Brand new reader saying Hello !!

[Re3iRtH]

Hello all! What a huge community here. I have just started poking around the MMM blog articles a few weeks ago, and I am definitely intrigued.

For a brief introduction, I am a 32 year old single guy currently residing in interior Alaska. I have always been a little different, coming from a family of artists (I am a military doctor). My favorite things are music, travel, and self-experimentation. I never identified myself with my profession, as most folks do (and ALL physicians do in my experience). And I never thought medical school or residency were particularly tough, as my peers like to say.

I spent 2011 - 2016 in Hawaii.. and I would estimate that I lived on 50-70K per year. I always thought this was very reasonable, as I had a mortgage, ate out for ~90% of my meals, 3-4 international trips per year, and 7-10 mini-vacations per year from the expensive city of Honolulu. I don't think I could ever give up frequent travel - it sort of defines my personality.

After working on myself, doing a lot of reading, traveling, self-experimentation .. the more I realized I am happier the less I spend. I picked up a few investment properties, but I currently rent here in Alaska and I love it! Including rent, I estimate that I currently spend 30-35K per year to live and that still includes 2-3+ long distance trips per year.

I am still a newbie to the whole FI/ER, and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you! (OK maybe that is too ambitious). Hope everyone had a great weekend.

[RobFIRE]

Welcome to the forums.

Personally I certainly found it (and continue to find it) interesting to go through the thought experiment of asking myself what is really important to my happiness and what isn't. As you say, often the expensive things are not important (though of course most people like occasional treats).

[Re3iRtH]

Thanks Rob for the welcome!

I know (or maybe I assume incorrectly) that most financial independence communities are heavily focused on mutual funds/equities as the main vehicle. I am not, but I hope to stay open minded and learn from you guys, and hopefully contribute something useful as well.

[marshdesign]

Welcome! I really like this lifestyle for sure. I have always focused on investment returns in the past and it is nice to come here and focus on a balanced approach to building your stash, like spending less, getting deals, haggling, living with less but also still focused a little but on investing. It feels more balanced and low key. Not so high pressure, risky like some of the other net wroth building communities where you are leveraged up to your eyeballs in risk!

[life_travel]

Hi from Australia ! It's quite a diverse forum with people in equites , with pensions or with real estate .
Most of them are engineers of course :) All in all it's a great place to hang out !

[Re3iRtH]

Welcome! I really like this lifestyle for sure. I have always focused on investment returns in the past and it is nice to come here and focus on a balanced approach to building your stash, like spending less, getting deals, haggling, living with less but also still focused a little but on investing. It feels more balanced and low key. Not so high pressure, risky like some of the other net wroth building communities where you are leveraged up to your eyeballs in risk!

Cheers! Yep.. I have never had any problems with earning income or investing well. I do have a spending problem that I am trying to get better at, haha. Honestly, I never thought it was a problem .. until I read about how frugal a lot of people really are. And then I recently started experimenting with it.

I would agree from what I have seen so far .. very mutual/index fund "set it and forget it" heavy in this community.

[dreams_and_discoveries]

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you've already made good progress.

Envious of the cool locations you get to live in :).

[Re3iRtH]

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you've already made good progress.

Envious of the cool locations you get to live in :).

I <3 dreams and dreamers.