No Shave November; 30 days of Money Mustache Growing!

[bigalsmith101]

Hello everyone!

Today my wife and I are embarking on a 30 day challenge!

Here in the USA, it is the beginning of the month of  No-Shave-November. While most of my male friends are currently growing beards and mustaches like real lumberjacks, I've been cursed with the inability to grow a fancy mustache like all of my hairy friends. So, I've decided this year to change it up and grow a foot long Money Mustache instead!!!

This November my wife and I are tackling the following goals:

1. Buy absolute NO items that are NOT absolutely necessary. I.E, no spur of the moment purchases. No baubles, not bullshit, NOTHING.

2. Limit our grocery spending to include ONLY healthy choices, with no allowances for anything other than essentials.

3. Pare down all fuel expenses to absolute minimal necesisties.

4. Keep track of our progress to establish a low monthly spending threshold to evaluate against future months.

5. Incubate ourselves from peer pressures and elimate/repress materialistic desires.

What I think will help and hinder us in regards to these 5 goals this month.

1. Help: We have enough shit already and don't need more shit. I personally think of every new item that I buy as a tiny string around my neck that gets woven into all of the other strings to turn itself into a chain that is attached to an anchor that weighs my happy ass down and depresses me.
    Hinder: My birthday is this month. My sister in law's birthday is this month. Thanksgiving is this month. Damnit.

2. Help: My wife is a university educated Nutritionist, currently in training as a personal trainer, and a future Registered Dietician. She handles the food. I eat like a king for cheap. I also like eating the same thing, every day. I just love it. Makes me an easy, happy camper.
    Hinder: We like ice cream and other non essential food items. Too bad!

3. Help: Though we don't currently bike, we do scooter almost everywhere. Our scooters get a combined fuel economy average of over 80mpg. We do grocery runs on them for fun.
    Hinder: I work in tandem with a man that lives 60 miles from my home and this month will be driving there a few times to visit. Scooters aren't freeway legal and thus my 1997 Grand Marquis makes that trip at 25mpg.

4. Help: Kristi (the wife) loves to get on board with the budgets/expense sheets, and has already created one for this month.
    Hinder: I haven't set up a MINT account or similar, and occasionaly forget to keep receipts.

5. Help: Because we're often traveling for my job, all of our friends and both families have little influence in our personal lives. So we are free to please ourselves.
    Hinder: It's my birthday this month, and I buy so few things for myself already that I've been planning for this month for half a year as a planned date to buy myself a new watch to wear on nice occassions. I know exactly what I'm going to buy, but it'll wait till next month with it goes on a significant sale. Have to tell wifey NOT to buy it!


So there you have it. Those are our goals and we're sticking too them!

I encourage anyone else that wants to join in, to hop on board and throw down there goals and chime in.

I'm running this guanlet for hell or highwater!

[bigalsmith101]

I'm off to a running start. Though not all of it is in the right direction. I suppose it's how you look at it that counts.

I've already spent $56.69 in fuel in the first 3 days. Yes, that's right. I drove nearly 500 miles, in a face-punchable 1997 Grand Marquis sedan with a 4.6 liter V8. However, I drove it like the grandma car it is to achieve 25.5mpg, the best I've ever gotten in 12k miles of ownership. However, it's all in the name of business. I won't get the money back tomorrow, but it'll pay for itself exponentially over time.

I also spent another $100, this time to pay for the test that allowed me to upgrade my commercial drivers license from a Class B up to a Class A. I will say that I studied my ass off so as to pass it the first time around, rather than paying another fee for a re-test. Success!

I've eaten no other foods other than the groceries my dear wifey buys.This wasn't as easy as I found myself 60 miles from home three days in a row near my favorite chinese restaurant. But I let the hunger set in and subside, and waited to eat until I got home. Easy peasy. Kristi (wifey) went shopping today on the scooter (in the rain) and so that will go on the monthly budget as well.
 
I'm going off to work a job next week for 6 days, so that should add a bit of expense to the food budget, but I won't have any fuel expenses that week either.

So far so good!

So far, so good.

[gimp]

"This month is no-shave november. Or as we call it, every other month."

[bigalsmith101]

"This month is no-shave november. Or as we call it, every other month."

This made me laugh! I was thinking that this is true for myself (generally) as well. However I am trying to establish a new baseline, so it should be a fun exercise.

[Kriegsspiel]

I'm growing a goddamn sensual mustache. Started the month clean shaving, hoping for a full on waxable handlebar by the end.

[Shor]

Following this thread for inspiration.

Since I'm at it, I will declare my own self-determined aspirations for this challenge.
I have trouble consistently hitting my desired goals, so this changes starting now:
1. Ride the bike instead of driving the car to work.
2. Do not eat out on workdays.
3. Do not eat from the Halloween candy jar!

I believe that I can meet these goals if I enact the following changes:
1a. Stop work on time!
1b. Sleep on time, wake on time.
2. Have lunches prepared for work lunch
3. Snack on a carrot instead of a chocolate

The reason I want need to cutback on spending this month:
1. Upcoming large bills: car insurance, rent rate hike, 0% credit card period ends
2. Doctor visit (then bill) for a regular checkup and for allergy symptoms
3, Convenience/luxury is creeping in to my budget and kidnapping hundreds of worker bees! :O
3. I make complainy pants excuses when I fail to hit my goals. I need to stop making excuses.

I will try to hold myself accountable to these goals and report back at the end of each week.

[bigalsmith101]

I'm growing a goddamn sensual mustache. Started the month clean shaving, hoping for a full on waxable handlebar by the end.

I don't know about your capacity to grow a mustache, but I would end up with two handle bars. One on either side of my lip with a generous gap between them!

Following this thread for inspiration.

Since I'm at it, I will declare my own self-determined aspirations for this challenge.
I have trouble consistently hitting my desired goals, so this changes starting now:
1. Ride the bike instead of driving the car to work.
2. Do not eat out on workdays.
3. Do not eat from the Halloween candy jar!

I believe that I can meet these goals if I enact the following changes:
1a. Stop work on time!
1b. Sleep on time, wake on time.
2. Have lunches prepared for work lunch
3. Snack on a carrot instead of a chocolate

The reason I want need to cutback on spending this month:
1. Upcoming large bills: car insurance, rent rate hike, 0% credit card period ends
2. Doctor visit (then bill) for a regular checkup and for allergy symptoms
3, Convenience/luxury is creeping in to my budget and kidnapping hundreds of worker bees! :O
3. I make complainy pants excuses when I fail to hit my goals. I need to stop making excuses.

I will try to hold myself accountable to these goals and report back at the end of each week.

Excellent approach! I'm in the midst of spending NO money today. And likely will continue that on Thursday and Friday (upgrading my license tomorrow will cost some money. It's a day by day basis.

[bigalsmith101]

So today my wife looks at me, and says, "Babe, you need a haircut, you should go get one today. It's a perfect time."

My response, "Awesome! Guess what!? You're going to cut my hair! Where's The Universal Men's Grooming Device at now-a-days."

Well, fast forward an inexplicably long time (2.5hrs) and my hair is now cut. And due to my wife's urge to "be awesome in all things", it looks better than the last time I went to the barber and paid for it.

Here's hoping that in 2-3 months when we cut it again, it won't take this long.

I spent no money yesterday, and none thus far today. Boom! 

[Shor]

So I went to sleep on time last night... wake up on time... 4 am.. and I just sit there listlessly, unable to start up my daily routine. I sleep in.. then sleep in some more until its too late to bike in to work..
This snowballs in to a rough day of driving to work, going out for lunch, and slurping on a soda all afternoon...
The past 2 days of (pure) awesomeness have just been wrecked by one day of weakness.. :(

Ker-POW! Facepunch!

EDIT: Oh no, and now I'm staying late at work to finish off some tasks. Time to shut 'er down.

[bigalsmith101]

I've always been the guy who's alarm clock goes off, and he gets out of bed. Immediately. If I don't, I'll oversleep and be late, and I CAN'T be late. Thus I have only one option.

I've also changed my diet a bit during the past month or so, and have found myself a lot more happy, healthy, and AWAKE. Not tired, sluggish, and dragging ass everywhere.

I'm about to go drive my "Land Yacht" about 35 miles round trip to go check out "the mall" to check out some new laptops. Both my wife and I are currently working from our 7 year old laptops, so it's getting to the point where (depending on who you ask), they are way behind the curve.

I rely on a decent computer for my job, and travel consistently. My wife is about to embark on a year long dietetics internship. I could wait until the end of the month. We'll see....

[bigalsmith101]

Well, here I sit in a hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming having flown in yesterday morning from Seattle.

Being away for work while the wife is still home costs a bit more, as I'm eating alone (rather than a meal for two, which is cheaper per person), and I'm living out of a hotel. However, I don't eat at restaurants, and adjust my diet to suit the hotel's amenities.

However, I did make a major purchase this month (two actually). Kristi and I have been disattisfied with our computers for way too long. Kristi's 15" HP beast of a laptop was new in 2007. My 11.6" Asus EEEPC was new in 2007 as well.

I'm self employed an have to have access to a computer when on site. My wife is studying to become a certified personal trainer, and will start her internship to become a Registered Dietician in July.

I HATE wasting time, almost as much as I hate wasting money. I've been trying to rationalize this purchase for over a year. So, rather than suffering through our shitty computers, I found rationalization in the following.

#1) Wifey's capacity to study and learn is hindered by her shitty computer. Spend money on learning? I can do that willingly.
#2) Wifey's future career will require a computer. Her current laptop is not satisfactory. Spend money to make money? Yes.
#3) My job is heading towards an office job that will require satisfactory performance from my computer. When I'm not in the office, I'm on the road and take my office with me. Current computer was shit. Spending money to make money? Yes.

So, we left the Apple store on Sunday with two brand new computers. At $1500 each, we didn't buy the bottom of the line comps, but rather the middle of the line. However, I bought them over the phone and got the Student discount on each of them, saving $166/each. So I saved money that would have otherwise been spent. Seeing that I've had two laptops in 10 years, I'll likely have this one for 5.

I applied for and was accepted for Apple's 0% financing option for 18 months, as well. So they will be paid for in full at that time, thus saving me the opportunity cost of that money over time.

I'm happy. And will be adding $166.66 onto the monthly budget this month. ($3000/18 months free financing).

[Silvie]

Google "Movember". It's the same thing, but for charity :-)

[bigalsmith101]

Google "Movember". It's the same thing, but for charity :-)

Thanks. Movember is a good cause worth the charity.

[Kriegsspiel]

How is everyone's mustache coming along? I've donated some dollars to a intra-scrote charity, and I've been compared to a rock 'n roll Sadaam Hussein, and a Mexican (not a specific one :( ) So mine is doing great.

[bigalsmith101]

How is everyone's mustache coming along? I've donated some dollars to a intra-scrote charity, and I've been compared to a rock 'n roll Sadaam Hussein, and a Mexican (not a specific one :( ) So mine is doing great.

My mustache is coming along nicely! I'm sticking to a rather mustachian budget, eliminating costs and kicking ass!

[bigalsmith101]

Well we're just over half way through the month, so I wanted to follow up on the goals that I've set thus far.

This November my wife and I are tackling the following goals:

1. Buy absolute NO items that are NOT absolutely necessary. I.E, no spur of the moment purchases. No baubles, not bullshit, NOTHING.
Well, we bought two new computers for ourselves. This was prior planning in the process, so it just happened to fall in this month during the challenge. However, I mustache'd over $300 in discounts, and arranged for  0% interest financing, so I'm a step ahead at least
2. Limit our grocery spending to include ONLY healthy choices, with no allowances for anything other than essentials.
We're on track for this thus far. Does ice cream count as a spur of the moment choice, or a non-essential/non-healthy choice... I can't decide.
3. Pare down all fuel expenses to absolute minimal necessities.
We ride our scooters everywhere. When it's cold, I throw on my down jacket under my motorcycle jacket.
4. Keep track of our progress to establish a low monthly spending threshold to evaluate against future months.
I signed up for Mint.com as well as creditkarma.com, this has given us a broader perspective on our accounts and finances. Nothing new per say, but a new point of view at least.
5. Incubate ourselves from peer pressures and elimate/repress materialistic desires.
So far so good. Though a few gifts were purchased for the sister-in-law (bought on sale), and my birthday is coming up. I won't be buying myself a gift (as some people do), but I can't account for my wife yet. (though I can bet she'll plan something for free)

Anyhow, let the cost savings continue!

[bigalsmith101]

Had an investment expense earlier this week. Bought a new Moto-G from Republic wireless for my wife as her phone plan ended for the month. A new phone and the first months bill ran up $175. $150 for the phone, $10 for the unlimited talk/text plan, and taxes.

Phone came today and my wife thinks it's great. Tested the service in our bedroom and in basement of the house, and call quality during transition from cell service to wireless was hardly noticeable. Quality on the cell network was better, but the wireless quality was more than serviceable.

Her previous pay-as-you-go plan with Verizon was $35/mo + tax or 500min talk, unlimited text, 500mb data. Her old phone didn't use data, so we were paying about $40 for her phone. Now it's about $13. The cost of the phone will be paid for in 7 months and she's got a much better phone now.

If it goes well for the next couple weeks, I'll get on the band wagon when my month-month AT&T plan expires. I'm currently paying $45/mo+tax ($50) for Unlimited talk/text/data (on a dumb phone) as I use my phone for work and need the talk capacity. I'll move to same $10/plan and save over $35/mo. Was looking for this type of service for while, only saw it when reading MMM. Brilliant.