Author Topic: More Extreme than ERE  (Read 26932 times)

dividend

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #50 on: October 07, 2015, 02:07:21 PM »
Also - I noticed you said you fund travel through CC spending. BUT - you also hardly spend any money. How's that work??

I'm curious about this too. 

andyp2010

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #51 on: October 07, 2015, 03:54:57 PM »
Might have been me that put the original $7k.

It's mad easy once you've got no rent/mortgage costs. I share my house with boarders so it's more than free, it actually pays me but for these purposes I'll put the costs down as 0

Annually

Mort/Rates/Power/Internet/Home Insurance - $0
Food, groceries and restaurants - $2400
Drink - $400
Clothes - $500
Phone - $312
Health insurance - Gone, no need in a country with socialised healthcare
Life insurance - pfff, life insurance is for people who can't afford to die
Car insurance - $135
Car Loan Payments - $3180 (it's the last year of them, its still a good wee Nissan Cube , million miles to the gallon and great for landlording. Plus I have to pay $400 if I want to pay it off early. Fuck you, past self!)
Petrol - $600
Car Repairs (estimated) - $200
Car Warrant, Rego - $165

Total - $7727 NZD or $5107 USD
Next year with no car loan - $4547 NZD or $3005 USD and half of these are business expenses (anything car related and phone). These are base expenses, occasionally there's a bit of extra petrol for going on a trip to see a friend or family, this month I had a $280 medical procedure. They pop up but they're not that often.

 $9000 NZD/$5940 USD absolute maximum this year, $6500 NZD/$4290 USD absolute maximum next year.

Only me though, no kids and the girlfriend pays the other half of the grocery bill. Could reduce the grocery bill but they're my treats.

I don't rifle through bins or steal tomato sauce packets from mcdonalds though, I have a normal (although practically workless) life, probably above average standard of living I'd say.

I'm hoping this is somehow extreme for even this forum, would put a smile on my face :)

BPA

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #52 on: October 07, 2015, 05:53:21 PM »
Impressive, AP.  I also find Herbert and many of the others you listed as admirable.

My greatest inspiration is Spartana though.  :D

Rosy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #53 on: October 07, 2015, 08:36:31 PM »
Sweet!  Personal hygiene and cleaning supplies seem a bit high.    We could be at 13k for a family of 3.5 if we choose to.   But we very much like paying 3%/interest on the house while averaging 8% on the cash.     We could only match the grocery amount with free stuff.    Our life is full of luxury.

At this point, we're still buying diapers. Once that expense is gone, that category will drop precipitously. Yeah, yeah, cloth diapers, etc., etc....but I'm not the person in charge of the laundry, so I defer to her preference.


REALLY? So glad you can afford to do that! You know guys, this is a bunch of BS, get a good washer and use cloth diapers. Either you are in this game or you are not! ... and yes, I did just that, I lived it - so that gives me the prerogative to say it is entirely doable!
I'm appalled at reading how you guys condemn Snap, (on another thread), but, oh no, we can't have ding dongs for an old lady who loved them all her life, but it is totally OK for the OP to milk the system.

Forgive me OP, but if ERE means you rely on government assistance - forget it, I will die before I accept that! I see absolutely nothing that is admirable about your lifestyle.
Except that you work on your home:)

The 15K vs the 50K income sweet spot you wisely never addressed, although it was brought up multiple times, because it means ... well, you know what it means, so that tells me all I need to know about all your clever moves - or should I say reliance on government assistance.

MMM is a general idea-lifestyle-philosophy many of us inspire to - but, honestly, I see nothing in this thread that I would want to emulate.

The groceries - I got you beat and I had you beat in any life situation, single or family, my entire life. Of course, I am one of those annoying individuals who are a foodie and do not ever settle for rice and beans .....which I happen to hate, so there.

There are so many ways to legitimately reach FI (see andy.. post below) that I simply cannot fathom the path you have taken.


APowers

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #54 on: October 07, 2015, 09:50:41 PM »
Sweet!  Personal hygiene and cleaning supplies seem a bit high.    We could be at 13k for a family of 3.5 if we choose to.   But we very much like paying 3%/interest on the house while averaging 8% on the cash.     We could only match the grocery amount with free stuff.    Our life is full of luxury.

At this point, we're still buying diapers. Once that expense is gone, that category will drop precipitously. Yeah, yeah, cloth diapers, etc., etc....but I'm not the person in charge of the laundry, so I defer to her preference.

REALLY? So glad you can afford to do that! You know guys, this is a bunch of BS, get a good washer and use cloth diapers. Either you are in this game or you are not! ... and yes, I did just that, I lived it - so that gives me the prerogative to say it is entirely doable!
I'm appalled at reading how you guys condemn SNAP, (on another thread), but, oh no, we can't have ding dongs for an old lady who loved them all her life, but it is totally OK for the OP to milk the system.

Forgive me OP, but if ERE means you rely on government assistance - forget it, I will die before I accept that! I see absolutely nothing that is admirable about your lifestyle.
Except that you work on your home:)

The 15K vs the 50K income sweet spot you wisely never addressed, although it was brought up multiple times, because it means ... well, you know what it means, so that tells me all I need to know about all your clever moves - or should I say reliance on government assistance.

MMM is a general idea-lifestyle-philosophy many of us inspire to - but, honestly, I see nothing in this thread that I would want to emulate.

The groceries - I got you beat and I had you beat in any life situation, single or family, my entire life. Of course, I am one of those annoying individuals who are a foodie and do not ever settle for rice and beans .....which I happen to hate, so there.

There are so many ways to legitimately reach FI (see andy.. post below) that I simply cannot fathom the path you have taken.

Hm.  OP here. Not sure who you're confusing me with.

Did I condemn SNAP? Oh snap! No, I didn't.
Not sure how I'm "milking the system". Have you looked at the budget that I posted? Which part of that is "milking the system"?
What part of my ERE involves "relying on government assistance"?
The 15K vs 50K income sweet spots were neither brought up by me, nor used by me to advocate "milking the system" in any way.

I think you should maybe re-read the thread?
-----------------------

In other notes:

I would love to see your grocery budget/expenses! I've seen few folks, even on here, that consistently match our cost/person, and would be happy to learn how to do better.



andyp2010

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #55 on: October 07, 2015, 10:54:10 PM »
read this post a few times, I am now thoroughly lost as to what the problem is and why and who's annoyed at who. Please fill in the gaps in my lack of comprehension...

dragoncar

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #56 on: October 08, 2015, 01:30:02 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Matt_D

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #57 on: October 08, 2015, 08:53:30 AM »
read this post a few times, I am now thoroughly lost as to what the problem is and why and who's annoyed at who. Please fill in the gaps in my lack of comprehension...

I think someone misread something.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #58 on: October 08, 2015, 09:42:49 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

APowers

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #59 on: October 08, 2015, 10:21:14 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #60 on: October 08, 2015, 10:34:22 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

dragoncar

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #61 on: October 08, 2015, 11:22:38 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

Yeah SF.  I'd imagine his expenses could be lower than originally quoted in Eugene.  Last time I checked he was in Chicago though so sounds like I've gotta go get an update!

Bracken_Joy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #62 on: October 08, 2015, 12:31:18 PM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

Yeah SF.  I'd imagine his expenses could be lower than originally quoted in Eugene.  Last time I checked he was in Chicago though so sounds like I've gotta go get an update!

Oooh, if you ever find a post or interview re: his reasons for leaving Eugene, I would love to read it!

andyp2010

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #63 on: October 08, 2015, 01:10:09 PM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

Yeah SF.  I'd imagine his expenses could be lower than originally quoted in Eugene.  Last time I checked he was in Chicago though so sounds like I've gotta go get an update!

Oooh, if you ever find a post or interview re: his reasons for leaving Eugene, I would love to read it!

Probably just having to say 'eugene' every now and again. What a horrible name for a place! Fully advocate capital punishment for whoever named it and rename something nice like 'summertown' or 'meadowsville'.

CanuckExpat

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #64 on: October 08, 2015, 01:51:36 PM »
Impressive, AP.  I also find Herbert and many of the others you listed as admirable.

My greatest inspiration is Spartana though.  :D
Awwwww shucks (blush blush) :-)! I've had some great breaks in life that helped me to live pretty low cost (like being able to use the VA for medical car if needed - although I bought my own private policy for years after quitting work) and never having any big financial/life issues arise that set me back. But otherwise it's all been pretty easy to have a great life on little $$s.

Out of curiosity do you have a more detailed description somewhere here? I'm mainly curious because I'm envious of your beach volleyball, travelling, camping lifestyle and want to see what the costs break down to. Or just to silently have a crush on your lifestyle

dragoncar

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #65 on: October 08, 2015, 05:22:49 PM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

Yeah SF.  I'd imagine his expenses could be lower than originally quoted in Eugene.  Last time I checked he was in Chicago though so sounds like I've gotta go get an update!

Oooh, if you ever find a post or interview re: his reasons for leaving Eugene, I would love to read it!

I popped over there and didn't see anything about moving to Eugene.  Maybe just because he visited and was considering moving there?

Bracken_Joy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #66 on: October 09, 2015, 09:03:34 AM »
Besides the opportunity cost of home value, Jacob was also located in one of the highest COL areas in the country.  You are still doing awesome, but I wouldn't write of fisker as a competitor just yet

Do you mean before he moved Eugene? Or is Eugene considered one of the highest COL areas in the country? News to me if so, because Portland is way worse right now! Just curious- haven't read a ton of ERE.

For most of ERE, Fisker was living in the SF Bay area.

That makes way more sense! I was really scratching my head about how Eugene could be considered expensive. SF definitely is!

Yeah SF.  I'd imagine his expenses could be lower than originally quoted in Eugene.  Last time I checked he was in Chicago though so sounds like I've gotta go get an update!

Oooh, if you ever find a post or interview re: his reasons for leaving Eugene, I would love to read it!

I popped over there and didn't see anything about moving to Eugene.  Maybe just because he visited and was considering moving there?

Hmm. I can't find it now either with googling? I can see two options then: 1- I'm thinking of a different finance guru type fellow? Or 2- I heard it in a podcast. Because I know for sure I showed it to DH when I found it, out of the sheer oddity of the fact ("See? At least some people think Eugene is worth moving to!" DH's reply: "Yeah, he's not in his 20's though. Try meeting friends there who aren't druggies or super religious in your 20s. Older people can just hang out with the hippies.")

Now I'm scratching my head big time. That's definitely not something I could have misread... Eugene is fairly distinct in my mind to say the least! And I know whoever it was mentioned Track Town Pizza, too. Guhhhh and now I can't find anything. It's official. I'm going crazy. This is just the first sign.

dantownehall

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #67 on: October 09, 2015, 11:48:44 AM »
I'm just really jealous of that $22/mo Internet.

APowers

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #68 on: October 09, 2015, 02:05:20 PM »
I'm just really jealous of that $22/mo Internet.

We'd been getting the $19.99/mo promo special from QWest (Now CenturyLink) for years, but it was a hassle to call every 3-6 months and threaten to cancel. Fortunately, a local ISP has been hard at work installing a city-wide wifi network, which you can subscribe to (and then use wifi pretty much anywhere in the city, though it's spotty in a few places); and for less than an all-access subscription, they'll install a receiver set on your house and provide you with home service by patching you into their network. It's not anywhere close to "blazing fast" (we get the cheapest option, which is listed as 1.5mbps), but it works for us, and I don't have to fuss about with promo rates or weird taxes/charges.

Matt_D

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #69 on: October 09, 2015, 02:07:04 PM »
I'm just really jealous of that $22/mo Internet.

Seconded... I have FIOS so I can't complain about crappy internet, but I can complain about the fact that they're charging me over $70 now for 15mbps. No other providers to switch to, so for the most part just have to grin and bear it, 'cause no internet at home isn't really an option for us right now.

arebelspy

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Re: More Extreme than ERE
« Reply #70 on: July 10, 2016, 05:11:41 PM »
Thanks to lifejoy for linking to this thread, I missed it the first time around.

Sounds like you're doing a great job with your spending, OP!

To me the primary level of badassity of a Mustachian would be optimized spending with zero deprivation.  If you can get your spending to a level you're completely happy with, without depriving yourself at all, that's the initial goal.

There are so many factors/variables that it makes direct comparisons mostly meaningless.  The COL of the area, paid off house versus mortgage or renting, some sort of hack that gives you free (travel/pizza/whatever), kids or not, etc. etc.

I recently ran some numbers and figure the wife and I could live on about 9k in Chiang Mai (3k/person for our 3-person household), if we were to stay there a year.  And not just a "could" live on that, but would--we wouldn't have anything else to spend the money on!

We won't live there a year, so we'll have higher expenses doing other things, and being in higher COL areas, and spend maybe 20-25k traveling the world as 3 people (and could probably also do it for half that, if we didn't visit expensive places occasionally), but it's worth the extra money.

Our goal is not to minimize spending/maximize money, but to maximize happiness.  Thus the first level of spending, mentioned above.  We've actually never purposefully tried to spend less, and we occasionally try to spend more.

Sounds like you're very happy with your spending, which is awesome.  That's the goal, and having it low on top of that is even better, because then you aren't wasting resources, and can direct excess to more worthwhile endeavors (reaching FI, charity, etc.).

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