38 comments

Mrs. Money Mustache: The Secret Life of Frugality

Introduction: Welcome to the first post by Mrs. Money Mustache herself. Long a lurker on this blog, she finally has some things to say to balance Mr. Money Mustache’s manly voice.


There are many people that dream of retiring early.  I was never one of those people.  The idea of retirement in my 30s didn’t make any sense to me as I was just starting out in an exciting new career in software.  

When Mr. Money Mustache spoke of retirement, I would think to myself: “Why?”  I like my job.  I like going to work and hanging out with co-workers, some of who happen to be my friends.  I’m challenging my brain and feel good about things.  I am happy. 

You might feel the same way.  I’ve met many people that do.  They are happy working and for them, it’s a good life.  Why retire?  

For me, the reason appeared when we were ready to start a family.  I became frugal and saved money so I could be home with my child.  It was a no-brainer, as they say.

Early retirement is not about having a lot of money.  It’s about having choices.  It’s about finding yourself.  You need to discard that old stuffy image of retirement where couples buy an RV and take up touring the country, or just sit around at home and occasionally play golf.  Early retirement is a lifestyle and it is unique for everyone.  

Frankly, I don’t really like the words “early retirement”, as it doesn’t convey the true meaning.  For me, it was life-changing and unexpected.  It changed me in unthinkable ways.  It brought me all kinds of things: happiness, balance, change, freedom, time, travel, family, motherhood, and health.  But, most of all, I found myself.

When you’re in the midst of all of this money-saving, a change comes over you.  At first it’s subtle and you barely notice it, but after practicing all these Mustachian principles for a few years, you find yourself suddenly free from society’s expectations of you.  You’re in another realm altogether.

 You don’t care if you wear the same pair of pants three days in a row.  You don’t care if you don’t know last night’s hockey scores.  You might actually start to feel sick in big department stores from all the excess.  And, you are beginning to feel happier.

It takes a while to reach this level of anti-consumption, but if you keep it up, you’ll get there.  And, when you do, things start to make a lot more sense.  Saving money becomes ridiculously easy.  You will suddenly realize why depression and health problems so often go along with debt problems.  You learn about yourself because you’ve shed your skin of consumer culture.  You’ve taken a step back and you can finally see yourself and everything around you much more clearly.  You figure out what matters and what doesn’t.  And, you learn this much earlier than most people which means you have the rest of your life to be happy. 

One of the best compliments I ever received was when a wise older woman told me that I had figured out what life was all about much earlier than most.  We all know what life’s really about in theory, but until you can truly separate yourself from how we’ve been molded by society, you don’t really get it.

It often strikes me as quite incredible that our culture could have gone a completely different route — one where there was a greater sense of community and less emphasis on money and spending.  It also amazes me that in many ways, the ways we used to live were much more satisfying.  

When you hear stories or read books about people who have less yet are still somehow living happily, there is always a common thread: a sense of community.  Groups of women sitting around canning tomatoes together and laughing, kids running around outdoors inventing games, farmers tending to the fields and helping each other out.  This might not seem like your idea of a good time, but these kinds of activities and unity feed our souls.  We don’t get much of this anymore and when we do, it is often based in an activity that revolves around spending money. 

You don’t need to have money to discover this.  You don’t need to retire.  But for me, becoming frugal in order to save money helped me discover this hidden secret of life.  I have found myself and have found a lifestyle that benefits me and my family.  I can teach my child early on that you don’t need money to be happy.  Not just by telling him about it, but by showing him.  I can choose hikes instead of manicures and camping trips instead of Disneyland, and I know that I am much happier for it.

You can live this secret life too!

  • Lisa May 9, 2011, 11:05 am

    You hit the nail on the head. It really only takes a change in attitude to become “rich”. Having more things doesn’t equal having more.

    But some people would still prefer more things, over more time. I can’t understand why, but I think it is the prevailing way of life.

    You two do know the secret and I feel lucky to share your values (and advice) I just wish more people felt the same way.

    Reply
    • Mrs. Money Mustache May 9, 2011, 9:19 pm

      Hi Lisa,

      Thanks for your comment. I completely agree! Alas, there are many people out there that aren’t willing to change. They are caught up in the materialistic lifestyle and they can’t see through the fog. However, there are many folks that are somewhat frugal already that also happen to care about the earth. These people can be changed with just a little knowlege, guidance, and self-discipline, like I was. In retrospect, it really is just like a light switch going off in your head one day. I think people know what will make them happy, but they aren’t sure how to achieve it or how to balance everything. It’s important to understand that financial freedom is only one of the goals. The other rewards are actually much better!

      Reply
      • Leda May 6, 2017, 12:45 am

        I am ready to embark on a journey towards becoming free from excess. Sometimes it feels like every social engagement costs money when potlucks at home or on a beach can be even more fun. Trying to find balance. It’s amazing that you and your husband found a way to do this journey together. Has there been challenges?

        Reply
  • Steve May 10, 2011, 12:33 pm

    I’ve been enjoying your blog. My wife is currently staying home with our toddler, but having a child makes it much more difficult for me to do some kind of mustachean retirement. It isn’t a question of consumption…a lot of our consumption bills are modest.

    With a early retirement, we could use one vehicle instead of 2 etc and trim our budget some more. However, how to handle necessities like insurance?

    We could move into a cheaper house, but that’d be in a worse school district. Saving $50 per month is great…but what about the real expenses that kill you like replacing plumbing or a new roof? How to save for your children’s college?

    You seem very anti-consumption..but experiences are also expensive. Trips to see the Redwoods, Disney, Grand Canyon, etc. How do you handle those?

    Reply
    • MMM May 11, 2011, 9:39 am

      Hi again, Steve!

      I see that Mrs M. has already written back some of what I would have said, but here are a couple more points:

      – If you just get to the point of not NEEDING your income (house paid off, a bit of passive income from savings, etc), you can drop down to a super-part-time work schedule, self employed or with a company. This will give you time to be with your little one for his or her full childhood, and you just get to do some brain-energizing work one day a week or so. Sometimes you can negotiate some free health insurance from a company for doing this (as my wife did), if not you can buy it.

      – For health insurance, many early retirement people use a combination of a high-deductible plan (where you pay for the everyday doctor visits and such, and they just cover any crazy things that add up to more than 5-10k per year). A plan like that can be had for $500 or so per month for a family.

      – Note that just going down from two vehicles to one would already cover a big portion of $500 per month, especially if a drop in annual mileage went along with it.

      – Regarding university education and experiences and other vacations: you’re not giving that stuff up at all! Remember, the Mr. Money Mustache way is to continue to live the good life both before and after retirement, you’re just cutting out waste while you’re still working, to build up your savings (and thus your passive income) faster. With a paid-off house and 500k in index funds or other investments throwing off $35k of passive income, you will have plenty of money to go on trips around the country, and in theory you could write a check for a full Harvard education on a whim (not that I would recommend this wasteful practice!).

      The beauty of future expenses is, as an early retiree you will remain a happy and well-balanced person throughout your life. You’ll meet more people than ever. And you’ll have more free time than ever. That means you can turn on the income tap any time you like just by accepting a bit of outside work.

      But to get there, I find that people have to get excited about saving on things they formerly considered “little”, like $50 per month expense streams. By cutting a hundred or so of these $50 expenses compared to our US-average peers, we found we were able to ‘stash $5000/month instead of zero like some people with similar incomes.

      As I build up more of these ideas in the blog, I will add a feature where they get added to a readily-clickable online spreadsheet. If I can list a series of savings that add to $700k (compounded) over ten years or so, I think nobody will be able to say it can’t be done. And I know it can be done, because here I am typing away on a Wednesday morning having a coffee at home rather than in my old cubicle :-)

      Man, I typed so much for this little comment reply that it’s almost a full article in itself. I might have to come back and poach some of this if I run short on material later :-)

      Reply
      • Steve May 11, 2011, 10:59 am

        MM, I’d like to see that calculator.

        Looking at my own finances – I can see that there is a lot I’m doing right already and when I’m 65 or so, I can look forward to retirement, which is more than most of my friends can say.

        By the same token, I’m ill-prepared to get my mustache on. The bulk of my money is in Roth, Traditional, and 401K. There are penalties for early distribution..depending on how early, for most of these accounts. I think Uncle Sam wants me to continue to work until I’m dead…but I won’t swear to it.

        My biggest problem, is that I always thought it’d be nice to retire early, but I have no plan for doing so. Zero.

        I’ve made it a goal to quickly remedy that situation…and all thanks to this blog. Today, I opened a Fidelity brokerage account. Now, I just need to fund it with cash that’s just been sitting in my savings account drawing half a percent interest, and put it to work for a real early retirement plan.

        Reply
        • MMM May 11, 2011, 12:06 pm

          Inspirational! I am glad to hear this tale.

          If you do want to compare notes on more detailed strategy, feel free to send me a personal message using the contact section of the website and you can use actual ballpark numbers regarding income, savings and spending if you want.

          For example, one thing I had to do when planning for early retirement, is decide how much is enough in 401k/IRA, and thus when to stop contributing to them. To be conservative, I funded them to the point where they should be big enough to live on indefinitely by the time I reach 59.5, the penalty-free age you can start using them. Then I just had to save enough in regular taxable accounts to get from my current age to 59.5. Since I was done putting money into IRAs, that stream of dough helped fill up this “gap fund” faster.

          Cutting unnecessary expenses has a double-whammy effect, since it lets you save more each month, and need less each subsequent month of your life, since you have the new skill of living efficiently.

          Reply
  • Mrs. Money Mustache May 10, 2011, 1:01 pm

    I’ll let the Mr. answer this question too, but I will say that for me, the location of my home is very important. The reason that it’s important is for walkability and proximity to schools, parks, library, friends, and grocery stores. We have a 5-year old and for the most part, we can bike everywhere, including school. This means we end up saving a ton by not driving places.

    As for college, we both expect our son to pay for some of his own way. MMM and I both did.

    And, finally, trips to the Redwoods and Grand Canyon are not expensive. We love the experience of camping and enjoying nature. We travel with a cooler and buy all our food at the grocery store and have picnics on the road. With the extra time we have, we can easily drive and take multiple weeks off.

    I must say that I would never want to go to Disney. :)

    Reply
  • Jennifer May 10, 2011, 8:47 pm

    Awesome post! I feel the same way, especially realizing so after having my first child one year ago. I have a different perspective on life now & frugality can be fun!

    Reply
    • Mrs. Money Mustache May 10, 2011, 8:59 pm

      Thanks Jennifer! I’m happy to hear that you’ve discovered how fun frugality can be! Having children definitely has a huge impact on our perspectives as well, although sometimes people can get caught up in consumption when it comes to kids. I’m hoping to write more about having kids one of these days: the costs, cloth diapering, shared parenting, etc…

      Reply
  • Acorn May 25, 2011, 12:47 pm

    “To be conservative, I funded them to the point where they should be big enough to live on indefinitely by the time I reach 59.5, the penalty-free age you can start using them.”
    Would like to see a post on how to figure this out. :)

    Reply
    • Gosusgo February 26, 2015, 7:58 pm

      I know I am way, way late,to the Mustachian ball game but would also love a post on how to calculate this. I am 47, debt free and have a SEP, a Roth and a non-retirement (taxable) investment account. How do I know when enough really is just that on the accounts that are waiting for me at 59 1/2?

      Reply
      • Brian August 15, 2016, 4:28 pm

        I know that this is a year and a half late, but I just got here, so there. An easy way to quickly figure out how much you need to save is by dividing by the interest rate you expect to withdraw from the amount you need per year to live on. So say you want to live on $40000/year gross(before taxes). If you earn 6% rate of return over the long haul, then you can figure this way:

        40000/.06 = $666,666.

        This is the opposite of saying how much interest do I get a year on 666,666 if my rate is 6%. Answer: $40,000. While this is an oversimplification, it’s an easy way to figure out what “nest egg” to shoot for. Then you just need to get out Excel or a web future value calculator and enter in your rate of return, your present value and your future value and payments and see when you’ll be at that number.

        This formula by the way is the same one used in the Safe Withdrawal calculations. They use 4% or 3% the way way we used 6%. Just for a different purpose.

        Brian

        Reply
  • Questionable Goatee March 15, 2012, 5:56 pm

    Mrs. MMM, I just wanted to let you know that this is still one of my favorite posts on this blog. Due to my frugality addiction, I decided to check the site just now (at home) despite having been on it this afternoon (at work). While there, the link in my bookmark bar is the homepage; at home, it’s this post. I harbor not-entirely secret fantasies that my live-in girlfriend will read it and be inspired by your words.

    Reply
    • Mrs. Money Mustache March 15, 2012, 6:17 pm

      You just completely made my day, Questionable Goatee – thank you!! Maybe you should “accidentally” leave the post up on your girlfriend’s computer one day. :)

      Reply
  • Cas February 3, 2013, 2:24 pm

    We are not anywhere near having our moustaches yet, but we are living the life of a lot less consumerism than our peers. Having had years of little income, we learned early on in our marriage to be frugal. We still definitely indulge ourselves, but not like many of our peers. I work in a very affluent community south of Canada’s capital, and it’s crazy to see people wearing very expensive sportswear as professional dress. Apparently, if It costs a lot, it’s considered professional… I’ve avoided that mentality where I can, and I spend as much time as I can with a social network of friends who do not care if I wear make up, have the latest brands, or wear the same outfit 2 days in a row. It is very “free-ing” to not get stuck in wanting. We are debt free this year (next month!) at 42; as I say, not moustachians yet, but I can see the savings start to snowball. Our biggest downfall is the commute. I drive 45km each way, as does my husband (in the opposite direction). We both actually like our jobs too. And, as we are not yet moustachians, we are both reluctant to give up our seniority and pensions at our places of work. Sigh. However, we are financially sound enough to not panic if either lost our jobs either.

    Reply
  • Pat February 24, 2013, 5:45 pm

    Mrs. MM – love the $1 with the queen, much nicer than using the loonie.

    Cas, where south of Ottawa? Kemptville? Brockville? I find Ottawa is nice compared to either Montreal or Toronto, adn I love the online library services. Toronto is big and expensive, Montreal is big and not expensive but living in Quebec is expensive, provincial income tax is huge.

    Reply
    • Fred April 17, 2015, 7:22 am

      I believe the difference between Qc’s and On’s combined marginal tax rate is somewhere around 1%. If really the housing market and general expenses are cheaper in Qc as you say, you shouldn’t let income taxes stop you from moving.

      Reply
  • Cas Hout February 25, 2013, 4:48 am

    @ Pat: Ottawa’s south end… Along the scenic Rideau waterways. Not quite rural, not quite Barrhaven ;)

    Reply
  • Jeremy Doolin August 1, 2013, 9:32 am

    It’s been a little over a year since I last read this post. I’ve been reading them all again just as a refresher (and to recall the awesome feeling I had last year when the solutions to all of my life’s biggest problems were so eloquently laid out on a simple blog).

    Having read the entire blog and many posts several times over, I still LOVE reading this one. It is one of my favorites by far, and for two reasons.

    #1 – I remember reading this and getting very inspired and excited about life and what it will be like after living a while off the consumption treadmill

    #2 – I now read it and understand *exactly* what you mean, word for word. I’m learning so much about myself and the world around me, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

    Thanks again for posting this, and I’d like to encourage you to share your thoughts and words with us again some day.

    You and MMM feel like good family friends, even though we’ve only really truly spoken to each other a handful of times on the forum, email or radio. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for life and your means of living it efficiently.

    Reply
  • Jeremy Doolin August 1, 2013, 9:34 am

    Also, the photo of your creative “mustache” is awesome.

    Reply
  • Caroline G. October 27, 2013, 3:09 pm

    Dear Mrs. Money Mustache,

    Such a lovely post! It’s very nice to hear a woman’s voice too. For some reason, most frugal bloggers (at least those I find compelling and who’ve made radical lifestyle changes) are men. I guess it has to do with a certain archetype of the self-sufficient American male, a la Kerouac, Thoreau, etc. Anyway, all of this is to say that this article resonates deeply with me and is giving me courage to bring about more change in my life, so I thank you and wish the best for you and your family!

    Reply
  • Rollie August 2, 2014, 6:45 pm

    It wasn’t explicitly mentioned, but bears mentioning, that for some (i.e. anyone who agrees with “I like my job. I like going to work and hanging out with co-workers, some of who happen to be my friends. I’m challenging my brain and feel good about things. I am happy.”) retirement can look exactly like working! In other words if you have enough money that you don’t HAVE to work, you still don’t HAVE to quit either, if the job is something you enjoy. It’s just that it’s voluntary now. Which actually seems like something that, itself, could make any job more enjoyable.

    Reply
  • Markphilips September 15, 2015, 10:42 pm

    Hello MMM,

    As a new reader at MMM, I enjoyed reading this blog post and felt very inspired. It is very reassuring to know that living the simple life, becoming minimalist, less is more, and frugality is cool again.

    I grew up in the Philippines and immigrated to Toronto when I was 19. So I could relate to the simple joys of life as a young kid playing with other kids in my neighborhood creeks, and rivers. It was pure joy not tied to anything monetary. I often remind my wife and stepson that “the best things in life are free.” (Or nearly free). But it took them sometime to understand this. I’m in my early 40s and have never been to Canada’s Wonderland nor Disneyland. Most of my friends and relatives think that I missed out on all the fun and excitement. I have been to Legoland once because I got a free guest pass. But mostly, I take the family out to a nearby hiking spot with a small stream and to the beach near our current home near Carlsbad,CA. We also go on family bike rides and picnics. Camping in state beaches in So Cal is very pricy so we haul or camping gear on our cargobikes to take advantage of the Hike and Bike discount program.

    Thank you for the paradigm shift!

    Reply
  • GregW October 22, 2015, 9:14 am

    Mrs. MM, thank you for this post. I love it. Your point of view of the situation really resonates with me and I know it will with my wife when I share this with her. I just found this site yesterday and am binge reading the blog from the start. We are super late to the party (mid 50’s, awash in debt, paying tons of money for too many things, hardly any investments, no savings), but we are going to join the movement and make it work.
    Thanks for your heartfelt words – freedom, family, independence, health… Yes, please!

    Reply
    • Tim October 12, 2019, 6:56 am

      Way late replying to your post, Greg. I’m in the same boat age wise. The MMM life and blog is the most impressive thing I’ve seen ever. I only wish I had stumbled onto it in 2011. Now, it’s time to get the rest of the family onboard.

      Reply
  • Mark L November 23, 2015, 9:47 pm

    Great post Mrs. MM. I share the exact same values. I still have a long way to go, but I have been enlightened to a life I want to live today. I am making changes every day and will continue to do so. All the best,

    Mark

    Reply
  • Joon May 14, 2016, 12:09 pm

    Dear Mrs MM,

    I came here from your own blog, as I didn’t find an option to comment or contact there. Please feel free to not publish (or delete) this comment as you see fit.

    A friend on the forum recommended I contact you, saying, “Suggest you also reach out to Mrs.MM. I recall her mentioning in one of her blog posts or interviews that one of the areas she is thinking of getting engaged philanthropically is in support for survivors of domestic violence. This kind of resource [a guide that I just developed] would potentially be highly relevant for that population. She may have contacts with relevant agencies, etc.”

    If you would be interested in talking about this, please contact me at the email address I’ve provided in the address field of this comment.

    Warmly,
    Another Shy, Introverted, Mustachian Woman Passionate About Serving Vulnerable Populations

    Reply
  • Cecile June 7, 2016, 5:39 am

    Just wanted to say: what a wonderful post and so true.
    For me “early retirement” means leaving my stressful job of 9 years in the same company (and the assorted commute) to work from home at about twice the hourly rate… This means working twice as little as before and having time for my garden, friends and family, to learn new things and exercise etc.
    You have totally nailed it Mrs MM and I can only hope that by following Mustachian principles more closely I will also reach your level of inner freedom from the expectations of society. Indeed we could do with more freedom and more community and it’s actually possible!
    Thank you for this reminder that we do not have to follow rules that we haven’t chosen for ourselves. This whole website rocks and is a constant source of inspiration.

    Reply
  • Winslow July 18, 2016, 3:22 am

    Mrs. MM and MMM, You all are a great team and that’s inspiring. I’m new to the blog – currently read up to this point from the beginning, and I’m catching the new ones as they arrive – thanks for all your efforts in sharing your insights. Today I decided to venture no further than the bounds of the neighborhood. I went for a run, swam in the ocean and trailed a green Hawaiian sea turtle, watched a frigate bird soar on updrafts, listened to tunes I haven’t listened to for a while, got some initial legwork done on an art project, spent some quality time with our dog Petra, and now Suze and I are chillin out – the tv is off, netflix is cancelled, and I only have a few more episodes of Deadwood to watch before our hbo expires in seven days. I’m reading because we have a mountain of debt to pay down and I’m seeking more ideas and more motivation. I’m finding both here.

    Reply
  • Scott Blair July 20, 2016, 7:19 pm

    Just started reading a few weeks ago. This is my favorite post so far (sorry Mr. Money Mustache).

    Reply
  • Wendy March 4, 2017, 4:14 pm

    Thank you Mrs Money Mustache!! Inspirational and resonating with me 😊 I love all MMM posts and wonderful to hear your perspective and unique voice which is in harmony with your husband. I am sharing with my family and best friends and look forward to sharing with my daughter of six months one day.

    Reply
  • Shani March 10, 2017, 6:42 pm

    Oh yes, Ma’am!! I’m currently on the other spectrum of you financially: we’re living off the equity in our home and student loans and gov’t child subsidy funds ( I’m Canadian), which has forced a frugality and change in mindset for sure. Like you, I began to appreciate the small things, take joy in my journey, and feel so much less baggage. Yes, we have to be tight with our cash, but the discipline offers freedom, and I plan to keep these values well after my husband graduates and gets a job. We’re about to have kid number 5, and I so hope they learn this lifestyle and ingrain it well!

    Here are some things I’ve learned, in addition to those you listed above:
    Making homemade house cleaning products and body care products is rediculously cheap. Baking soda and vinegar, anyone? Along with this, I’ve found that finding ways to save money on such commercial products is also eco friendly.

    I don’t care what other people think. My sense of self has become more secure and I truly believe in the choices I’m making. You wanna look at me funny? Go ahead, cuz that’s about you, not me.

    Canning my own fruits, vegetables, soups, stocks, etc, is cheaper, healthier and results in less waste because I’m reusing bottles, not tossing/recycling tin cans.

    Beans, legumes and lentils are delicious, versatile, shelf stable and so much cheaper than meat! I haven’t cut it out completely, but I have cut it down a LOT.

    Making things from scratch is cheaper and healthier, and I support my local farmers when I can. My need to support community local economy has skyrocketed.

    One of my ideals is living on a commune where the village pitches in, each offering their own skills and building a community of trust and respect, while living off the land as much as possible, going back to food the way it was meant to be.

    I love my life, and the money we make in a couple years won’t change us, it will allow us to continue on this path I’ve discovered for the rest of my life. And now, thanks to Tim Ferris, that I’ve discovered this blog, I feel more empowered to do so, and not fall back into the consumeristic chains I’ve already shed.

    Reply
    • Garrett July 22, 2017, 9:17 am

      “..we’re living off the equity in our home…”

      Home equity isn’t actually money. That’s an incredibly dangerous path to take. I highly recommend acquiring some form of income while your husband is in school…

      Reply
  • Garrett March 19, 2017, 3:30 pm

    “When you hear stories or read books about people who have less, who are sometimes struggling to make ends meet, there is always a common thread: a sense of community. ”

    Wouldn’t this aspect of community be stronger in people who are not struggling to make ends meet? Because then you don’t have the background static of ‘poverty’ adding a dark tinge to the conversation and activitiy.

    Reply
  • Garrett July 22, 2017, 9:13 am

    ” When you hear stories or read books about people who have less, who are sometimes struggling to make ends meet, there is always a common thread: a sense of community. Groups of women sitting around canning tomatoes together and laughing, kids running around outdoors inventing games, farmers tending to the fields and helping each other out. This might not seem like your idea of a good time, but these kinds of activities and unity feed our souls. We don’t get much of this anymore and when we do, it is often based in an activity that revolves around spending money.”

    After spending time in a variety of ‘hippy’ communities, where this exact behavior is prevalent, I can say that it’s not my idea of a good time. Especially where the ‘struggling to make ends meet’ comes in. There’s often a sense of powerlessness and whinyness that shows up. Usually against wealthy people who are blazing productive paths through the world, and how those people oughta ‘give out’ money.

    So how can we have healthy community where people AREN’T struggling to make ends meet? Where there is no poverty? Sorta like Mustachianism, but on a grander scale.

    Reply
  • Tiffany August 19, 2017, 3:58 am

    Mrs MMM!

    I know I’m a few years late, but thank you for sharing this perspective it is truly inspiring, and I look forward to fully arriving. As a new mom (almost 2 year old) myself I love hearing from you, and for me motherhood Has really started to shape these same
    Thoughts for me so I found this blog at the perfect time! one area I’m struggling is very much about motherhood and not the math or the lifestyle change. My husband and I are very blessed to have an dual income which if applied correctly we could probably pay our house off in 5 years- which is a plan we’re toying with. But I worry will I regret “missing the baby years” while slaving away in cubicle land or when he’s reaching a new phase of childhood will I be more thankful to have complete freedom. Interested in your wisdom! Generally I think the right answer is take advantage of this opportunity and remove the shackles completely, I still have great flexibility at work and am very present with him when I am home and today don’t feel I’m missing. But there is this lurking fear in the back of my mind that I’ll miss out and look back and wish I would’ve stopped working early and gone back instead of retiring early. Thank you for being an inspiration to us all to living truly free!!!!!!

    Reply
  • Kathryn April 14, 2019, 1:09 pm

    Have you two got any advice for a 66 year old woman, recently divorced for the second time, who is taking more steps in this lifestyle to live frugally, but who has 12,000 to her name in a money market account? I have a part-time business, am still trying to get well after years of Type A behavior, and I’m drawing my SS of $712 a month, plus just opened an Airbnb to share my home. I will also find another income source as long as I can work for myself. At this age I cannot imagine filling out a job application and I need flexibility in my schedule.

    My last husband is paying off his house and will give it to me when that is done. He got all the investments. About 70,000 worth and growing. The house has been redone and he is paying that debt and the remainder of my student loan as a locksmith. I am saving some money each month but I just don’t know what to do with it except to open an online account and invest, as you say. Never done it in my life and have the “I can’t do math” block. Scared I will never “retire” but I know a job is not my Source. If I don’t do it myself, is a Fiduciary my best bet to help? Any guidance or experience for me out there? TIA!

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