Frugal Mama article in today's Washington Post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did any of you actually read the fucking article? They don't had savings because he was in medical training. It's is typical and the norm for doctors. His income will now ramp up significantly and he could probably start to sock away as much as most of you make in a year into their investments. Unless you're a doctor or spouse of one you're out of your league here and just blowing hot air. I hate DC women. You're all such know it alls.

Did you read the article? She's 42. He didn't just get out of medical school. They aren't poor they bought and renovated a nearly $800K house. It's pretty obvious they don't have retirement because they spend money like crazy not because they are poor. She just gives excuses to make them appeal more to the middle class rather than wealthy.

[Anonymous]

I guess it's all relative. For the average Tenleytown resident whose income is way above poverty level, she might be considered frugal. For a truly poor person, not having cable, sending kids to public schools and not taking expensive vacations would not be considered frugal, it would be considered necessity. An article about someone like the latter would be a window into that person's life. This article is about the former but is also a window. If that window shows 'scrapping by on $250k' (an oft repeated theme of angst around here), it doesn't mean it isn't revealing, just maybe not in the way you think it should be. FWIW, I'm sure she is a lovely person and I have no interest in knocking her personally. Just pointing that again, it's all relative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did any of you actually read the fucking article? They don't had savings because he was in medical training. It's is typical and the norm for doctors. His income will now ramp up significantly and he could probably start to sock away as much as most of you make in a year into their investments. Unless you're a doctor or spouse of one you're out of your league here and just blowing hot air. I hate DC women. You're all such know it alls.

Did you read the article? She's 42. He didn't just get out of medical school. They aren't poor they bought and renovated a nearly $800K house. It's pretty obvious they don't have retirement because they spend money like crazy not because they are poor. She just gives excuses to make them appeal more to the middle class rather than wealthy.

Uh no. Again you're just spouting wrong info. When you graduate from medical school you just don't start making a lot of money at a practice. It takes about another 10 years or so. Also he came over from Italy not too long ago. You sound like a hateful person. Who moved your cheese?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did any of you actually read the fucking article? They don't had savings because he was in medical training. It's is typical and the norm for doctors. His income will now ramp up significantly and he could probably start to sock away as much as most of you make in a year into their investments. Unless you're a doctor or spouse of one you're out of your league here and just blowing hot air. I hate DC women. You're all such know it alls.

Did you read the article? She's 42. He didn't just get out of medical school. They aren't poor they bought and renovated a nearly $800K house. It's pretty obvious they don't have retirement because they spend money like crazy not because they are poor. She just gives excuses to make them appeal more to the middle class rather than wealthy.

Uh no. Again you're just spouting wrong info. When you graduate from medical school you just don't start making a lot of money at a practice. It takes about another 10 years or so. Also he came over from Italy not too long ago. You sound like a hateful person. Who moved your cheese?

Different PP here. OK, now you've really, really got some explaining to do. If they have barely any income, how can they afford an $800K house, plus renovations and expensive furniture? And the crux of the matter: how does hiring contractors and an interior designer on nearly zero income (if you say so) constitute "frugality"?

I think the story is more complicated, though, and there's room to be kind here. If you go to the blog, they've lived together in NYC and Syracuse, so he's not just off the boat from Italy, and he's probably been working a bit. She has had some gigs with TLC and has done some writing for various places. So they do have income, although none of this adds up to a mortgage on an $800K house. So to make this picture work, either they have debt or family money. Either way, the Post did her a disservice when they presented her as living on a shoe-string, because the debt or family money both make the shoe-string image implausible. I agree, if she reframes this as advice for upper-middle class SAHMs of young kids, then she has a useful blog. I liked it, myself.

[Anonymous]

I bet most of the anti comments are coming from suburban posters who view DC women as snobs.

[Anonymous]

Maybe Cool Urban Mama, instead of "frugal" one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Cool Urban Mama, instead of "frugal" one?

That works!

[Anonymous]

Another Agree, this works better for the content and the lifestyle than frugal mama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess it's all relative. For the average Tenleytown resident whose income is way above poverty level, she might be considered frugal. For a truly poor person, not having cable, sending kids to public schools and not taking expensive vacations would not be considered frugal, it would be considered necessity. An article about someone like the latter would be a window into that person's life. This article is about the former but is also a window. If that window shows 'scrapping by on $250k' (an oft repeated theme of angst around here), it doesn't mean it isn't revealing, just maybe not in the way you think it should be. FWIW, I'm sure she is a lovely person and I have no interest in knocking her personally. Just pointing that again, it's all relative.

She would not be considered frugal by the average TT resident if she's prioritizing a SFH purchase, renovations, and expensive furniture above retirement.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, going through her blog, she seems like someone I'd like to hang out with. She has a nice, friendly face.

Here's what she writes on her blog:

"Even though I am now bringing in a few bucks and my husband has finished his long and winding medical training, our years of being resourceful are far from over. We have achieved some of our goals — finding satisfying careers and buying a house — but there’s more. We want to build a nest egg and make our house into a home, and those kids…– so we must continue to fight the good fight. Finding the crux between spending less and living well is an ever-evolving challenge, and I’m so glad you are along for the ride."

This bit about "Finding the crux between spending less and living well" seems to sum it up. It's not frugality, as such. It's about living well. Hard to argue with that as a goal.

[Anonymous]

Just needs to be slapped because she uses the super-annoying word "mama"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just needs to be slapped because she uses the super-annoying word "mama"

Her husband is Italian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just needs to be slapped because she uses the super-annoying word "mama"

Her husband is Italian.

If I'm jealous of anything, this is probably it. I bet he's a total hottie and a dynamo in bed. I'd plant an herb garden for that.

[Anonymous]

What is the definition of frugal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the definition of frugal?

That's the whole point-it would vary from income level to income level. From culture to location. From Greece to Palm Beach. From Appalachia to the French or Italian Riviera. Whether they are personally experiencing it or not in someone else's opinion, these questions are going to elicit a visceral reaction in a country currently undergoing what might be considered by some the death throes of a recession and might other's might consider the midst of a recession. It's all relative.