Anonymous wrote:This is s/o the Mister Money Mustache thread - I saw a couple of people post there that they live happily on $25k or $36k a year. I am not into luxury stuff - we have one car, an old Kia Soul, for example. But I also think it would be very very very very hard to live at that amount.

Can I ask a couple of questions, for those who are living at that amount by choice? (This obviously isn't about those living on very little because they don't have other options - it's really for those who are living on little while socking away more for later.)

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant, or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did it in Manhattan when single. Had rent controlled 200 square foot walk up with no AC at $800 a month. But taking home $1,600 a month still tough. I had no car, no AC, no internet and no cell phone. But I knew ever happy, friends with vacation homes and went to beach a lot. Also loved crashing Company parties for free. Dating alone are up a lot on money.

Still stressful as landlord wanted me out so nothing fixed and place a shithole

What year was this?

Anonymous wrote:I did it in Manhattan when single. Had rent controlled 200 square foot walk up with no AC at $800 a month. But taking home $1,600 a month still tough. I had no car, no AC, no internet and no cell phone. But I knew ever happy, friends with vacation homes and went to beach a lot. Also loved crashing Company parties for free. Dating alone are up a lot on money.

Still stressful as landlord wanted me out so nothing fixed and place a shithole

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is s/o the Mister Money Mustache thread - I saw a couple of people post there that they live happily on $25k or $36k a year. I am not into luxury stuff - we have one car, an old Kia Soul, for example. But I also think it would be very very very very hard to live at that amount.

Can I ask a couple of questions, for those who are living at that amount by choice? (This obviously isn't about those living on very little because they don't have other options - it's really for those who are living on little while socking away more for later.)

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant, or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?

$36,000 goes a LONG way when you don't owe anyone anything.
1. $80 in gas to go see family
2. I bike, run and play unlimited golf for $70/month
3. I travel whenever I want to. You can get super cheap flights when you are flexible on dates, times and layovers. You can get anywhere in the country for $200 if you are flexible.
4. I eat mostly meat and vegetables. I don't cut corners, I get whatever I want. I drink craft beer not Miller lite
5. I clean my own house, cut my own grass, change my own oil etc. I have an extra 10 hours in my day that the average working person doesn't have.
6. When my friends get together in a restaurant, I go too. How much do you think that costs? Two people can eat at a steakhouse for $100.
7.I picked a ranch house on a golf course less than 1900 sq ft located within bike distance of grocery stores and other stores. It was $189,000. I bought it this year. Yes, it's in the south.
8.People think FIRE means living a boring, do nothing lifestyle. They are wrong. I have never been so entertained in all my life

This is OP - and this doesn't sound SO different from how we live, though our families are a flight away, not a drive. Our house was $330k instead of $190k - so that's some difference (but we have two incomes). We have someone who cuts our yard and another who occasionally cleans the house. We get the oil changed when we get the car serviced twice a year. So I guess I'd expect our expenses would be maybe twice yours? - which is still considerably less than our HHI.

We have other expenses - a big one is student loans. My husband is paying off an annoyingly large credit card bill. And we have pets - but no kids. Still it doesn't seem like our expenses should be SO much greater that you'd feel you are a FIRE person and we are not anywhere close to being that. Or far enough from it that the lifestyle sounds very foreign to me.

Well, maybe it's time to reexamine our expenses and see where the disconnect is?

Thanks for responding - glad it's working for you.

Anonymous wrote:I take home about $42,000 and saved about $7,000 of that last year. My household is myself and one child who is with me 50%-no child support, but my ex pays for kid insurance and about 3/4 of aftercare and activities. My work picks up 100% of a very good insurance plan, pays for my cell phone, and covers half of a monthly bus pass. I have a student loan and am on an income-based repayment.

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?
My daughter and I take a regional bus. It was about $80 roundtrip last time we travelled.

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?
I run, read a lot, and am involved in a lot of community and volunteer activities. My daughter and I go to a lot of free events or we hang out with friends.

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?
By tickets on sale on Southwest, say with family or friends or at an airBB

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?
I've given up on the idea of travel for now, but I'll buy a $120 pair of shoes now and again.

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?
Today I had hard boiled eggs and an apple for breakfast, rye crisp and hummus and raw veggies for lunch. I'm going out for after work drinks and might have something light there. I live in a working class neighborhood where I can get a huge dominican takeout meal for $6 or a pizza for $8. When I have my daughter we eat tacos or homemade veggie sushi, homemade chinese dumplings. I don't feel like we really skimp on food. We eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I buy meat at a high volume inexpensive butcher. I shop on sale. We also eat out fairly regularly and I go out for drinks at least once a week.

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?
Clean my own house, take public transit, do my own taxes, don't go to yoga or therapy, care for my own lawn. I'm pretty sure making my own clothes and growing my own veggies would cost me money.

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?
Most of my friends have more than me, a few have the same or less. I'll occasionally do something more expensive with friends, but usually, we hang out on someone's porch, go out someplace cheap or have drinks only. Some of my friends have money but few of them are fancy. Sometimes people pay for me or figure out how to split things so I pay less.

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?
Absolutely. I was living in a really rundown 2 bed on a not great block. I recently bought (I have excellent credit) my own ranch house in a working class neighborhood. Housing and transportation are the big areas where I spend a lot less than other people I know.

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?
You clearly think people who bring home what I do are one step away from completely down and out. I feel like I live comfortably. I save money every month. I give about $100 a month to charity. I'm really thankful for everything I have and try to cultivate thankfulness in my child. I think a lot of people from middle class backgrounds overextend for housing and cars because they can't stand to live where poor people live. I live in a city where the average rent was about $1,800 (not DC) and was paying $1,000.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is s/o the Mister Money Mustache thread - I saw a couple of people post there that they live happily on $25k or $36k a year. I am not into luxury stuff - we have one car, an old Kia Soul, for example. But I also think it would be very very very very hard to live at that amount.

Can I ask a couple of questions, for those who are living at that amount by choice? (This obviously isn't about those living on very little because they don't have other options - it's really for those who are living on little while socking away more for later.)

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant, or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?

$36,000 goes a LONG way when you don't owe anyone anything.
1. $80 in gas to go see family
2. I bike, run and play unlimited golf for $70/month
3. I travel whenever I want to. You can get super cheap flights when you are flexible on dates, times and layovers. You can get anywhere in the country for $200 if you are flexible.
4. I eat mostly meat and vegetables. I don't cut corners, I get whatever I want. I drink craft beer not Miller lite
5. I clean my own house, cut my own grass, change my own oil etc. I have an extra 10 hours in my day that the average working person doesn't have.
6. When my friends get together in a restaurant, I go too. How much do you think that costs? Two people can eat at a steakhouse for $100.
7.I picked a ranch house on a golf course less than 1900 sq ft located within bike distance of grocery stores and other stores. It was $189,000. I bought it this year. Yes, it's in the south.
8.People think FIRE means living a boring, do nothing lifestyle. They are wrong. I have never been so entertained in all my life

Anonymous wrote:This is s/o the Mister Money Mustache thread - I saw a couple of people post there that they live happily on $25k or $36k a year. I am not into luxury stuff - we have one car, an old Kia Soul, for example. But I also think it would be very very very very hard to live at that amount.

Can I ask a couple of questions, for those who are living at that amount by choice? (This obviously isn't about those living on very little because they don't have other options - it's really for those who are living on little while socking away more for later.)

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant, or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?

Anonymous wrote:$36k also goes a long way if you're healthy. You note that the PP mentions no medical expenses.

Anonymous wrote:This is s/o the Mister Money Mustache thread - I saw a couple of people post there that they live happily on $25k or $36k a year. I am not into luxury stuff - we have one car, an old Kia Soul, for example. But I also think it would be very very very very hard to live at that amount.

Can I ask a couple of questions, for those who are living at that amount by choice? (This obviously isn't about those living on very little because they don't have other options - it's really for those who are living on little while socking away more for later.)

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them?

- Do you have hobbies? What are they?

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach?

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it?

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes?

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...?

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant, or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home?

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong?