

[patrickza]

I can build and fix stuff. From websites to electric bikes to wooden wedding rings. Best part is I find all of that fun too. Oh and I can do all that stuff thanks to my main superpower. I'm great with google!

[AllieVaulter]

I'd say my biggest Mustachian Super skill is:  Enjoying small things.  It keeps me happy with what I have and resist spendy trends.

But I'm also good at:
Cooking/baking
Sewing
Knitting
Fixing
Cleaning
Basic gardening
Basic Canning
Basic (very basic) carpentry
Trying new things

Things I want to learn:
For YEARS I've wanted to gather all the skills necessary to build a house from scratch.  I just think it would be awesome to know that if I needed to, I could do it (well). 
How to care for bees
How to raise/care for goats (& make assorted goat milk products)
Aquaponics - I've done some research, but need to put it into practice

[1WattLightbulb]

I'm pretty good at time management. Mustachians are DIYers, so there may be a lot to juggle. Especially if you're in the accumulation/working phase or have a family.

[jaye_p]

Domestic things, mostly.  Cooking.  Meal planning based around the loss leaders at our local grocery stores and inexpensive staples (beans & rice).  Sewing, and not just to repair clothing.  We do hammock camping, and I have made all of our gear (hammocks, tarps, underquilts, suspension systems, etc. etc.).  Homemade gear costs at least 50% less than purchased gear.  I'm learning car repair, one problem at a time - recently I replaced the brake pads and rotors on my car, saving at least $1,000. 

[Verdandi]

Me:
cooking/baking
planning (esp. meal planning and financial planning stuff)
cutting hair
sewing
restauration of old furniture (upholstering, painting, replacing glass windows, installing new handles and so on)

the SO:
bike repairs
car repairs
pc repairs
taking on the same load of household duties as I, thus not making me angry about doing everything and ultimately hiring a cleaning lady ;)


Both:
Having the ability to be utterly and completely happy with the whole world if we just had a decent homecooked meal, laughed about a new episode of the then-favourite TV show and can spend the evening with each other. It saves you a lot of money if noone needs a new pair of shoes / spa treatment / tech gadget to be happy.

[JustGettingStarted1980]

1. I can eat rice and beans, with a different side of meat or vegetable, or as a burrito wrap or quesadilla....every day indefinitely

2. My favorite hobbies happen to be nearly free (before I ever learned about MMM)

3. I'd rather cut off my pinky then go to a store and shop for clothes

4. I've never had a job I didn't like... this includes pumping gas and shoveling snow

[NoraLenderbee]

I am pretty good at teaching myself new skills from books and, more recently, videos. Bike repair, gardening, and now basic handyman skills.

I grow enough tomatoes every summer to supply us with tomato sauce for a year (and we eat a LOT of tomato sauce).

I like doing my taxes--not sure if that's a skill or a sickness. :)

[Verdandi]

I grow enough tomatoes every summer to supply us with tomato sauce for a year (and we eat a LOT of tomato sauce).

I envy you!

[msnashstache]

I grow enough tomatoes every summer to supply us with tomato sauce for a year (and we eat a LOT of tomato sauce).

I envy you!

I LITERALLY just googled how to make tomato sauce because we have so many leftover tomatoes from our summer garden!!!

[NorCal]

To paraphrase a great quote:  "If you can be good at one thing in life, be good at lying.  Because if you're good at lying, you're good at everything."

In seriousness, I'm good at the following:

1.  Cooking
2.  Excel spreadsheets and financial math (I do it for a living)
3.  Basic DIY projects, or at least figuring out how to make it work
4.  Getting a kid to survive from 0-2 years old (we will see how this next year goes)

Stuff I'm passable, but not great at:

1. Auto maintenance (I used to be good, but I'm out of practice)
2. Basic electrical
3. Marksmanship (I also used to be good, but I'm out of practice)
4. Outdoor survival skills (thanks Army!)
5. PC repairs / upgrades

[zinethstache]

So many awesome skills! I especially like the one poster who can fold a fitted sheet!

DH is the macgyver of houses and cars. We own rentals so this is very convenient! He is able to keep our vehicles happy. Some stuff he does pay for, but overall very little.

My superskill is a crazy one. I seem to be able to sell anything. I've made and sold "stuff" for my side gig for years. I do get bored and change up whatever crafty thing I make, and by golly, folks still buy it. I love to find something on etsy, or some fancy online store. Decide I must have it, so then I research how to make my own via tutorials, you tube, whatever means I can learn. I buy the raw materials and have a ball messing it up, then getting it right. I've had a "retailer" business license for over 20 years so I do have access to buy these materials wholesale if I choose to sell the finished product. This is going to come in handy when I RE. (DH already REd and is using his super skills to the max!)

One early example of selling something silly is that while in college, taking art classes I was "hired" by a business man to create a mockup of a coupon book. So, I bought two colored pencils, fully mocked it up with all the details, cut to dimension and everything. He was thrilled to pay me $100 for it. He needed a good sample to take to his potential investors. This was about 20 years ago. Art and handmade goods have such a wide price range and I've always felt my time was worth alot, I know many crafty folks who don't put a high value on their time.

Recently I gave up a hobby. I had a bunch of raw materials collected for years and years. I'd used up the "best" of these materials but wanted the rest GONE. I put up a little auction on my FB page, got some bids. Someone came to buy other stuff I was selling and saw these goodies laid out on the table. She'd seen my auction and when she saw the goods in person she said Im going to be like American Pickers and ask you "what is your price for this right now, outh the door." I said I would feel good about letting it go for $500 and 5 minutes later I had a check in hand and she was a happy camper with her crafty goodies. Her total transaction that day was over $800. All for stuff I'd used and worn for years and years. It was all brand new to her!

Great thread!

I am confident when I price something and never regret if someone wants to walk away, there's always another buyer out there.

[KisKis]

I have none of these impressive Mustachian skills.  I do, however, know people who do have all these awesome skills, and they sweetly provide me with personal tailoring, garden vegetables, well-butchered wild game, and hand-crafted furniture.  Apparently my superskill is surrounding myself with superskilled people.  Marrying the right person has a lot to do with it.

Oh, I am really good at saying, "thank you."  Want a super cutesy and considerate thank you note and gift?  I can totally do that.  :) 

Or maybe my superskill is lying and mooching.  Who knows.  It seems to be working out well for me.

[jba302]

I'm incapable of knowing a project is beyond my capabilities, and too stubborn to quit once I'm in over my head unless significant personal injury is imminent.

So resourcefulness and dedicated would be the feel good versions of those.