Author Topic: Before and After MMM  (Read 2524 times)

ginjaninja

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Before and After MMM
« on: January 08, 2018, 01:35:01 PM »
I started reading MMM in late November 2017.  I was looking at all of my spending for the year and realized that my hair was on fire.  I have been using Mint for almost 2 years so I have a pretty good history of my spending that I usually don't look too far into.  December 2017 was the first month I was actually proud to see. 

Not including rent, my average spending was $1,700 per month from January-November 2017.  This includes gas, entertainment, eating out, alcohol, shopping, amazon, traveling, cellphone, insurance etc.

Not including rent, my spending in December 2017 was $501.  This included Christmas presents for my friends and family, my share of the adopt a family I participate in each year, all car expenses, insurance, cell phone, entertainment, and food. 

I am so thankful to this community for showing me that a few quick changes have made a huge difference.  I have really not changed my lifestyle much and I know there is room to become even more Mustashian in the future. 


EmFrugal

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2018, 02:44:14 PM »
Awesome work!!

Now just keep it up each month and you will be surprised by all the savings that pile up. I'm always amazed by how great my life feels now that I'm not spending as much as I used to.

Much of my spending pre-MMM was complete and total waste that I don't miss one bit. It's helped me save a lot and focus on the most important things in life. Win-win :)

soccerluvof4

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2018, 04:07:33 PM »
500 a month thats being frugal! Nice Job. I assume your living at home or not paying rent? if thats the case then yea, save it up!!

wordnerd

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2018, 04:09:59 PM »
That's amazing! Awesome job!

Brother Esau

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2018, 04:46:20 PM »
Word!!! MMM has been a huge game changer for us. Thank you all!

Pre MMM grocery budget = $200+ per week. Post MMM = $75 per week. Still basically eating the same stuff.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2018, 05:27:08 AM by Brother Esau »

draco44

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2018, 10:45:28 PM »
Great job! I know you say you feel like your lifestyle didn't really change from the before to after (which is fantastic), but were any cuts especially easy or hard for you?

ginjaninja

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2018, 11:23:15 AM »
Soccerluvof4-the spending was after rent and utilities, the next step is to lower those too ;)

Brother Esau- It was amazing how much money I was wasting at the grocery store!  I would shop for recipes that I wanted to make instead of choosing recipes that were affordable and stuff I already had at the house!  I would often find myself buying some exotic spice that the recipe called for, it would be $8-9 and I would never use it again.  Also buying fruits and veggies that are out of season and therefore have a premium on their cost...Avocados were $4 each and I was still buying them.  Now I will find something else that I can cook and wait to enjoy the fresh food until it is in season and much better for my wallet!

EmFrugal- I am really looking forward to it.  I know that it is just 1 month of low spending so far, but paying off my CC this month has been the biggest indicator of what is to come.  (PS I don't carry a balance, there is just a 1 month lag in billing)

Draco44- I really haven't made any significant cuts yet.  I started biking to work which has been a struggle on some cold days, but I always have "would you like a catheter and bed pan to go with the car?" going through my head when I think about driving.  Probably eating out has been the toughest for me.  I love going to lunch with coworkers but it is easily $15/lunch 3-4 times per week.  I live 2 miles from work so I have invited some of my coworkers over for a pot luck style lunch cooked fresh in the kitchen each day and that has been awesome.  I also have started taking control of the itinerary with friends, and instead of going out for a drink or dinner I suggest going for a walk, watching a movie at one of our houses, cooking dinner instead of going out, etc.  It is incredible to me how willing people are to go along with the plan that I set that costs a fraction of the price.  Plus we have some fun memories from being creative in what we do together.  Also I have not needed to go shopping for appliances, clothing, or entertainment because of past purchases that I have not getting enough love as it is.  I realized that I already have plenty and don't need to go to amazon each time a button falls off my jacket, the coffee maker "isn't working the way it did, but still makes coffee just fine", and so on.   

Thanks for your encouragement all :)

swashbucklinstache

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2018, 07:06:17 PM »
Yay!!!!

Another big moment for me came when something crappy happened 6 or 7 months in to actively managing finances. Ugh, all these months of savings and then a $1200 expense out of nowhere!

Until I realized that I'd shaved probably that much 3 times over off my routine expenses the previous 6 months without lowering my quality of life at all, that is :). Especially since bad things are going to happen anyway sometimes and I'm not trying to deal with them and also wondering how I'm going to make rent.

Holyoak

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2018, 07:52:05 PM »
I started reading MMM in late November 2017.  I was looking at all of my spending for the year and realized that my hair was on fire.  I have been using Mint for almost 2 years so I have a pretty good history of my spending that I usually don't look too far into.  December 2017 was the first month I was actually proud to see. 

Not including rent, my average spending was $1,700 per month from January-November 2017.  This includes gas, entertainment, eating out, alcohol, shopping, amazon, traveling, cellphone, insurance etc.

Not including rent, my spending in December 2017 was $501.  This included Christmas presents for my friends and family, my share of the adopt a family I participate in each year, all car expenses, insurance, cell phone, entertainment, and food. 

I am so thankful to this community for showing me that a few quick changes have made a huge difference.  I have really not changed my lifestyle much and I know there is room to become even more Mustashian in the future.

Congratulations on your very fine efforts at cutting the fat.  This can be a fun addiction, and I hope perhaps you are/can start socking away some of these savings into investments/more investments.  Again, great job!

draco44

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2018, 08:26:07 PM »
I love going to lunch with coworkers but it is easily $15/lunch 3-4 times per week.  I live 2 miles from work so I have invited some of my coworkers over for a pot luck style lunch cooked fresh in the kitchen each day and that has been awesome.

Thanks for the additional details! I think the work potluck lunch idea in particular is brilliant.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Before and After MMM
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2018, 10:42:25 PM »
I started reading MMM in late November 2017.  I was looking at all of my spending for the year and realized that my hair was on fire.  I have been using Mint for almost 2 years so I have a pretty good history of my spending that I usually don't look too far into.  December 2017 was the first month I was actually proud to see. 

Not including rent, my average spending was $1,700 per month from January-November 2017.  This includes gas, entertainment, eating out, alcohol, shopping, amazon, traveling, cellphone, insurance etc.

Not including rent, my spending in December 2017 was $501.  This included Christmas presents for my friends and family, my share of the adopt a family I participate in each year, all car expenses, insurance, cell phone, entertainment, and food. 

I am so thankful to this community for showing me that a few quick changes have made a huge difference.  I have really not changed my lifestyle much and I know there is room to become even more Mustashian in the future.

Great post.

Also, love your username.

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