Mr. Money Mustache

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I make over 100k a year and easily live on about 30k a year while paying for a friend to go to school at a local community college(including his monthly rent.)"

Do you not pay taxes? I made over 100K and paid 28K in federal tax, 10K in D.C. tax, and 50K to cover PTTI for a 2000 sq. ft. single family home.

Not to mention houses in Texas are way cheaper than the equivalent around here.

The housing tax in Texas is insanely expensive and no one every talks about that-granted if your in a small town and your house in only $150K then your tax is about $4500. But housing inside big cities (Houston, Dallas, Austin) is not as cheap as you think when you factor in 3% housing tax and 2K a year in insurance for windstorm/flood/etc. Granted it may be a little bigger and nicer than DC. Granted you can get something really nice and big for about 400K if you are willing to live in the suburbs but who wants a 90 minute commute with traffic. For example-these are close in housing with character for downtown (yearly taxes are 24K a year).

http://www.har.com/3016-morrison-street/sale_25987913
http://www.har.com/1123-w-21st-street/sale_30629741

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What good is money if you can't enjoy it?

He uses his money so he can spend his time in ways he finds more meaningful and enjoyable than being an an office/cubicle for 40+ hours a week.I agree-- I prefer finding a job that isn't a grind and then spending money on other things-- but i think what he says is interesting.

Like what?

I admit I haven't read his blog, but, unless you are a "crazy scientist' who sits in his house all day trying to solve Fermat's theorem and finding it enjoyable and meaninful.. what does a 30-year-old dude with a family do all day that doesn't involve earning, or spending, money? I guess he could meditate all day, that's a time-consuming but free activity, but otherwise, I'm baffled.

I'm not trying to be rude, but this is quite possibly one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

With those free ~40 hours a week(not counting the extra hours from commuting and unwinding) you could easily do most anything you wanted.
A short list is as follows:

Exercise
Read
Spend time with your wife
Spend time with your child(which all evidence says is far better than a pre-school of any price)
Learn to cook food better than any restaurant(and cheaper and healthier)
Learn a language
Do everything on your to-do list
Sleep in
Learn to do anything you've ever wanted
Hike
Watch bad TV
Watch good TV

All of the above are easily done for cheap or free and should keep you quite busy for a very long time and I guarantee doing a few of them will make your life far better than sitting at work.

And this is by no means an exhaustive list of free/very cheap activities.

You don’t have to quit your job to do these things!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What good is money if you can't enjoy it?

He uses his money so he can spend his time in ways he finds more meaningful and enjoyable than being an an office/cubicle for 40+ hours a week.I agree-- I prefer finding a job that isn't a grind and then spending money on other things-- but i think what he says is interesting.

Like what?

I admit I haven't read his blog, but, unless you are a "crazy scientist' who sits in his house all day trying to solve Fermat's theorem and finding it enjoyable and meaninful.. what does a 30-year-old dude with a family do all day that doesn't involve earning, or spending, money? I guess he could meditate all day, that's a time-consuming but free activity, but otherwise, I'm baffled.

I'm not trying to be rude, but this is quite possibly one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

With those free ~40 hours a week(not counting the extra hours from commuting and unwinding) you could easily do most anything you wanted.
A short list is as follows:

Exercise
Read
Spend time with your wife
Spend time with your child(which all evidence says is far better than a pre-school of any price)
Learn to cook food better than any restaurant(and cheaper and healthier)
Learn a language
Do everything on your to-do list
Sleep in
Learn to do anything you've ever wanted
Hike
Watch bad TV
Watch good TV

All of the above are easily done for cheap or free and should keep you quite busy for a very long time and I guarantee doing a few of them will make your life far better than sitting at work.

And this is by no means an exhaustive list of free/very cheap activities.

You don’t have to quit your job to do these things!

No, but if you have enough money in the bank account, you can do more of the things listed above and you won't have to work. Sad that someone can't understand a life without having to spend 40+ hours a week in an office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What good is money if you can't enjoy it?

He uses his money so he can spend his time in ways he finds more meaningful and enjoyable than being an an office/cubicle for 40+ hours a week.I agree-- I prefer finding a job that isn't a grind and then spending money on other things-- but i think what he says is interesting.

Like what?

I admit I haven't read his blog, but, unless you are a "crazy scientist' who sits in his house all day trying to solve Fermat's theorem and finding it enjoyable and meaninful.. what does a 30-year-old dude with a family do all day that doesn't involve earning, or spending, money? I guess he could meditate all day, that's a time-consuming but free activity, but otherwise, I'm baffled.

I'm not trying to be rude, but this is quite possibly one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

With those free ~40 hours a week(not counting the extra hours from commuting and unwinding) you could easily do most anything you wanted.
A short list is as follows:

Exercise
Read
Spend time with your wife
Spend time with your child(which all evidence says is far better than a pre-school of any price)
Learn to cook food better than any restaurant(and cheaper and healthier)
Learn a language
Do everything on your to-do list
Sleep in
Learn to do anything you've ever wanted
Hike
Watch bad TV
Watch good TV

All of the above are easily done for cheap or free and should keep you quite busy for a very long time and I guarantee doing a few of them will make your life far better than sitting at work.

And this is by no means an exhaustive list of free/very cheap activities.

You don’t have to quit your job to do these things!

No, but if you have enough money in the bank account, you can do more of the things listed above and you won't have to work. Sad that someone can't understand a life without having to spend 40+ hours a week in an office.

Sad that someone can realize some people ENJOY working. Also, some people have flexible work arrangements and already spend plenty of time at home. My employer pays me over 200k with 51k going towards retirement for a job I like. I take plenty of vacation and only go into the office 2x a week. My brokerage account is growing and I’m enjoying life. Why quit my job? Also i want to enjoy travel, dining out, shopping, etc in old age and not be on a miserly budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What good is money if you can't enjoy it?

He uses his money so he can spend his time in ways he finds more meaningful and enjoyable than being an an office/cubicle for 40+ hours a week.I agree-- I prefer finding a job that isn't a grind and then spending money on other things-- but i think what he says is interesting.

Like what?

I admit I haven't read his blog, but, unless you are a "crazy scientist' who sits in his house all day trying to solve Fermat's theorem and finding it enjoyable and meaninful.. what does a 30-year-old dude with a family do all day that doesn't involve earning, or spending, money? I guess he could meditate all day, that's a time-consuming but free activity, but otherwise, I'm baffled.

I'm not trying to be rude, but this is quite possibly one of the most depressing things I've ever read.

With those free ~40 hours a week(not counting the extra hours from commuting and unwinding) you could easily do most anything you wanted.
A short list is as follows:

Exercise
Read
Spend time with your wife
Spend time with your child(which all evidence says is far better than a pre-school of any price)
Learn to cook food better than any restaurant(and cheaper and healthier)
Learn a language
Do everything on your to-do list
Sleep in
Learn to do anything you've ever wanted
Hike
Watch bad TV
Watch good TV

All of the above are easily done for cheap or free and should keep you quite busy for a very long time and I guarantee doing a few of them will make your life far better than sitting at work.

And this is by no means an exhaustive list of free/very cheap activities.

You don’t have to quit your job to do these things!

No, but if you have enough money in the bank account, you can do more of the things listed above and you won't have to work. Sad that someone can't understand a life without having to spend 40+ hours a week in an office.

Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

Just because you have enough money saved, to provide (when invested) money for the basics for you and your family, doesn't mean you have to stop working! It just means if you stopped working, you would be able to live off of your investments, not burn through your savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

Just because you have enough money saved, to provide (when invested) money for the basics for you and your family, doesn't mean you have to stop working! It just means if you stopped working, you would be able to live off of your investments, not burn through your savings.

Most people aren’t interested in this. I realize this lifestyle works for you, but it doesn’t for many. I make plenty of money and enjoy working so I can live in a nice expensive home with a short commute, enjoy luxury travel, dining out, babysitters, nice clothing, etc. Life is good!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

Just because you have enough money saved, to provide (when invested) money for the basics for you and your family, doesn't mean you have to stop working! It just means if you stopped working, you would be able to live off of your investments, not burn through your savings.

Most people aren’t interested in this. I realize this lifestyle works for you, but it doesn’t for many. I make plenty of money and enjoy working so I can live in a nice expensive home with a short commute, enjoy luxury travel, dining out, babysitters, nice clothing, etc. Life is good!

Something MMM writes about a lot is that you can be *just as happy* or even more happy *without* a lot of those things. You don't have to go as far as he does, you can still travel, eat out once in awhile, etc. Sure, you are happy right now with your job and your lifestyle and more power to you, but there is no way to know that you will still be just as happy in 5 years or 10 years. Financial freedom is not necessarily about quitting your job and dumping all the material things you love, but about having the *freedom* to quit your job and live at a satisfactory level *if you should ever want to.* We try to take a moderate path, we both work jobs we enjoy and we don't go super overboard, but my eye is on having financial freedom in the near future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

Just because you have enough money saved, to provide (when invested) money for the basics for you and your family, doesn't mean you have to stop working! It just means if you stopped working, you would be able to live off of your investments, not burn through your savings.

Most people aren’t interested in this. I realize this lifestyle works for you, but it doesn’t for many. I make plenty of money and enjoy working so I can live in a nice expensive home with a short commute, enjoy luxury travel, dining out, babysitters, nice clothing, etc. Life is good!

Something MMM writes about a lot is that you can be *just as happy* or even more happy *without* a lot of those things. You don't have to go as far as he does, you can still travel, eat out once in awhile, etc. Sure, you are happy right now with your job and your lifestyle and more power to you, but there is no way to know that you will still be just as happy in 5 years or 10 years. Financial freedom is not necessarily about quitting your job and dumping all the material things you love, but about having the *freedom* to quit your job and live at a satisfactory level *if you should ever want to.* We try to take a moderate path, we both work jobs we enjoy and we don't go super overboard, but my eye is on having financial freedom in the near future.

Understood. We save around $150/400k we earn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Some people enjoy working! I’d go stir crazy being at home on a strict budget. I already get plenty of sleep, watch enough TV, cook plenty of meals and spend a lot of time with family.

Just because you have enough money saved, to provide (when invested) money for the basics for you and your family, doesn't mean you have to stop working! It just means if you stopped working, you would be able to live off of your investments, not burn through your savings.

Most people aren’t interested in this. I realize this lifestyle works for you, but it doesn’t for many. I make plenty of money and enjoy working so I can live in a nice expensive home with a short commute, enjoy luxury travel, dining out, babysitters, nice clothing, etc. Life is good!

I certainly wish I could stop working if I needed to! I have to work. I am not financially independent. But I don't make enough money, while working, to live in a nice expensive home and enjoy luxury travel and dining out and babysitters and nice clothing, even now.

Meanwhile, look at this thread: Just got back from vacation: depressed!

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/704298.page

People loving being on vacation and dreading having to come home and go back to work... I think a lot of people would be very happy to not have to work anymore. To at least have the CHOICE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most people aren’t interested in this. I realize this lifestyle works for you, but it doesn’t for many. I make plenty of money and enjoy working so I can live in a nice expensive home with a short commute, enjoy luxury travel, dining out, babysitters, nice clothing, etc. Life is good!

I feel like there is a disconnect somewhere. If you love working -- great!! There is absolutely no reason for you to even consider trying to stop working, ever.

A lot of people in the world find working to be more of a grind, and they'd be thrilled to have the option to just not work for someone else, but to do what they want to do every day with their lives. I would find a million things to do with my time, if I could afford to. But you sound like you absolutely love your job, and you love earning all the money you can earn! That's so awesome and Yay, You!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Understood. We save around $150/400k we earn.

That's all?

That's a savings rate of 37.5%... not very high. I guess whatever floats your boat, though. Good thing you enjoy working!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Understood. We save around $150/400k we earn.

That's all?

That's a savings rate of 37.5%... not very high. I guess whatever floats your boat, though. Good thing you enjoy working!!

How much of a tightwad are you? You think 37.5 savings rate is not high. Your life sounds miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Understood. We save around $150/400k we earn.

That's all?

That's a savings rate of 37.5%... not very high. I guess whatever floats your boat, though. Good thing you enjoy working!!

How much of a tightwad are you? You think 37.5 savings rate is not high. Your life sounds miserable.

I think that pp is actually mocking the prior pp’s weak humblebrag.

But seriously spending 250k every year is incredible. We make 200k and spend about 70k and I feel like we are wasting too much money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Understood. We save around $150/400k we earn.

That's all?

That's a savings rate of 37.5%... not very high. I guess whatever floats your boat, though. Good thing you enjoy working!!

How much of a tightwad are you? You think 37.5 savings rate is not high. Your life sounds miserable.

Like I said, it is a good thing that you enjoy working. It isn't a high savings rate, if you want to retire early. It is fine if you enjoy working.