Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[Dicey]

But... I have a solution which does not involve buying a one-use item which I have no room to store anyway and then throwing it away when I've finished with it, as well as buying an expensive consumable (dry ice or, indeed, ice).
...
Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

But.... it is a PROBLEM and I must SOLVE it for you.

Oh hell, I just realized that what I thought was helpful mustachian problem solving was merely a facade to hide the raging jealousy of the fact that you scored all that lovely, luscious wool. Sorry.

[LeRainDrop]

But... I have a solution which does not involve buying a one-use item which I have no room to store anyway and then throwing it away when I've finished with it, as well as buying an expensive consumable (dry ice or, indeed, ice).
...
Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

But.... it is a PROBLEM and I must SOLVE it for you.

Oh hell, I just realized that what I thought was helpful mustachian problem solving was merely a facade to hide the raging jealousy of the fact that you scored all that lovely, luscious wool. Sorry.

Shelivesthedream's newest MPP is that she has too many mustachian friends that want to help solve her other MPP, LOL!  You all are the best :-)

[merula]

My mustachian problem: I want to be debt-free, but my mortgage is 2.875% interest, and I can't justify pre-paying it compared to what  Vanguard is earning. It'd feel nice, but I can't get comfortable with the opportunity cost.

And I have FIFTEEN YEARS OF THIS!

[Basenji]

My mustachian problem: I want to be debt-free, but my mortgage is 2.875% interest, and I can't justify pre-paying it compared to what Vanguard is earning.

+1, exact same rate...

[merula]

My mustachian problem: I want to be debt-free, but my mortgage is 2.875% interest, and I can't justify pre-paying it compared to what Vanguard is earning.

+1, exact same rate...

Internet high five! I didn't qualify for this lender's lowest rate of 2.75% because my loan wasn't big enough. Oh, mustachian mortgage problems...

[radram]

I just experienced a hat-trick of MPP's.

First, I am just now deciding to follow this thread. MPP #1: I was trying to imagine how many non-working mornings it will take me to read 59 PAGES of comments... oh well, let's get started.

I was also wanting to contribute, and one of the first comments I read was the later thread by shelivesthedream regarding a full freezer.  This leads to my MPP #2:
Near my house there is a huge farmers market/rummage sale every weekend.  I never go, because they charge $3.00 to get in.  At the end of the weekend, all the vendors have to pay to use the dumpster to throw away the unsellable produce.  Instead, they drive it 1 mile away and stack it in the driveway of a man that email blasts people to come and pick through it for free.  He asks that human eaters come first, then animal feeders can come on Tuesday.  Anything left over he turns to composed.  I brought home zucchini, grapes, asparagus, lemons, oranges and a honeydew melon.   I filled our freezers with 70 cups of FREE shredded zucchini and now I do not have room to freeze the 8 POUNDS of sliced pepperoni I picked up in the sale meat bin for $1.25 a pound literally seconds before I got the email blast. I have no choice but to make jelly with the gallons of blackberries I picked for free last year to make room for the pepperoni.  But then I need room for this years berries. :)

While I was planning this post, I received MPP#3:  I was having my FIRE morning coffee and I spilled the whole thing all over me and my free couch.

I hope I properly captured the spirit of this thread.  Have a wonderful day.

[shelivesthedream]

But... I have a solution which does not involve buying a one-use item which I have no room to store anyway and then throwing it away when I've finished with it, as well as buying an expensive consumable (dry ice or, indeed, ice).
...
Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

But.... it is a PROBLEM and I must SOLVE it for you.

Oh hell, I just realized that what I thought was helpful mustachian problem solving was merely a facade to hide the raging jealousy of the fact that you scored all that lovely, luscious wool. Sorry.

Shelivesthedream's newest MPP is that she has too many mustachian friends that want to help solve her other MPP, LOL!  You all are the best :-)

+1000!

[dougules]

My mustachian problem: I want to be debt-free, but my mortgage is 2.875% interest, and I can't justify pre-paying it compared to what Vanguard is earning.

+1, exact same rate...

Internet high five! I didn't qualify for this lender's lowest rate of 2.75% because my loan wasn't big enough. Oh, mustachian mortgage problems...

I caved.  I paid off our mortgage even though the rate was a stupid low 2.375%.  That's about the same as just my mutual fund dividends, not to speak of retained earnings.  The math said no, but I couldn't help it.  I was completely aware it was an emotional decision.  To me it's worth the feeling of having all four walls paid off. 

Now DH's (pre-MMM) car loan on the other hand, that's 0.9%.  We don't pay a penny extra. 

[Rubic]

I caved.  I paid off our mortgage even though the rate was a stupid low 2.375%.  That's about the same as just my mutual fund dividends, not to speak of retained earnings.  The math said no, but I couldn't help it.  I was completely aware it was an emotional decision.  To me it's worth the feeling of having all four walls paid off. 

No shame in that choice.  You made the correct decision for your piece of mind.

[shelivesthedream]

I caved.  I paid off our mortgage even though the rate was a stupid low 2.375%.  That's about the same as just my mutual fund dividends, not to speak of retained earnings.  The math said no, but I couldn't help it.  I was completely aware it was an emotional decision.  To me it's worth the feeling of having all four walls paid off. 

No shame in that choice.  You made the correct decision for your piece of mind.

Mmm... Mind chunklets...

[merula]

Now DH's (pre-MMM) car loan on the other hand, that's 0.9%.  We don't pay a penny extra.

Now it's my turn to say:

+1, exact same rate...

[Giro]

I caved.  I paid off our mortgage even though the rate was a stupid low 2.375%.  That's about the same as just my mutual fund dividends, not to speak of retained earnings.  The math said no, but I couldn't help it.  I was completely aware it was an emotional decision.  To me it's worth the feeling of having all four walls paid off. 

No shame in that choice.  You made the correct decision for your piece of mind.

Mmm... Mind chunklets...

tee hee hee

[MissNancyPryor]

LOL, no room in the freezer for those. 

[dragoncar]

Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

For a long time I've wanted to start a "Mustachian people problems (serious business)" thread

[Playing with Fire UK]

Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

For a long time I've wanted to start a "Mustachian people problems (serious business)" thread

Please do that.

[gaja]

But... I have a solution which does not involve buying a one-use item which I have no room to store anyway and then throwing it away when I've finished with it, as well as buying an expensive consumable (dry ice or, indeed, ice).
...
Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

But.... it is a PROBLEM and I must SOLVE it for you.

Oh hell, I just realized that what I thought was helpful mustachian problem solving was merely a facade to hide the raging jealousy of the fact that you scored all that lovely, luscious wool. Sorry.

Shelivesthedream's newest MPP is that she has too many mustachian friends that want to help solve her other MPP, LOL!  You all are the best :-)

+1000!

Just to add to the helpful and unwanted tips: heating the wool will also kill bugs. As long you don't shock or stir the fabric, heating to 90+ deg C is no problem. The wool must be in the water as you heat it, and be left in the water to slowly cool back to room temperature. I usually work with undyed wool, so I don't know if the colors would bleed. Maybe check with a smaller sample?

[runningthroughFIRE]

Sometimes I think people forget that this is Mustachian people problems for fun.

For a long time I've wanted to start a "Mustachian people problems (serious business)" thread

Please do that.

My first set of problems in such a thread would be that I recently trimmed my mustache down significantly IRL from its almost handlebar status due to the summer heat, and that I can't seem to find my monacle for proper reading of such serious matters.  These are troubling times, indeed.

[Justin1911]

I'm 30 and won't have my mortgage paid off for a few years because I want to keep the money in investment accounts.

My parents have helped my sisters financially but not me since I didn't need it.

I didn't gain anything from reading a Dave Ramsey book and saw that I was saving more money than he suggested (lots of my coworkers are big Dave Ramsey fans).

I started with Dave a few years ago. Since then I have intellectually graduated to MMM. Living what Dave preaches isn't a bad way to live. Its just amateur hour compared to a well tuned MMM lifestyle.

[Dollar Slice]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

[Zikoris]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

I got one of the fancy pants ones as a gift, and I LOVE that thing! I actually use a good chunk on the functions on it - toast, bagel toast, bake, convection bake, broil, reheat. The thing can even function as a rotisserie if you want to cook a whole chicken! Today alone I've used it three times - toast for each of us, plus a batch of muffins. Some days it's even more. FUN FUN FUN!

[Paul der Krake]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

[shelivesthedream]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Eh, I do like having high, medium and low so I can use low to melt chocolate and soften butter. But my parents bought a new one a while ago and it's like a freaking space station.

[Playing with Fire UK]

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Eh, I do like having high, medium and low so I can use low to melt chocolate and soften butter. But my parents bought a new one a while ago and it's like a freaking space station.

Just start and stop would work for me; or even start and 'shut off because I've opened the door'. The few times I need low power I'll blitz for a couple of seconds or put a cup of water in to take some of the energy from the butter. This might be a terrible idea for chocolate but I only melt chocolate bars in my coffee.

[Pooperman]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Some power% options as well.

[Paul der Krake]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Some power% options as well.

Percentages?! You can have high/low, but that's it.

[Pooperman]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Some power% options as well.

Percentages?! You can have high/low, but that's it.

Realistically, I only ever use 100% and 50%, so basically that haha.

[merula]

Some power% options as well.

Percentages?! You can have high/low, but that's it.

Realistically, I only ever use 100% and 50%, so basically that haha.

I use 10% for "Crap, I was supposed to pull the butter out to soften for this recipe."

[RetiredAt63]

Some power% options as well.

Percentages?! You can have high/low, but that's it.

Realistically, I only ever use 100% and 50%, so basically that haha.

I use 10% for "Crap, I was supposed to pull the butter out to soften for this recipe."

Or "Let's defrost this little piece of meat without cooking part of it." Time cook, percent power, and the timer, that is all I ever use on my microwave.  Total control.

[gliderpilot567]

In that same vein, have you seen a recent microwave oven? All I want is +30 sec, start, and stop.

Eh, I do like having high, medium and low so I can use low to melt chocolate and soften butter. But my parents bought a new one a while ago and it's like a freaking space station.

Just start and stop would work for me; or even start and 'shut off because I've opened the door'. The few times I need low power I'll blitz for a couple of seconds or put a cup of water in to take some of the energy from the butter. This might be a terrible idea for chocolate but I only melt chocolate bars in my coffee.

Just set the cook time to 99 minutes or something. As long as the time doesn't reset when you open the door, then the only button you ever need after that is the start button. Don't cancel the time after you open the door, just leave it sitting in there for the next run.

Side benefit of annoying your OCD SO if you leave "unfinished time" on the microwave

[gaja]

Other kids exercise their math skill by playing shopkeeper and customer. My kids play library, with fake library cards and everything.

[lemanfan]

[
Side benefit of annoying your OCD SO if you leave "unfinished time" on the microwave

Evil!

[FrugalShrew]

Other kids exercise their math skill by playing shopkeeper and customer. My kids play library, with fake library cards and everything.

This is so cute!

[Dicey]

I use 10% for "Crap, I was supposed to pull the butter out to soften for this recipe."

Me, too! 'Cause, COOKIES!
I always stock up on butter when the good stuff's cheap and freeze it, so, yeah, that's me.

[theadvicist]

MPP: Friend brought her toddler round. For context, said kid watches a lot of TV. We have a CRT TV. Hey, it was free, it was a really expensive model back in the day, and the picture quality is excellent. Yeah it's chunky, but it works!

Kid points at massive TV, frowns, looks at mother and says, "What is that?".

[dougules]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

I got one of the fancy pants ones as a gift, and I LOVE that thing! I actually use a good chunk on the functions on it - toast, bagel toast, bake, convection bake, broil, reheat. The thing can even function as a rotisserie if you want to cook a whole chicken! Today alone I've used it three times - toast for each of us, plus a batch of muffins. Some days it's even more. FUN FUN FUN!

A convection oven is worth it because I don't have to heat the whole oven.  I use it to heat leftovers or cook smaller items.  It's a million degrees outside right now, so I would pay for heating the whole oven then pay for the air conditioner to pump the heat out of the house. 

[dividend]

So I think these count as Mustachian problems.

My 401k can only bet set as a %, so I have mine set to the % needed to max it for the year.
This week my manager called me and told me that I was getting a raise.  My first thought was, damn the math to refigure the % on my 401k mid year to get it exactly right is going to be complicated! 

My husband and I do the yours-mine-ours thing with our finances, so I don't really keep tabs on what he does beyond the shared expenses/savings.  So last week he told me that he noticed his bank account balances were getting kind of high, so he offered me a mid 5-figure amount to put towards our house, but he's leaving it up to me how to allocate it.  Now I'm stressing about whether to apply it to the mortgage (it'd knock off ~40% of it), put it towards home improvements we've talked about saving for (fixing an unsightly fence, redoing and expanding our deck, potentially adding a second bathroom), or even as a down payment on buying the lake house where I spent all my summer weekends as a child from my parents.  I have financial stuff pretty carefully planned usually, and making a good decision here is stressing me out!

[zephyr911]

[
Side benefit of annoying your OCD SO if you leave "unfinished time" on the microwave

Evil!

I hate you both, and my DW, and my coworkers... also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

[Dicey]

                                  ... also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

Agreed! I have posted the same rule on other threads before, because...order.

However, you paraphrased a bit, thus lessening the urgency:

It's CDO because "Letters must be in alphabetical order."

The *twitch* is perfect.

[Dicey]

After my toaster oven broke (and I fixed it, and it broke, and I fixed it, and it broke and I gave up) I was shopping for a replacement. I wanted to get a decent quality one since this one lasted such a short time, but the only ones that were small enough to fit in my kitchen were either the cheapest, junkiest thing you could buy or the high-tech digital Compact Smart Oven (tm) that cost $180. Much rolling of eyes. Apparently toaster ovens are now "countertop convection ovens" and not just a way to cook frozen pizza and toast bread.

I got one of the fancy pants ones as a gift, and I LOVE that thing! I actually use a good chunk on the functions on it - toast, bagel toast, bake, convection bake, broil, reheat. The thing can even function as a rotisserie if you want to cook a whole chicken! Today alone I've used it three times - toast for each of us, plus a batch of muffins. Some days it's even more. FUN FUN FUN!

A convection oven is worth it because I don't have to heat the whole oven.  I use it to heat leftovers or cook smaller items.  It's a million degrees outside right now, so I would pay for heating the whole oven then pay for the air conditioner to pump the heat out of the house.

It's also a lot easier to move to a counter in the garage, which is where mine goes every summer, along with the hot air popcorn popper. If we drank coffee, the pot would round out the threesome. It's mid-summer and we haven't turned the A/C on yet.

[Dollar Slice]

Well, whatever - for a single person like myself who's not at home very much, it didn't seem worth it to pay an extra $150 for the fancy toaster oven ;-)  My $25 one should be waiting for me when I get home tonight.

MPP: I'm really sleepy at work today because, just as I was getting into bed last night, my phone pinged with an e-mail from someone via craigslist wanting to buy the thing I was selling. First bite on it since I posted it last week! Was eager to sell, so I got up and went to the computer and spent 45 minutes in back-and-forth e-mails. Went to bed with money in my Paypal account, and couldn't fall asleep for a while because I was feeling energized about the sale. *yawn*

[I'm a red panda]

also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

Oh that drives me absolutely nuts. Because now the acronym doesn't work!

[Cherry Lane]

I hate you both, and my DW, and my coworkers... also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

Ginpttu all eht eelrstt in aaabcehillpt edorr aekms ghinst a bit adhr ot ader.

[shelivesthedream]

I hate you both, and my DW, and my coworkers... also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

Ginpttu all eht eelrstt in aaabcehillpt edorr aekms ghinst a bit adhr ot ader.

But, interestingly, still possible.

[LeRainDrop]

I hate you both, and my DW, and my coworkers... also, it's "CDO"... the letters need to be alphabetical... *twitch*

Ginpttu all eht eelrstt in aaabcehillpt edorr aekms ghinst a bit adhr ot ader.

But, interestingly, still possible.

Psycholinguistic evidence on scrambled letters in reading
http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/people/matt.davis/cmabridge/

[Cookie78]

I was also wanting to contribute, and one of the first comments I read was the later thread by shelivesthedream regarding a full freezer.  This leads to my MPP #2:
Near my house there is a huge farmers market/rummage sale every weekend.  I never go, because they charge $3.00 to get in.  At the end of the weekend, all the vendors have to pay to use the dumpster to throw away the unsellable produce.  Instead, they drive it 1 mile away and stack it in the driveway of a man that email blasts people to come and pick through it for free.  He asks that human eaters come first, then animal feeders can come on Tuesday.  Anything left over he turns to composed.  I brought home zucchini, grapes, asparagus, lemons, oranges and a honeydew melon.   I filled our freezers with 70 cups of FREE shredded zucchini and now I do not have room to freeze the 8 POUNDS of sliced pepperoni I picked up in the sale meat bin for $1.25 a pound literally seconds before I got the email blast. I have no choice but to make jelly with the gallons of blackberries I picked for free last year to make room for the pepperoni.  But then I need room for this years berries. :)

That is an AMAZING deal!

[FIREby35]

Mustachian problem:

Somehow, I did the math wrong and maxed out my 401k on July 15 instead of Decmeber 31. WTF, I thought being Mustachian meant I was supposed to be good at math.

[johnny847]

Mustachian problem:

Somehow, I did the math wrong and maxed out my 401k on July 15 instead of Decmeber 31. WTF, I thought being Mustachian meant I was supposed to be good at math.

Oops.

But hey you're still far better off than people who don't even come close to maxing their 401k!
I've had to explain to a couple people what maxing a 401k even means...they didn't realize there was a limit since they'd never even considered contributing more than however much they were auto enrolled for.

[GreenSheep]

My Mustachian problem today is wishing I had come to my senses sooner. My former financial advisor, whom I had to email about some money that still hasn't transferred to Vanguard, mentioned that he is taking out a loan to finance his wedding. :-o And this guy was giving me financial advice...!

[Metric Mouse]

My Mustachian problem today is wishing I had come to my senses sooner. My former financial advisor, whom I had to email about some money that still hasn't transferred to Vanguard, mentioned that he is taking out a loan to finance his wedding. :-o And this guy was giving me financial advice...!

Maybe he can get a higher return than his interest rate on the loan?

[theadvicist]

My Mustachian problem today is wishing I had come to my senses sooner. My former financial advisor, whom I had to email about some money that still hasn't transferred to Vanguard, mentioned that he is taking out a loan to finance his wedding. :-o And this guy was giving me financial advice...!

Maybe he can get a higher return than his interest rate on the loan?

Huh? The post literally says, "To finance his wedding", not, "to invest". Unless by return you mean that he will get more generous wedding presents? I don't understand.

I do appreciate the old devil's advocate, but it can take the fun out of this thread if everyone is coming up with alternative scenarios that yes, whilst possible, are unlikely given the context. The dude said it was to finance his wedding... let's just take him at his word... and laugh at him behind his back.