Author Topic: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself  (Read 3317753 times)

ShuwopKilo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2650 on: February 26, 2016, 11:33:53 AM »
Hi! I'm K, 23 from WA. My husband M is 21.

We've been trying to get debt free since our wedding last summer. So far we've paid off $12K, and about $48K to go!

Our original plan was to get debt free so we could live off one income and I could be a stay at home mom, but I've been reading MMM for the past month and we are thinking of changing our goal to be completely FI by the time we are 35. (I'm aiming for 30, but I think having kids before then might push that back).

I'm looking forward to getting advice from you all!

Roadsidetreasurehunter

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2651 on: February 28, 2016, 08:41:31 PM »
Hello.  I'm 55, single and in Florida.  Long time reader.  I aggressively save, no debt, mortage paid.  Looking forward to being a part of this wonderful community.  I'm glad to be here.

Drone No More

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2652 on: February 29, 2016, 08:25:25 PM »
Hi Everyone! Today is my FIRE day, finally here after DH and I have been following this blog for a couple of years. He FIRED first, unhappy in his job, six months ago, and I made arrangements in December to ease out today. We churned cards for a nice vacation to Mexico last week, making today the first Monday I didn't have to rush somewhere in 35 years! Though I have a long list of hobbies and interests to explore, I'm a little concerned about giving up a very meaningful job. I know that I was helping people every day, and in that sense this feels a little selfish. On the other hand, being a "corporate drone" in a huge healthcare system was becoming completely unacceptable. I've got a good compromise of being on-call two half days a week, and able to decline working if it conflicts with something else going on. So thanks for the inspiration and showing us it really can be done! On with living!

RurallyFrugal

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2653 on: March 01, 2016, 05:36:46 AM »
I'm from rural Kentucky. Much different perspective than most of MMM readers I'd say, but most of the tenets apply.

Married, five kids, single income as a teacher. Makes my story a bit different since I'm on the public pension track and little capacity for savings at this point. I'm also a habitual DIYer. Came to the blog looking for more ways to stretch a dollar, stayed for the forums. They've been a wealth of info. Particularly interested in things the wife can do while staying home with the kids, and have hit a gold mine with this crowd. Keep it up!

jeffatmobileoffi

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2654 on: March 01, 2016, 06:17:21 AM »
I wasn't sure where to post so I've already posted to the Welcome section.

I'm a 57 year old from Richmond VA. I was glad to see MMM on Tapatalk!

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk


Filliteracy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2655 on: March 01, 2016, 08:02:31 PM »
Hi, I'm 25 year old Canadian with the goal of FIRE between 10 years an 17 years - depending to what extent I can convince the soon-to-be spouse to be on board. I've always been relatively frugal, and before reading MMM (from back to finish from Jan to Feb 2016), I was already saving about 50% of my income and had amassed a 100K stash. My main holdback was my lack of imagination - I hadn't even considered retiring before 55 at the earliest, even though I knew that by then, I would have much more money than I would ever need!

So far, the blog has been a great source of inspiration for living a better life and having a healthier relationship with money, badassity and autonomy (from the pervasive rising tide of convenience and delegation of skills), and I hope to learn even more from this great community!

maruro

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2656 on: March 01, 2016, 08:25:55 PM »
Hello all!

I'm MR, I'm 20, and a college student in MA. Longtime reader, first-time poster. Nervously anticipating graduating with around 18k of student loan debt in a year (no regrets, but...yikes! bad call, past-me) and want to make sure I get off to a good start - figured this was probably the right time to move off the mainpage and immerse myself in all the knowledge of the forums! :)

Thanks to my reading of MMM, I've managed to save up a decent lump sum - but I'm feeling antsy about my money just sitting in a savings account not earning anything. I've been torn between 1. dumping money into my loan preemptively, 2. investing it, or 3. just holding onto it knowing I'll need money available to start off post-graduation...so, my current financial goal is finally making a choice and not wasting any more time.

I grew up poor and my goal is to benefit from Mustachian wisdom just enough to feel safe financially - no huge aspirations. Anything more than that is an excellent added perk! :D

runningthroughFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2657 on: March 02, 2016, 10:52:53 AM »
Hello all!

I'm MR, I'm 20, and a college student in MA. Longtime reader, first-time poster. Nervously anticipating graduating with around 18k of student loan debt in a year (no regrets, but...yikes! bad call, past-me) and want to make sure I get off to a good start - figured this was probably the right time to move off the mainpage and immerse myself in all the knowledge of the forums! :)

Thanks to my reading of MMM, I've managed to save up a decent lump sum - but I'm feeling antsy about my money just sitting in a savings account not earning anything. I've been torn between 1. dumping money into my loan preemptively, 2. investing it, or 3. just holding onto it knowing I'll need money available to start off post-graduation...so, my current financial goal is finally making a choice and not wasting any more time.

I grew up poor and my goal is to benefit from Mustachian wisdom just enough to feel safe financially - no huge aspirations. Anything more than that is an excellent added perk! :D
Student loans aren't inherently bad, although it is still debt.  I had about 20K in loans when I graduated last May, and I've already sliced away a fair chunk of it. It all depends on your employement prospects, interest rates, etc.  Until you settle into post-grad life, all 3 options are valid choices.  I personally kept just about everything in liquid cash until I had a good feel for what my income and living situations would be like, and then started throwing everything at the loans. YMMV. Welcome to the forums! It's nice to see some more younger folks join up.

ElGrillo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2658 on: March 02, 2016, 09:17:46 PM »
Hello everybody!

I'm 20 years old and am going to college in NM. I just stumbled on MMM about a week ago and have since absorbed as much of the advice as I could, while also researching on other places around the internet. I'm looking at retiring around 40 if everything goes well, however I wouldn't mind working later than that since I love the field I plan to go into.

I've set up a Betterment Roth IRA and general investing account for now, and plan to switch to Vanguard when I have racked up enough to make the minimum deposit for an IRA and ETF or index fund.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2016, 11:58:25 PM by ElGrillo »

JoRocka

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2659 on: March 04, 2016, 10:15:20 AM »
Herrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooo

Been lurking for a hot minute once I realized MMM had forums- I've been reading MMM on and off for the last 6 months or so.
I'm getting married this year (GULP)- and we together are working to reduce and eliminate our debt.  He's essentially my CFO- since and makes sure I pay bills all on time.

I worked in construction for about 5 years and due to the on again off again nature of the work- and my mental state- I drove my CC debt through the ceiling.

I now have a stead job- two cash side jobs- and I trade my time for my dance classes- so I can still enjoy my hobbies without sacrificing to much money.

I'm a chronic retail therapy person- and trying to pay for my wedding and fix my debt is a daily and mentally exhausting struggle.  I also really love make up. don't judge me.

So- I've made it a point to be more aggressive with surrounding myself (on line/ and IRL) with people who understand the drive to reduce all debt. So- here I am. trying to read/lurk and be inspired to be a better less consumeristic person. (yeah I know that's not a word- still don't care)

I have 1 old honda civic- no payments (sold mazdaspeed3 so no more payments) 1 motorcycle- older- great shape- obviously no payments there.  Student loans are SO close to being paid off. (WOOT) and I do my best to keep my housing expenses as low as I can (I rent a small house)- I wear a lot of sweaters and socks for sure!.

I'm currently debating a bicycle.... but ah... that's a difficult leap for me. I live and travel in a very small circle but b/c of the many trips a day I make- bike/motorcycle are harder to manage. But- debating it.
Honestly mostly just need to stop buying fucking eye shadows. 

I'm a lifter- so food is rarely an issue- unless I'm bulking- and then it's just expensive because I have to eat so much of it- but I always pack a lunch. I'm to lazy to leave for lunch- and also- duh- so expensive- so I find myself fitting in really well with the "low maintenance" life style- just a few tweaks to get myself mentally where I need to be and I'll be SO much better off.


Anyway- here i am!!! Hi :)

trailhugger

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2660 on: March 05, 2016, 05:04:45 PM »
Hi there,

I recently rediscovered MMM and found out about the forum. I came across the blog way back in the first year, maybe even while on maternity leave with my first child, but basically gave up blog reading due to time. Now I'm working from home part-time while raising my three children: a DD, almost 5; DS, age 3; and DS, 16 months. DH has a great job that treats him well, despite being pretty intense/stressful/time consuming at times, and is about an 8-mile commute. I manage our rental property (was our home until about a year ago) and our online business (which basically funds our favorite hobby), freelance as an architectural and residential designer, and manage the budget. The latter being the main reason I'm here, of course! I'm pretty good at not spending money, at finding good unit-price deals on groceries and making the most of them by cooking in bulk and freezing... but I know there's always room for improvement.

Cheers,
Cydney in Raleigh, NC

BIMbro

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2661 on: March 06, 2016, 06:47:11 PM »
Hi all, I'm Thom aka BIMbro from Phoenix, Az. BIM stands for Building Information Modeling if anyone is curious. Anyway I'm 47 years old and finally decided to pull my head out of my ass just as I found this website. Thanks Mr & Mrs Money Moustache!

Vixine

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2662 on: March 07, 2016, 04:33:03 AM »
Hi everyone!
I have recently discovered MMM and I LOVE it... been lurking a bit and decided to join in...
I am 40, recently divorced with one son, and I just got my head OUT of the sand regarding the state of my finances. Unfortunately, I have been one of those people living above their means, nursing too many credit cards and student loans, and ignoring the consequences for too long. I got myself on a budget and I'm tackling this head on. I wish I had started 20 years ago, but hey, there is nothing I can do about that now! Better late than never! Nice to meet you all...

lemanfan

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2663 on: March 07, 2016, 03:09:16 PM »
I wish I had started 20 years ago, but hey, there is nothing I can do about that now! Better late than never! Nice to meet you all...

How true is that... it's never too late to make things better. :)

brandonj

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2664 on: March 07, 2016, 11:53:43 PM »
Hi Everyone,

My name is Brandon, I am 33 years old and originally from Mesa, Arizona. I am currently traveling the world with my wife Katie and our three kids. I stumbled across the Mr Money Mustache blog while looking into other ways to invest. I am a small business owner and am blessed to be able to do my work online.

I look forward to learning from all of you and participating in the forum!

TheDarkStorm

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2665 on: March 08, 2016, 11:16:03 AM »
Hello Everyone,

I have been lurking around the MMM site for a few months, and have taken my first steps to seriously hoard monies.  I moved to a different state 2 years back for work, though my heart and soul (if such exists) wait for my eventual return to Colorado.

I have always tried to save, though previously it was more like 10% of salary. 

I was in the process of procuring a[n expensive custom] home (currently apartment dwelling) last year, but an incident over Christmas made me re-think my life's plan and I backed away from such an expensive purchase/obligation.  It was at that time that I stumbled across the MMM website.

This past month, I upped my 401K to max (few more years to full vestment), and started a Betterment account.  I have a [smallish] IRA and HSA from previous employments, a Life Insurance Roth like savings,  a company pension (few years to full vestment), a handful of dividend stocks, and Im currently renting my old townhome in... Longmont, CO!  I only wish I had known about MMM before I left.

I will mostly continue to lurk the forum, but I will try to input positively when I can. 

I recently had this notion of retiring in 10 years, though I need to do some more number crunching before I can say either way.  I feel that the moment I retire, Ill be moving back to CO.


coziestrobot

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2666 on: March 08, 2016, 01:09:51 PM »
Hi everyone.

I just learned about this website from the New Yorker and have found it to be so helpful this far. I am 27 years old. I finished up my education (BS and MS) debt free 4 years ago and have managed to save a reasonable chunk of money since.

I am in a bit of a different financial situation that most others here in that I am about to take on massive student debt. I will be starting medical school this fall and, unfortunately, expect to go into about $200,000 of debt. Thankfully, my partner and I are becoming increasingly fiscally responsible and have started to outline a repayment plan that should get me out of debt within 10 years of graduation, if not less. We're not sure where his income will be 5 years from now, but we've firmly decided that we will not delay loan repayments until after residency, which will save us a lot on interest.

I am currently using a small portion of my savings to take the next few months off to relax and reconnect with myself before I start school.  My financial goals are as follows: I want to live in a way that money is not a major stressor in my life. I am pursuing medicine because it is a calling, and I look forward to finding a specialty and career that satiates my intellectual and humanistic drive rather than a desire for money.

I look forward to learning as much as I can from this site and forum!

Psyche

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2667 on: March 08, 2016, 08:06:42 PM »
Hello!  I recently discovered the MMM website and have been eagerly reading through the archive of posts.  I am a would-be Mustachian in SD, and am finally able to start moving toward my own financial goals after a divorce.  Budget is very tight as I'm a single mom who receives no support (yes, I already pursued all legal remedies available).  Still, I'm coming out ahead now that no one else is running up debt for me to fix : P  I actually have always *loved* living simply, so I'm very, very excited to rebuild a simple life for myself, build savings, and eventually reach independence!  Also excited to share these lessons with my kids (teens) so they can start out right from the beginning.

NorCalMK3

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2668 on: March 09, 2016, 03:13:02 PM »
Hi:

Im a longtime lurker on both the blog and forum and decided to finally register. Basic details:

Northern California native
31 year old College grad (Construction Management) Work for a Commercial General Contractor
Recently Married
Homeowner (bought a fixer upper that hasn't been touched since 1960)
Landlord - Wife and I rent out one house (that the wife lived in previously)
Job pays for my gas, cell phone and vehicle allowance - Sweet!
Currently wife and I are paying off her car, then working on killing mortgages

IronInTheFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2669 on: March 10, 2016, 12:16:16 PM »
It seems silly after all these years of reading the blog and some of the Forums to finally introduce myself, but here goes.

My name is Mike, my family consists of a loving wife and 2 awesome little boys (currently 4 and 6).

We live in Northern NJ, yes a HCOL area, due to the geography of where we were raised (NYC and Philly suburbs) and the availability of lucrative work (for me) in the finance world in Manhattan.

Wife and I are both 45 and after much consternation, saving, budgeting and OMY-ing myself every year for the last 3 or 4 years, ready to call it FIRE'd this year.

While we love our house and neighborhood, we often talk of relocating, specifically to the front range of Colorado. We've visited many times for ski trips and ask ourselves every time why we don't just live out here.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to add their insight and advice here, it really is a wonderful resource for the like-minded!

Mike



dabaobao888

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2670 on: March 12, 2016, 07:24:23 AM »
I'm 27 year old, work as an institutional investor focused on developing market public equity.

I'm one of those people that loves his job and would not retire even if I was 1000x as wealthy.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2016, 07:30:47 AM by dabaobao888 »

Thrifty Snail

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2671 on: March 12, 2016, 08:50:00 AM »
Hello,

I recently found this site through the New Yorker. I am naturally fairly tight with money though the las t few years have been challenging due to childcare costs. Now the son has moved onto public school and we have begun saving about 40% of our income.

The wife is in a  lucrative job with long hours and I am an educator who does most of the homemaker stuff. We are hoping to be able to save heavily over the next ten years then move into into part time or seasonal work as we enjoy our jobs when the hours are short. Currently I am searching for a position close to home to eliminate my lengthy commute.

We chose an area within day trip distance of an east coast city we love but far enough away that housing is 1/3-1/2 the cost. With our children we enjoy spending time outdoors and this is a fun way not to spend.

Both of us enjoy the site though it raises as many questions as it answers. We are trying to find the right mix of debt payment, investing and saving that will allow us to reach our goals.

NinetyFour

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2672 on: March 13, 2016, 04:48:54 AM »
I think it is super cool that folks have recently begun to join the forum saying that they heard about MMM through the New Yorker.  Awesome!!!

cyndre4

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I'm so pleased to have found you!
« Reply #2673 on: March 13, 2016, 10:38:27 PM »
Hello all!
I feel like I've come home... I was raised with similar thoughts around spending, but in recent years, I've felt myself slipping. I just built a tiny house, and put the balance on credit cards. I've paid off half of the debt, but I've got $37,000 to go. My goal is to nuke that this year. A funny thing happens when in debt... It sure gets easy to charge more! I could sure use all the encouragement I can get! I'm so pleased to start really looking at my finances and cutting back in the places where spending has got out of hand!

ryan.triguy

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2674 on: March 13, 2016, 11:33:21 PM »
Well how to start.  I had a buddy of mine mention something about money mustache the other day while our kids were playing on the big toy.  That was about two weeks ago and due to crappy weather, so projects on house have slowed, I have read the first year and month of the blog.  I am quickly catching up and love it.  We (the misses is totally on board) have already begun changing things and looking into ways to become FI. 

I do have a few questions I have been pondering;

Recently after much dilemma decided to start paying on our mortgage at a 15yr price point and bi-monthly.  372K at 3.37.  We could have refied to 2.75 but my wife (nurse) is going back to school in the fall, so she didn't want to be locked into higher payments just in case.  My question is we have an extra 20k sitting in bank ( I know no money soldiers out there making money for us)  I am debating either throwing it down on mortgage or investing it. My wife has a roth ira that we are maxing and I have a deferred comp non matching I do 500 a month toward(max. would be 1500 month). My thought on investment is to diversify the roth and deferred, going with something like Vanguard ETF. 

Thanks for the incite.  I cant wait to contribute more.  I love the back to basics way of life on here.  I feel like our lifestyle fits right in.  I can't believe all the new little things I have learned to be more frugal.  I think my wife already thought I was frugal before.

Thanks MMM's

mora33

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2675 on: March 15, 2016, 02:52:48 PM »
Hi,

I'm Mora and i bought two books today:  A random walk down wall street and Investing in your 20s and 30s for dummies.

I'm very new to investing except property.  I would love to learn as much as I can so I can help others.

Alina15

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2676 on: March 16, 2016, 08:10:04 AM »
Hi,
I am Alina. I am new to this forum.

runningthroughFIRE

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2677 on: March 16, 2016, 10:32:10 AM »
Well how to start.  I had a buddy of mine mention something about money mustache the other day while our kids were playing on the big toy.  That was about two weeks ago and due to crappy weather, so projects on house have slowed, I have read the first year and month of the blog.  I am quickly catching up and love it.  We (the misses is totally on board) have already begun changing things and looking into ways to become FI. 

I do have a few questions I have been pondering;

Recently after much dilemma decided to start paying on our mortgage at a 15yr price point and bi-monthly.  372K at 3.37.  We could have refied to 2.75 but my wife (nurse) is going back to school in the fall, so she didn't want to be locked into higher payments just in case.  My question is we have an extra 20k sitting in bank ( I know no money soldiers out there making money for us)  I am debating either throwing it down on mortgage or investing it. My wife has a roth ira that we are maxing and I have a deferred comp non matching I do 500 a month toward(max. would be 1500 month). My thought on investment is to diversify the roth and deferred, going with something like Vanguard ETF. 

Thanks for the incite.  I cant wait to contribute more.  I love the back to basics way of life on here.  I feel like our lifestyle fits right in.  I can't believe all the new little things I have learned to be more frugal.  I think my wife already thought I was frugal before.

Thanks MMM's
Welcome to the forums!  As with most things, the answer is "it depends", but it seems like the rate is low enough that you'll be better off in the long run by investing that money.  The decision is really up to you/your spouse and what you are comfortable with.  Ragarding your IRA, diversification is always important but remember to think of your portfolio as a whole, rather than each account in isolation.

If you want specific advice and are willing to do it, you can always post a case study for the community to examine and give you opinions.  A template of what you might want to include can be found here: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/how-to-write-a-'case-study'-topic/

Campanula

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2678 on: March 17, 2016, 01:15:00 PM »
Hello all. I'm a long-time lurker, finally posting. I live in the UK, married to a lovely American chap.

I've always been frugal and it's good to find so many like-minded people. I've been really motivated to save in the last few years due to our increasing health problems (both still in our 30s) and a desire to find a different kind of life. Looking forward to joining the conversation.

Rife

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2679 on: March 19, 2016, 10:08:25 AM »
Hello everyone,

I have been lurking on and off for a few years since a co-worker of mine mentioned this site to me. We have always avoided consumer debt, but this blog convinced us that we could greatly increase our savings rate. It took a couple of years of gradual improvement, but this past year my wife has really jumped in with both feet.

Quick background: We live in the Puget Sound, and both work for the same company. Over the past six years our income has gone from 12.50 and 15 an hour to 200k combined. We max out our 401k (with a generous company match on top), my wife even switched to Roth so she could effectively put in more than the 18000 pre-tax. This year we started HSAs and have been putting money into a 529 since my daughter was born (three years old!). We also invested in solar panels this past summer, and took out a couple 401k loans to pay for it. We also have another 401k loan from buying an Outback last year (I admit, not a Mustachian move). On top of that we also put some into an IRA (though short of the 11000 limit).

Our goal for this year is to pay off all of the 401k loans (we just paid off the largest last week) while still maxing the 401k and HSA. After that, we will be able to save enough that we won't ever have to tap the 401k again, and then we will really be gaining momentum.

Last year, my wife started a detailed budget that estimates monthly up to five years out. I have had a retirement spreadsheet going for the past few years that tracks the bigger picture. One example of success is our food budget. We used to eat out at restaurants a lot and spent about 1800 a month on food. Now, we only shop at Costco, rarely eat out and have been consistently under 600 dollars a month.


walrus

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2680 on: March 20, 2016, 10:29:09 AM »
Hello all!
I found out about MMM from the New Yorker like some others here. I'm 24, graduated college two years ago with no debt and am employed so I am starting from a pretty good place! My lifestyle is already fairly mustachian - I don't have a car, I walk or ride my bike to work and to run errands, I pack my lunch every day. However, I live in Brooklyn and pay absurdly high rent, and I go out to eat a lot on weekends, etc.. So I am having a hard time saving at the moment. Would love to hear from others who are living in NYC!

NinetyFour

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2681 on: March 20, 2016, 11:07:09 AM »
Hello all!
I found out about MMM from the New Yorker like some others here. I'm 24, graduated college two years ago with no debt and am employed so I am starting from a pretty good place! My lifestyle is already fairly mustachian - I don't have a car, I walk or ride my bike to work and to run errands, I pack my lunch every day. However, I live in Brooklyn and pay absurdly high rent, and I go out to eat a lot on weekends, etc.. So I am having a hard time saving at the moment. Would love to hear from others who are living in NYC!

Here is just the thread for you!

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/meetups-and-social-events/nyc-meetup-on-sunday-june-22nd/

Welcome to the forum!

MrsTuxedocat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2682 on: March 20, 2016, 05:38:55 PM »
I have been lurking on this site for the last month (or so), and thought it was about time to join. I am 31 and recently married to Mr. Tuxedocat. We live in a very HCOL area and are trying to save for a downpayment.

Wekeeprollingdowntheroad

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2683 on: March 20, 2016, 06:52:50 PM »
Hello!
My wife (34) and I (43) travel full time, currently exploring America. I am an ex professional photographer, she is an ex dental hygienist. We've been on the road for about a year now and don't have any plans to stop. We mostly avoid people and the internet nowadays, so signing up here is new for us(me). I think I'm mostly here out of curiosity to see what other frugal retirees are up to.
We can be found on paddleboards,longboards,bicycles,disc golf courses or exploring natural or historic areas, or seeking out unique libraries or cinemas all over the USA. We do other stuff too as it pops up.
We got to this point in life by living in vehicles(i think living in a car exempts me from car clown status..) for 5 years while earning a nice salary(before marriage) then and having nice incomes and living (mostly) a minimum wage lifestyle after getting married. We enjoy the simple things in life, and our values most often coincide with that often spoken, but rarely embraced nugget that the best things in life are free :)

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2684 on: March 21, 2016, 05:56:55 AM »
Hello!
My wife (34) and I (43) travel full time, currently exploring America. I am an ex professional photographer, she is an ex dental hygienist. We've been on the road for about a year now and don't have any plans to stop. We mostly avoid people and the internet nowadays, so signing up here is new for us(me). I think I'm mostly here out of curiosity to see what other frugal retirees are up to.
We can be found on paddleboards,longboards,bicycles,disc golf courses or exploring natural or historic areas, or seeking out unique libraries or cinemas all over the USA. We do other stuff too as it pops up.
We got to this point in life by living in vehicles(i think living in a car exempts me from car clown status..) for 5 years while earning a nice salary(before marriage) then and having nice incomes and living (mostly) a minimum wage lifestyle after getting married. We enjoy the simple things in life, and our values most often coincide with that often spoken, but rarely embraced nugget that the best things in life are free :)

I love that pic!! Awesome.

Wekeeprollingdowntheroad

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2685 on: March 21, 2016, 06:55:15 AM »
Hello!
My wife (34) and I (43) travel full time, currently exploring America. I am an ex professional photographer, she is an ex dental hygienist. We've been on the road for about a year now and don't have any plans to stop. We mostly avoid people and the internet nowadays, so signing up here is new for us(me). I think I'm mostly here out of curiosity to see what other frugal retirees are up to.
We can be found on paddleboards,longboards,bicycles,disc golf courses or exploring natural or historic areas, or seeking out unique libraries or cinemas all over the USA. We do other stuff too as it pops up.
We got to this point in life by living in vehicles(i think living in a car exempts me from car clown status..) for 5 years while earning a nice salary(before marriage) then and having nice incomes and living (mostly) a minimum wage lifestyle after getting married. We enjoy the simple things in life, and our values most often coincide with that often spoken, but rarely embraced nugget that the best things in life are free :)

I love that pic!! Awesome.

Thanks! This was after an unusual and epic snowfall in Kentucky a couple months or so ago. Everything shut down, but we went looking for the closest lake :)

jordanread

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2686 on: March 21, 2016, 07:10:59 AM »
I love that pic!! Awesome.

Thanks! This was after an unusual and epic snowfall in Kentucky a couple months or so ago. Everything shut down, but we went looking for the closest lake :)

Very nice. I think you are going to fit in quite well around here. Even though I'm pretty much landlocked here in Colorado, I somehow found myself often interacting with Prospector (canoes) and Jon Snow (kayaks) and discussion often turns to paddling about and enjoying the wonders that are missed by louder and faster machines. Oh, plus there is a friendly rivalry between the two and preferred modes of transportation.

Wekeeprollingdowntheroad

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2687 on: March 21, 2016, 07:20:13 AM »
I love that pic!! Awesome.

Thanks! This was after an unusual and epic snowfall in Kentucky a couple months or so ago. Everything shut down, but we went looking for the closest lake :)

Very nice. I think you are going to fit in quite well around here. Even though I'm pretty much landlocked here in Colorado, I somehow found myself often interacting with Prospector (canoes) and Jon Snow (kayaks) and discussion often turns to paddling about and enjoying the wonders that are missed by louder and faster machines. Oh, plus there is a friendly rivalry between the two and preferred modes of transportation.

Haha nice!! I'm a long time canoe man myself, but when we hit the road, a canoe was just going to be too much to cart around. Inflatable paddle boards are the answer. I have love for kayakers, but mostly it's the feel sorry kind of love 😎❤️ I have been intrigued by the new foldable kayaks out now, but so far our paddle boards own any kind of situation
Amen to preference to louder and faster machines. We cart around folding bikes as they are our preferred mode of land travel. I did give up our push longboard skateboard for an electric board though. There aren't always hills where we go! There's gotta be some lakes around you no?

Azaor

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2688 on: March 21, 2016, 03:39:44 PM »
Hi everyone,

Frugal by nature, discovering MMM has helped me to realize the potential of it and in particular that retiring early is possible. My goal (yet to be fully defined) is to be financially independent as soon as possible.

As a new member of this community, I look forward to improve my mustachian skills and learn more about FIRE.

Neo

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2689 on: March 22, 2016, 05:22:15 PM »
Hello Mustachians,

I have been reading the blog for about 6 months. Today I paid off all my credit cards ($3,021 in total) and I will be closing on my first 4-family rental property in about 45 days. Already cut the cable cord, minimized electric bills, minimized cell phone bills, etc. I think I'm in a good spot to really start lighting the savings fire. I will have to pay out around $15k to buy the rental property, leaving only about $2k left liquid in savings. I do have an IRA with about $50k and a 401(k) with about $10k which I get matched at 7% for every 6% I put in, which is pretty sweet.

The big hurdles left to eliminate are my car ($460/month with about $26k left on the loan) and downsizing my house (I have a $300k home but probably only need a $180-200k home). If I can get those two items in check, along with my other progress, I will really be on my way. The plan is to keep accumulating rental properties as finances allow.

Anyway, nice to meet you all and I look forward to learning from the great community here!

bananarama

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2690 on: March 23, 2016, 07:14:10 AM »
Hello all! I'm Bananarama, and live in the NOVA area.

I found MMM through a CNN Money article (waaaaay back) and lurked a lot. I did manage to pay off 36kish in student loans in the last year using what I learned from the blog and forum! I still have a 27k or so car loan, but it's a Prius and I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off (also they gave me a 0% loan).

Recently started biking everyday - but haven't managed to incorporate it into my daily commute yet. My area has a lot of bike paths, they just don't go in the direction I need, and riding on the road is still slightly terrifying.

I hope to continue to optimize my finances so I can retire and really explore the world. My dream is to one day sell everything and drive around North America in a rv/van visiting anything that interests me while everyone else is stuck at work. I think if I really buckled down I could manage it by 35 (only 8ish years away).

Ellabean

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2691 on: March 23, 2016, 07:43:06 AM »
Hi! I'm Ella. I'm married and I have two kids, nine months old and 4.75 years old. I read through the entire blog and realized that I am a car-clown consuma sucka. I can't change the car part yet(at least it's paid off and not an SUV), but I'm working on making changes to my lifestyle-- not buying things for the consumer thrill, not going out to eat, and enjoying the challenge of cooking, yardwork, and DIY. My husband and I have enormous student loan debt (I have a useless PhD and he is actually using his Master's), a mortgage, and high day-care costs. Our savings rate has been 3%. We are working on paying down our debt and upped our savings rate to 6%, which is a start. I'm happy to be here and look forward to learning from y'all!

BurtMacklin

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2692 on: March 23, 2016, 10:40:49 AM »
Hi, I am Steve, my wife and I have taught in NC for 15 years. We plan to work 15 more years in order to have full pensions. I've been reading this forum for several months. We are working on paying off our debts and maxing out our Roths. Our goal is to be able to retire in our early 50's if we choose to do so and be comfortable.

mafire

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2693 on: March 23, 2016, 12:52:28 PM »
Hi,

I'm Brian from Massachusetts. 25 years old and just starting my career. I'm looking to live a life with less things and more time to spend outdoors and with friends.

CLB

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2694 on: March 23, 2016, 01:42:59 PM »
Hello from Texas!

Legg-Stache

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2695 on: March 24, 2016, 06:34:50 AM »
Hi,

I'm a mid-20's Canadian (Ontario) personal finance junky working in a consumer-driven field knowing that it is not what I want to do with the rest of my life. Therefore my wife (a nurse, helping man-kind one step at a time) and I (not a nurse, not helping man-kind) have decided to build on an already fairly frugal lifestyle toward having enough F-You money in 3-5 years to have lots of babies and pursue employment that is less lucrative but more fun.

Currently landlording a couple duplexes (living in one unit) for a positive cashflow (i.e. no mortgage payment) and saving >40% of our income with the ultimate day-by-day goal of living life sustainably happy (pursuing FI and frugality makes this easier!)

Keep on rockin'.

moneycakes

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2696 on: March 24, 2016, 10:23:25 AM »
Hi! I am Lisa, single mother of 3 college kids. I am a Registered Nurse and have been working full time in my career for 27 years. I found this blog by accident looking into ideas to speed my ability to retire. I raised my kids on my own and really lived paycheck to paycheck without saving anything. I started my first 401K in September 2015. I am working as a travel nurse now which enables me to save a lot more money because I do not have to pay living expenses. I am looking forward to gaining a lot of knowledge from you all and MMM. I have now read the whole blog in about 3 weeks time and have moved on to the forum to continue my education!

elmustacho

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2697 on: March 24, 2016, 03:38:03 PM »
Hi,

I'm El Mustacho,

I'm a Software Engineer, been reading MMM for a little less than a year. Found it after reading books like Millionaire Next Door and Rich Dad Poor Dad.

Currently debt free, moving two blocks away from work  and building the emergency stash.

I've saved lots by having medical procedures and hardware repairs in Mexico, if anybody needs tips on how to save major money on some repairs in Mexico I'm your guy.



AussieCat

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2698 on: March 27, 2016, 06:52:07 PM »
Hey all, from Melbourne, Australia :)

We (Cath - who posts - and hubby Al) are both 40 and we have two boys (8 & 10). We are aiming at FI by 43 (I think, I might post a case study for review), but will be enjoying a SWAMI lifestyle on a part time basis for as long as we choose after that. That's what this is all about to me - the freedom to make choices :)

FinanciallyIndependent

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Re: Say Hi and Introduce Yourself
« Reply #2699 on: March 29, 2016, 09:31:49 PM »
Hi everyone! My name is Raj Malhotra. My wife and I are engineers who migrated from India to LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM and have saved over a million dollars since 2007. We are in our mid thirties and have both quit working in 2016 (due to the oil crash).  We have two kids 4 and 2 yr old.  We are super savers have gotten lucky in the stock market and have rode the bull from 2009 through 2014.  Now we have effectively stopped working (because we think we are financially independent) to spend more time with kids, family in India and each other. 
It has been a week since I was laid off (I didnt have guts to quit and retire).  Now I am enjoying time but have no idea what to do?  I grew up wanting to make money and that was the single aim my wife and I shared.  But we feel that we have saved a lot and its time to relax.  The idea seemed nice when I was working but now with nothing to do I actually feel like doing something.  This is where I need your help.  I have no idea what I want to do.  All my friends have jobs during weekdays so I cannot bother them.  Are there any highpaying part time flexible jobs that you have found?  What else can I do to not go crazy by sitting and staring at a wall and feeling useless?  Is this normal?