So lately I've gone down an internet hole where I've gotten caught up in a Youtuber's channels that are very different from traditional financial advice/blogs, and it is absolutely the most refreshing thing in the world. As someone that bought a full size pickup earlier this year and found it actually does make me happy, and has begun pursuing different hobbies despite working and going to school full time while being married and renovating a house, I actually found a lot of what he does very inspiring.
I realize this may not be up a lot of people's alleys here as many on this site skew heavily environmental and minimalist, and if you watch the 3 channels in the subject without much context, you will probably feel that what is displayed is the OPPOSITE of Mustachianism, but, well, I disagree. And I think it may be a far more awesome of Mustachianism - different but similar in scope of happiness to Pete's - but much happier than so much of what I see posted on many frugal groups.
The background on the channels is: Matt Carriker, who is the man behind the 3 channels listed in the subject, is a veterinarian who is married to his college sweetheart, has 3 kids, a small fleet of vehicles, an enormous ranch, a small town newspaper's worth of cameras, and enough guns to go to war with several small countries at the same time. But he also runs a nonprofit devoted to saving the lives of animals that are widely considered lost causes, which ties in with his main job as a vet. He's also (obviously) a Youtuber who somehow turned Youtube into a money generating enterprise that spawned an apparel clothing line that he runs which also includes other Youtubers as a side hustle, is active in speaking at his alma mater, and is a hardcore DIYer with his wife, and the two of them in their videos complete many projects both in their home and on vehicles. He's also been in a movie and guest starred in a country music song. What's remarkable is that his channels, especially "OffTheRanch" show the progression in his life from amateur student with a simple camera to talented cinematographer and successful, wealthy adult. But his advice is highly consistent with Mustachianism - do things for yourself, save money every day, exercise every day, family is everything, if you want to do something just try it and who cares if you fail, etc. It's interesting because his quality of life, in my opinion, is extremely high...and while he focuses on what he wants, he's not really depriving himself to do it, although in some videos he talks about having done it in the past.
Anyway, I guess I'm just bringing these channels up because in today's negative world, where there's so much bleating on about politics, shaming people, guilting them, etc., it's refreshing to just see a person who is overwhelmingly positive, believes he can overcome any obstacle, supports and has the support of his family, focuses on being better every day, and dabbles in all sorts of interesting things. And despite Demolition Ranch's clear support of gun rights, his channels are completely non-political, which may be most impressive in all of this.
So for those who believe in spending less than you earn, but spending it on a bunch of stuff that really makes you happy, I highly recommend his channels. As a 2A supporter, I highly recommend his channels. Because every few videos, he concludes with some really deep thoughts that echo many of the core tenets of Mustachianism, and it really hits home.
Off the Ranch (family, cars, random):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV5mGxp-rtsGDAedDYnp7hAVet Ranch (animal rescues):
https://www.youtube.com/user/VetRanchDemo Ranch (gun stuff, destruction, gun related humor):
https://www.youtube.com/user/DemolitionRanchAnd of course, the ending of this video might be one of my favorites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_tVIF4TRcw (scroll to 12:06 if you don't want to watch the whole thing)
And no, I am not Matt Carriker. But just curious if anyone else has come across this guy and his message, and if so what you think. He's very much not a stereotype - an animal loving gun enthusiast with a good sense of humor and small children who is both apolitical, yet big on personal responsibility.
