Anonymous wrote:He makes money off his blog. Therefore it's not a model everybody can replicate. Beware of people giving advice and making money off the same advise. Goes for investment seminars of all kinds where organizers don't earn the bulk of money on investments, but on seminar fees.

If you want good advice, go to boggleheads forums, much better than MMM.

Running a blog is not the lifestyle that he models. He models a low-spending lifestyle. His blog is about that lifestyle, and now he makes money off of his blog. But he was frugal before the blog.

He does not claim to be broke. He does not try to make people think that he is broke. He tries to show that you can live happily at a dramatically lower level of consumption and spending. That is all. He now makes money off of his blog. He continues to live a low-consumption or spending lifestyle.

I can understand that someone would be uninterested in his lifestyle or blog, but to be offended by it strikes as insecurity about one's own choices.

Anonymous wrote:
So he worked in Hawaii to finance his vacation. He is not retired then. He is a construction worker.
His life is full of lies.

I think he's an "everything" worker. He isn't tied down to one job in one place. He has a ton of freedom. Because of his success with the blod, he also has a ton of money, but he didn't start off with that money and success. He started off with his own salary, and his wife's salary, which they saved by living extremely frugally. Then they both left their salaried jobs. And started just doing whatever the hell they wanted.

Keeping their expenses to under $30,000 yearly means they don't have a ton of cash to spend on vacations. Bartering to be able to live in a lovely place for a few months is one thing people without a lot of money (but a ton of time) do.

Some people enjoy doing construction when they feel like it, but not when they don't or choose not to. That's what freedom is!

I love teaching and would do it for free.. but only students I wanted to teach. That would be an ideal retirement for me -- teaching when I wanted and whom I wanted. Not tied to a salaried job at a school district, subject to their requirements and restrictions!

He makes money off his blog. Therefore it's not a model everybody can replicate. Beware of people giving advice and making money off the same advise. Goes for investment seminars of all kinds where organizers don't earn the bulk of money on investments, but on seminar fees.

If you want good advice, go to boggleheads forums, much better than MMM.

Anonymous wrote:He's in the entertainment business. Love or hate him, he still makes $$$$. That's why he can be sanctimonious - because we'll discuss it then click his links.

Again, you don't have to like MMM himself. He happens to be one of many spokesmen for a fairly simple math problem that will enable you to change your relationship to work and leisure. If you want to work on your own terms, or go to PT or take a sabbatical or quit altogether, then this community is for you. If you like your job as it is now, then as you were!

He's in the entertainment business. Love or hate him, he still makes $$$$. That's why he can be sanctimonious - because we'll discuss it then click his links.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

So he worked in Hawaii to finance his vacation. He is not retired then. He is a construction worker.
His life is full of lies.

Yeah, this is more of a cautionary tale of not having enough money for retirement.

He sounds broke.

There’s nothing aspirational about only being able to take a vacation if you barter with someone for construction work and live through a renovation - in someone else’s house! At least if you’re a construction worker at home you get to leave the mess at the end of the day.

You are not his target audience. DCUM is not his target audience.

And he is not broke by any stretch. The blog alone makes millions per year.

But if you want something similar but less extreme, try the Frugalwoods. But if you are anti-frugality, none of these are for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

So he worked in Hawaii to finance his vacation. He is not retired then. He is a construction worker.
His life is full of lies.

Yeah, this is more of a cautionary tale of not having enough money for retirement.

He sounds broke.

There’s nothing aspirational about only being able to take a vacation if you barter with someone for construction work and live through a renovation - in someone else’s house! At least if you’re a construction worker at home you get to leave the mess at the end of the day.

You are not his target audience. DCUM is not his target audience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

So he worked in Hawaii to finance his vacation. He is not retired then. He is a construction worker.
His life is full of lies.

Yeah, this is more of a cautionary tale of not having enough money for retirement.

He sounds broke.

There’s nothing aspirational about only being able to take a vacation if you barter with someone for construction work and live through a renovation - in someone else’s house! At least if you’re a construction worker at home you get to leave the mess at the end of the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

So he worked in Hawaii to finance his vacation. He is not retired then. He is a construction worker.
His life is full of lies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

NP. But time is money and the time he spent working construction would have turned into money anyway if he had just gotten a construction job instead of “arrangement.” And while he spent 6 weeks in Hawaii, it was also 6 weeks of working and having to share your time, effort and space with other people. He could have made $$$$ doing handyman work for 5 weeks and then spent that same amount of money for a one week blowout vacay in the same place without the headache, and likely racked up the same number of hours he was actually relaxing.

Whatever, to each his own.

+1. It’s a lot of trouble to simply not have a traditional job. Perhaps more energy should be spent on finding a job one enjoys.

Anonymous wrote:Can't stand to read his blogs bc he purports to be soooo frugal and yet makes millions off his blog. But I do think the forums are fairly good. IDK I thought they'd be full of people like making their own soap to save 6 cents but really it seems to be people talking investments etc. with goals of early retirement at all stages -- some wanting to be done at 35, others just a few yrs early at 60 or 55. I think that's the more useful part of MMM.

Yes, the blog is extreme and obnoxious in tone. But the forum is excellent and full of good advice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind

NP. But time is money and the time he spent working construction would have turned into money anyway if he had just gotten a construction job instead of “arrangement.” And while he spent 6 weeks in Hawaii, it was also 6 weeks of working and having to share your time, effort and space with other people. He could have made $$$$ doing handyman work for 5 weeks and then spent that same amount of money for a one week blowout vacay in the same place without the headache, and likely racked up the same number of hours he was actually relaxing.

Whatever, to each his own.

I think the forum is helpful if you want tips for frugal living. It does not appeal to everyone. My husband and I enjoy our jobs, and don’t mind working. A lot of people who really seem to follow his “fire” lifestyle don’t like their jobs and don’t want to work a 9-5.

Anonymous wrote:
Phrasing that as spending $37 is so dishonest though. I bet everyone on this site could afford to pay for one month of vacation with two full months salary. Actually, I could stay somewhere really nice for 30 days if I was willing to spend 2 months salary on the vacation.

He actually was very clear in the 7 blog posts he wrote about this vacation, that he was trading labor as a way to get to live in Hawaii for very little expenditure of cash. As a retired person trying to spend very little money every year, he had plenty of time, and didn't want to spend money. Thus, he looked for a "special arrangement" which would allow him to do what he wanted (construction work which he enjoys) in a new location he wanted to spend some time in! His point is that there are OFTEN such arrangements to be made, if you are creative and have the flexibility to be willing to do something like this.

There's little chance someone who can only spend $30,000 a year for his whole family would be able to afford 6 weeks of living in Hawaii if he didn't manage to put together such a barter or exchange. His blog post was just a reminder that if you are retired you have time instead of money, and you can do creative things with your time to be able to enjoy the life you want to live.

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/12/15/high-cost-of-living-its-a-state-of-mind