92 comments

The Colorado Meetup (and a report from behind the scenes)

newhouseAfter almost two months on the road, the Mustache family is really glad to be back in Colorado where we belong. Our extended absence (and the corresponding lack of updates to this blog) has fueled speculation among people with a bit too much time on their hands.

“He used to post way more often, but recently there have only been a few articles a month” … “Has Triple M run out of ideas?” … “Maybe he sold the blog!”

As is usually the case with speculations, these are all wrong. The list of partially written articles is longer than ever (I see 164 of them, or roughly a 3-year supply in the queue). I’m more charged up than ever about this job, the blog is reaching more people than ever with about 6 million pageviews last month, and I’m selling off the rental house and other distractions so I can devote more time to this fun stuff as well as writing The Book.

But I’ve also been trying my best to uphold the promise I made to myself before starting all of this: Real Life always comes before Internet Life, and family and real life friends come before Internet ones. So let’s start with an event where those of us in the immediate area of Longmont, Colorado can get together for real:

The Colorado Meeting of Mustachians
Saturday, September 6th, from 3PM – 9PM
At a public park right here in the historic district of central Longmont.

 I’d like to invite the locals out to come hang out.   I’ll gather a few BBQs for cooking and provide an acre or two of beautiful grass and trees for gathering.

You can bring along your family, friends, kids, food and drink, folding chairs and frisbees, and maybe even a slackline or two. Beer and wine are permitted as long as they are in inconspicuous non-glass containers.

Because of the size of past events and our town’s limits on public-park events, we’re setting it up on an RSVP basis using the EventBrite link below. There are 100 ‘tickets’ (which are free of course), and once you sign up your spot will be reserved. Then we’ll email you the final location on the day before the event.

Update: This event is sold out! In a single day on a holiday weekend. Nice work, fellow Coloradans – see you on Saturday.

(and my apologies to anyone who wanted to come but didn’t see the note in time. It just raises the bar for next time – we apparently have enough people around here to get a real venue .. and imagine what else we could accomplish with such a group!)

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mmm-longmont-meetup-tickets-12779741551

Come out, bring your best ideas and even optional business cards, as I find the Mustachians are a like-minded, fun, and entrepreneurial crowd.

Bike transportation is highly encouraged, and we’re just a few minutes walk/ride from the central transit station at Roosevelt Park with direct buses to Boulder and Denver.

To finish up this weekend edition, here is a report on the the rest of the Real Life events that have been getting in the way of responsible blogging.

San Francisco (May 2014)

sf2

To celebrate the end of the school year and the arrival of summer, we hopped on Amtrak’s California Zephyr sleeper train and headed West, just to experience long-distance train travel for the first time. It was a very nice peek into the past and a great adventure. While the train was quite slow and the dining car’s food selection was uninspired, the beautiful views from the observation car made up for it. And the novelty of turning in after a good night of conversation and wine, then being gently rocked to sleep while the train travels through the night was one of my favorite parts.

sf_mustachians

Bay Area Mustachians, enjoying sunset at Heron’s Head Park

Once in California, I had the chance to meet with quite a few interesting people including one of the officials who plans out San Francisco’s bike network. His department must be doing a great job, as there were cyclists of all ages everywhere, and I was able to bike comfortably even in the densest parts of the city. San Francisco is truly moving toward Badass Utopia status.

 

I also hosted a gathering of Mustachians at the beautiful Heron’s Head park, which was amusingly enhanced by the arrival of a WSJ MarketWatch camera crew who did a few interviews to find out what we are all about.

The North Coast and Redwood Forest

north_cali_shore

At this point we rented a small car and headed North for a peaceful week of hiking and exploring the forests and coastlines of Northern California. The experiences and beaches were incredible, especially the harrowing cliff climb from our seaside VRBO rental down to the secret beach. Another highlight was a glorious Antimustachian indulgence at the Petaluma Whole Foods. We blew $30 on prepared luxury foods from the buffet and ate it in the meticulously crafted flagstone patio, overlooking manicured subtropical gardens and a parking lot packed with high-end hybrid and elecric cars and some of our country’s liberal elite ultraconsumers. Just for a moment, I envied their pleasant and convenient lifestyle.redwood

Portland, Oregon

3 Blog Night

A moment from Three Blog Night

After the family leg of the vacation, I parted ways from the wife and boy and took a short flight to Portland. Upon arrival I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of local readers for dinner, and spending the night on a couch in a basement apartment. The next day I walked across the precarious Sellwood bridge, stopped in at J.D. Roth’s apartment, wrote an article, then borrowed a bike in order to do a full tour of the city.

In the evening we hosted the Three Blog Night meetup and then went to dinner with Ryan Carson, the founder of a glorious online learning company called Treehouse.

 

 

 

 

Camp Mustache

The next day, J.D. and I carpooled North to Tacoma, Washington with Joe (RetireBy40) for the incredible honor of attending an event entirely organized by readers of this blog.

camp_mustache_lakeside

J.D. hosts a discussion called “Crazy Rich People Talk”

There were about 50 of us, and we shared beautiful lakeside views at the foot of Mount Rainier, food, friendships, and some excellent learning sessions on topics like real estate investing, bikes, home brewing, and advanced credit card hacking.

Moving to a New House (June)

house constructionUpon return and recovery from this blast of travel, we were suddenly faced with the emergency task of moving out of our old house, preparing it for sale, and then listing it on the open market. The incredible volume of stuff we had accumulated triggered the article called Recovering from the Pat Rack Years

Summer in Canada (July)

familykayak

Members of MMM Extended Family demonstrate our version of motorboats.

This was the usual mixture of family, friends, and Carpentourism. This year’s projects were a new roof on my Mom’s house as well as a new kitchen, plus assorted things at a scenic cottage owned by the inlaws.

9 Days in Ecuador (August)

IMG_2819

Just to push the limits on this ridiculous travel bonanza, I had to head straight from Ottawa, Canada to Quito, Ecuador in order to get to the Chautauqua event on time. A thunderstorm in Houston added an unexpected night’s stay in that city, but the magic of smartphone hotel reservations and some free credits I had amassed for UberX transportation ensured it was a pleasant break.

The Ecuador trip itself was spectacular and packed with lifetime memories.

And now, back to real life (right now)

I am so glad to be home, it is ridiculous. The boy has gone back to conventional school for the first semester (an update on the Homeschooling experiment is forthcoming), which gives me 6 peaceful hours each weekday to finish more of the house, meet with friends, write to YOU, and live a proper retired life.

We’re just getting started around here, so I hope you’ll stick around for the journey.

Love,
Mr. Money Mustache

  • Interestingreadinglist August 31, 2014, 2:42 pm

    Interesting to know what you’ve been up to. Real life always comes before internet life. That is a number one rule!

    I’ve been doing some travelling myself lately, and at the age of 25, and being a good few years off early retirement, I have wondered somewhat what those of frugal sensibilities would think of it. Travelling is an incredible way of enriching your life, but in my experience very hard to do while increasing your wealth!

    Reply
    • Michael August 31, 2014, 11:22 pm

      If travel is really a priority, find a way to use travel as one way to increase your wealth. When a buddy of mine was in his late 20s he drove a semi all over the country for a summer. He now is a lawyer, but still loves sharing stories of his time on the open road.

      Reply
      • interestingreaadinglist September 2, 2014, 5:56 am

        Hi Michael. Yes that’s a good idea. I guess you can spend time off improving your writing or working on a website whilst travelling. I am spending 3 months backpacking around south america on a shoestring. Not sure if this will accelerate my journey to early retirement in the short term, but having a broad understanding of other languages and culturescould have some benefit in a career. It’s interesting to see how somepeople in the south americas live. Far more mustachian than us in the USA/ england or more minimally anyway!

        Reply
    • Jordan September 17, 2014, 9:45 am

      Another thing you can do is travel almost for free by doing a combination of bike touring and woofing. If you are unfamiliar woofing it is a work trade where you help out on an organic farm(or sometimes guesthouses and other projects) . In exchange for your work you get a place to stay, three meals a day and a connection to the local community. I have also found bike touring to be a great way to get around. You get a to explore and find places you wouldn’t normally find, people’s curiosity lends them to have fun social interactions with you and if you bring a tent then the cost of transportation and lodging is free.

      If you already have money saved up and invested in stocks, real estate or whatever and your costs are literally zero or close to it you will still be accumulating wealth, just at a slower rate than if you were doing that and also working. I think I spent about $4000 including airfare for a 9 month vacation biking from Morocco to Turkey through a big chunk of Europe and then flying to India and traveling around India and Nepal, doing meditation and trekking and experiencing local foods and cultures.

      I think it is also important to realize that yes travelling is a great way to enrich your life but you will probably get even more out of working on cool sustainable projects in your community. Get involved and work on things you are passionate about and make the community you live in a place you are proud of.

      Reply
  • Juanita August 31, 2014, 2:42 pm

    I love the way you write, you just crack me up! I’ve been a subscriber for only a month or two, but I hadn’t noticed whether this is the right amount of blogging or not. Your blogs are so rich with information I figured it was a full time job for you. I would be really happy to join one of your meetups if you come down to New Mexico. There are a few fall festivals coming up, but I highly recommend the international balloon fiesta, the first week of October which starts right after the NM state fair ends.

    Reply
  • trevor August 31, 2014, 2:43 pm

    We’ve got a small 18-person group already in Vancouver so if you’re ever on the west side of Canada – you’ve got folks eager to meet you!

    Reply
    • Clete September 2, 2014, 9:53 am

      Really? Can you make it 19?

      Reply
    • Kristian September 2, 2014, 11:04 am

      Count me as another Vancouver folk interested if you’re ever in town!

      Reply
  • Stacey August 31, 2014, 2:46 pm

    Welcome back! Isn’t it nice to have the batteries recharged by travel, even as a retiree? We enjoyed our family’s sampling of National Parks this summer, esp. Mount Rainier, except there was still too much snow in JUNE to see “meadows of wildflowers.”

    We’ve always talked about the Amtrak ride, maybe we will still make it happen.

    Reply
  • Mark Ferguson August 31, 2014, 2:47 pm

    If I bring the Lamborghini from Greeley, will I be welcome? :)seriously. Congrats on the website success and why not let a property manager take care if the rental?

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache August 31, 2014, 4:17 pm

      Thanks Mark! You’ll get more respect if you carpool or take a hybrid here :-)

      Reply
  • CL August 31, 2014, 3:01 pm

    It’s a relief to see a lengthy post from you. I may or may not have posted on that thread, but we definitely missed our normal doses of Mr. Money Mustache goodness. Of course, part of the Mustachian lifestyle is sorting out priorities, which you definitely have done.

    I look forward to reading more of those 164 unfinished articles!

    Reply
  • Joe O (arebelspy) August 31, 2014, 3:03 pm

    “We’re just getting started around here, so I hope you’ll stick around for the journey.”

    Glad to hear it! Going out and living and doing is so much more tempting than banging out things on a keyboard many days, so I’m glad you’re still willing to take some time to continue writing.

    Putting my dibs in now as volunteer proofreader of The Book before you get overwhelmed with offers. ;)

    Reply
    • Jeff Smith (whydoubt) September 1, 2014, 1:23 pm

      Me too! I mean… I would gladly assist with any proofreading/copyediting should you be interested.

      Reply
    • CommonCents September 4, 2014, 12:38 pm

      Why not – me too. Plenty of day job experience editing documents as a lawyer, plus I’ve commented on fiction books written by a friend before (although perhaps that isn’t a great recommendation as she hasn’t published yet! …but she does have an agent now).

      One of the reasons I’m quite appreciative of this blog is if for nothing else, you helped spur me to cancel cable – and spend more time being/doing rather than sitting around watching life. I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed your summer with friends/family rather than on the computer, even if it means less content for us.

      Reply
  • EarlyRetirementGuy August 31, 2014, 3:04 pm

    Glad to hear that there’s many more years worth of content to come and no doubt many more face punches to deliver!

    Some great photos, you guys have some amazing scenery over in the states. Beautiful.

    Reply
  • LeisureFreak Tommy August 31, 2014, 3:08 pm

    Welcome back to Colorado. I thought my summer was a marathon. You surly top mine for travel and experience. As busy as I am I often think that as an early retiree myself I am doing way too much but you sir show me that I am not worthy of such thoughts. I am looking forward to your queue of articles to share with us. As someone who isn’t too far south (couple of hours) of you I wish I could meet with you and fellow Colorado Mustachians next weekend but unfortunately I have some long-planned family obligations that day. Family does come first. Bummer but maybe next time.
    Prost!

    Reply
  • BNL August 31, 2014, 3:12 pm

    Wish I could make it to the meetup (I’ve been looking for a reason to see how far north my legs can take me on the Santa Fe trail), but my wife is leaving town that weekend and I’ve got the kids. Have fun!

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache August 31, 2014, 8:30 pm

      You should show up, Brave! Kids are welcome here and ours have only met once.

      Reply
  • LeighinCT August 31, 2014, 3:45 pm

    YAY!!!!!! That is all.

    Reply
  • TheBreeze August 31, 2014, 3:49 pm

    “The Book” has a real shiny, Ark of the Covenant, Maltese Falcon kinda vibe.

    Reply
    • Elyse September 8, 2014, 12:03 pm

      Oh no, not an Infinity Stone… in book form!

      Reply
  • Jordan Read August 31, 2014, 5:00 pm

    RSVPd. Can’t wait to meet you in person. We’re most likely going to drive to Englewood, park at a friend’s house, and bike from there. I’m in Colorado Springs, and may have a few seats to spare. Looking forward to it!! Is a bota box inconspicuous? Oh, and I’ll have a 25m slackline too.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache August 31, 2014, 8:32 pm

      Bota Boxes are pretty much the Official Beverage of Mustachianism.

      And that sounds like an impressive bike ride! Maybe others will join you to create a Denver to Longmont cycle group.

      Reply
      • Jordan Read August 31, 2014, 9:53 pm

        We’ll have to see. SO isn’t keen on the idea, but I’ve got the week to work on her. Also have to see if I wind up driving people. It’ll be a blast regardless.

        Reply
      • Joe September 9, 2014, 5:27 pm

        I figured brewing your own Kombucha would be the drink of those with mustaches. Making your own super health drink for pennies that can replace all those fizzy drinks people love that cost an exrta buck or 2 per meal, and eventually thousands of dollars when diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome kicks in. Plus it’s the new crossfit fad, so I figured your wife would have a couple scobies going by now.

        Reply
    • Brooke September 1, 2014, 9:44 am

      What is a bota box?

      Reply
      • Jordan Read September 1, 2014, 10:37 am

        http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/17/boxed-wine-not-just-for-your-alcoholic-aunt-anymore/
        It’s a cost effective method of buying decent wine, without the carbon footprint of bottles. Delicious, and gets the job done when needed. :-)

        Reply
        • TomTX September 1, 2014, 7:23 pm

          With the 2nd Trader Joe’s in Austin – I’m on Three Buck Chuck.

          Reply
          • Jordan Read September 2, 2014, 8:44 am

            I’ve heard good things…but no Trader Joe’s here.

            Reply
          • k September 3, 2014, 9:05 am

            I can’t drink the 3-buck-chuck anymore.. it’s good on the way down but they put something in it that gives me THE WORST headaches the next day, I’m a literal slug. My body is a wine snob?

            Reply
  • Maxim Ч. August 31, 2014, 6:22 pm

    You know you’ve lived in the USA too long when you start to call it “Ottawa, Canada” like the uneducated Yankees. It’s “Ottawa, ONTARIO”. You live in “Longmont, Colorado”, not “Longmont, USA”.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache August 31, 2014, 8:35 pm

      Actually when I’m out of the country I just say “I’m from the US”, since not everyone has even heard of Colorado, let alone Longmont. Likewise I find most US folks don’t know where Ottawa is.

      Reply
      • Darrell September 3, 2014, 10:28 am

        I’d be shocked if Canadians haven’t heard of Colorado since they have a hockey team.

        Reply
        • LoonieITGuy September 4, 2014, 11:51 am

          This is the thought that came to my mind.

          Reply
  • Brooke August 31, 2014, 6:26 pm

    Would anyone like to carpool with me and my fiance? We live on Cheesman park in Denver and drive a 2008 Honda Fit. We can fit 3 other people!

    Reply
    • Erich September 2, 2014, 1:11 pm

      Hey Brooke I’m in Cheeseman park as well. Hit me up erich.gradle@gmail.com / 214-552-5949

      Reply
    • Lisa Welch September 3, 2014, 6:46 pm

      Brooke – I’m northwest of Wash Park – not too far from Cheesman Park. It would be just me

      Reply
  • Jana August 31, 2014, 6:27 pm

    Glad you are back-and glad you aren’t apologizing for being gone-I hate when bloggers do that. Like they owe their followers something.

    Reply
  • Nigel August 31, 2014, 7:01 pm

    Maybe I missed it earlier, but this is the first I’ve heard of ‘The Book’ -really glad to hear it. Although I doubt you’d have any difficulty finding a conventional publisher, have you thought about going with a POD (print-on-demand) company like Lulu or CreateSpace just to be a little badassedly disruptive? I’ve had some experience with Lulu, and they do a great job – you could put out a book with them that looks and feels every bit as fancy as a conventionally-published book (if you come up with a good cover design and pick the appropriate fonts), and sell it on Amazon – Lulu will charge the buyer a few bucks for production costs and you can tack on whatever you want (including $0) for your royalty.

    I have a colleague who also has a very popular blog (on a totally unrelated topic) and he wrote a book a few years back. After his experience with his publisher, he’s kicking himself for not going the independent route – and his book suffered pretty badly from watering down by heavy-handed, risk-averse editors.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache August 31, 2014, 8:38 pm

      Definitely doing the disruptive non-conventional publishing! It would be ridiculous to conform to deadlines and corporate editing now that we actually have a choice about these things.

      Reply
      • rjack September 1, 2014, 1:16 pm

        MMM – I’m really glad to hear you are writing a book! Will the book be all new content or edited versions of your best existing posts?

        Reply
  • Frugal in DC August 31, 2014, 7:22 pm

    “Just for a moment, I envied their pleasant and convenient lifestyle.” :) I feel the same way when I peek inside restaurant windows. Then I remember that it’s probably loud, over-air conditioned, pricey, fakey-pants, and that most likely they’re serving ginormous entrees on platters.

    Sounds like a great summer, welcome back! All the best with the new house and school year.

    Reply
  • Chris August 31, 2014, 10:05 pm

    Curses! I’m actually in Boulder for a couple of days and will just miss this meet up. Good to hear MMM has some writing left in him.

    Reply
  • Jragan August 31, 2014, 10:59 pm

    You are living the life that i can picture myself living! I am relieved to know that you will be coming on strong with more content cause i was worried that you might be getting too big for this blog. Missed the chance to drive up north from San Jose to meet up with the mustachians in SF, but im glad that you and your family enjoyed our part of the country.

    Reply
  • Martha August 31, 2014, 11:44 pm

    Your summer sounds like it was awesome. I salute your life/blog balance but am looking forward to those 164 partial posts. I discovered the blog in early July after we encountered a financial road bump. To mix metaphors, we weathered the storm with the help of MMM. Since then I’ve read every post in order and am feeling so much more in control of our financial future. We’ve rediscovered our bicycles (based on the dust and cobwebs you’d never believe we once biked from Portland to San Francisco) and I’m cursing you and your darn “in-sourcing” as we spend all of our free time scraping paint on the outside of our house. Anyway, thank you for all the great posts so far! Looking forward to many more.

    Reply
  • Oh Yonghao September 1, 2014, 12:28 am

    Great time getting to meet you in both Portland and Washington, look forward to any future trips this way.

    Reply
  • Mark September 1, 2014, 6:50 am

    What great timing! I am flying into Denver and staying in a VRBO in Longmont next Saturday. After achieving early retirement status last year (age 48) I’m looking for a new place to live and I’m scouting out the digs between Boulder and Fort Collins. I’m eager to meet some like-minded mustachians and I would welcome any help and insight with the move.
    Pete: keep up the amazing work you started here. I’m always inspired after reading your blog.

    Reply
    • Amy September 1, 2014, 12:52 pm

      Hi Mark! My husband and I are in our mid 40s and live south of Denver. We are also looking to meet like-minded friends since we are fairly new to this way of life. We are signed up for the event and would love to meet you next Saturday!

      Reply
  • Michelle September 1, 2014, 8:29 am

    I’m so jealous about the meetup! We are in Colorado right now trying to see if we want to move here in a few years. We love it so I think we are! We leave the Boulder area on Thursday, so I won’t be able to make the meetup.

    Reply
  • Mrs SSC September 1, 2014, 12:14 pm

    Summers like the one you just had are the reason I’m hoping to retire early! Nothing beats traveling around with family and friends creating memories! I’ve been spending my summer in an air conditioned office, but hopefully there are only a few more summers like this left-then I’ll be free to roam!

    Reply
  • Free to Pursue September 1, 2014, 12:41 pm

    “Real Life always comes before Internet Life, and family and real life friends come before Internet ones.” Here here.

    Your absence is yet another example of walking the talk. What a memorable summer you have had!

    If I miss my “usual” schedule of online perusals and contributions, I quickly look back and review why. When the root cause is spending time with family and friends or experiencing something special or new, I can’t help but pat myself on the back. Life is just so much better when what you care about drives you. It feels more “real”, more tangible and lasting…in short, more memorable.

    Reply
  • Andrea September 1, 2014, 1:02 pm

    I will make it. How exciting for me! I snagged that ticket faster than a celebrity nude.

    Reply
  • Deb September 1, 2014, 6:07 pm

    Pretty sure I am 1.5 million of those 6 million views! Excited for the book! This blog is my sanity in my world full of friends with fancy cars, vacations, boats and houses.
    I am an art teacher who owns a house, a car paid off as well as retirement investments and savings. I’m 35 and single with some student loan debt but no credit debt. I am paying some loans for house repairs I really needed and am now cutting back even more. It’s difficult to turn down fun outings that cost more money than i am comfortable with but I’m doing it. Cutting back even further to repay the loan. My budget was already pretty tight.
    I have amazing understanding friends but it is still hard at times to stick to my guns without feeling like a cheap A**. I read this blog for inspiration to keep doing what I’m doing when it is tempting to lead the fancy life. I really don’t need anything more. All the crap is an illusion anyway.
    I rarely comment on here but I guess I just want to say I really love this blog and keep up the good work MMM! I will start a small savings fund to purchase your book when it’s published! Yes…I need a fund for luxury printed paper goods at the moment…it was a good sized loan I had to borrow :/

    Reply
  • Little House September 2, 2014, 7:50 am

    Welcome back! It’s great to read a new post, but I’ve been perfectly fine hanging out in the forums while you were away. ;)

    Reply
  • Michelle September 2, 2014, 7:56 am

    Bummer, will be in Rocky Mountain National Park that day or I would swing by. Have fun!

    Reply
  • Shane September 2, 2014, 9:42 am

    Would of enjoyed a meet up with your night in Houston. Maybe next time.

    Enjoy the blog and can’t wait for the book! Also you said JOB! You have surely got yourself in a pickle now.

    Reply
    • Alex September 10, 2014, 10:53 am

      The Internet Retirement Police now has a full confession from Mr. MM! He is not retired!

      Reply
  • Innkeeper77 September 2, 2014, 10:01 am

    Awesome! I’m looking forward to it! Sadly I have work that morning so biking/public transit isn’t an option, so my wife and I will be driving up from Broomfield (it’s the only way the timing works out) – Anyone need a lift from the Broomfield/Westminster area leaving around 2:20?

    We’ll be sure to bring some homemade food to share!

    Reply
  • Jacob September 2, 2014, 11:41 am

    It was awesome to meet you and J.D. at the WA meetup. Thanks for bringing together an unconventional group of friends to enjoy a beautiful spot, great food, and great conversation. And thanks for playing with our kiddos, especially my son who was cracking up :-)

    Reply
  • jen September 2, 2014, 1:23 pm

    The Give Yourself the Gift of Not Worrying About Money post that you wrote on the road in Portland was my gateway post. It really struck a chord since I’ve been working to reduce stress in my life. AONC had sent me a link to an interview with JD Roth which then linked me to that post. Of course what you wrote there should be obvious but it was pretty revelatory to me. Then again I’m someone who has jokingly called myself a ‘Natural Born Spender’. At one of my first job interviews the manager asked me if I was a spender or a saver. I answered ‘Spender!’ proudly. I had no idea that it was going to cost me the job. I thought it was a good thing. My reasoning was that a spender will work even harder so they can buy more. Plus I was planning to buy shoes from the store I was interviewing at so, double win! Fortunately, I do have a conservative side when it comes to the planet we live on so I immediately related to Mustachian frugality. Since that first post, I have, like many before me, started at the beginning and read my way up to the present. Along the way I realized I’d actually been here before. Just a few months back when I was looking for a bike trailer and came across the How to Carry Major Appliances on your Bike article. I was intrigued but moved on in my quest for the perfect bike trailer (ended up with a Burley Travoy which is a wonderful bike trailer that doubles as a hand cart). My favorite eye openers were The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement, Which Part of the Money Wave do you Surf?, Cure Yourself of Tiny Details Exaggeration Syndrome and Why We are Not Really All Doomed. That last one was important. Hope and optimism are necessary for a saving mentality, at least for me. Thanks for spreading it. Also, thanks for the random button. I plan to make liberal use of it as I shift my focus from spending to saving. This shit doesn’t come natural to me, goodness knows my mother tried but it just didn’t stick. Maybe it’s genetic. My dad started saving for retirement in his 50’s. Once he started though, he got crazy serious about it, took the CSC test and can now be a financial advisor himself. So there’s hope for me yet. Thanks MMM for the literary face punch to get me pointed in the right direction.

    Reply
  • jessica September 2, 2014, 5:26 pm

    Then do NOT step foot in the flagship Whole Foods- bbq, seafood, sushi, Italian restraunts, and a PUB.

    I learned my lesson. The second time was not nearly as fun as the first, so keep that in mind. It’s an experiential place.

    Reply
  • Dave September 3, 2014, 8:24 am

    Bummer! We’re doing our last family backpacking trip up in RMNP that weekend, so we won’t be able to make it. I’ve been wanting to meet other folks in the Boulder area for a while now. I’d be willing to organize another meetup down in the Louisville/Lafayette area if anyone would be interested.

    Reply
  • Barb September 3, 2014, 12:13 pm

    Would love to hear more about your train trip. my tentative play in the spring is to do the same thing from Denver, taking two stops on the way there and two on the way back. I’d stay in a hostel there, so I was wondering about bringing my trusty REI cooler with plastic wine glasses and food and stuff considering the hop offs and ons. Or should I just drive?

    And for those reading this, yes, there are hostels appropriate for handicapped sixty year olds. Hostels are NOT what they used to be when I was twenty and thumbing around Europe. Who knew?

    Reply
    • Annie September 3, 2014, 12:50 pm

      Hi Barb,
      Would love a link to those hostels friendly to 60+ yr olds!

      Reply
      • Barb September 4, 2014, 10:43 pm

        Actually Annie, many hostels are friendly to 60 plus year olds. In my case bumming around Europe included things like climbing to castles that had been turned into hostels. There is at least one sixty plus traveler on the blogs (StellaMarina) who I know stays at hostels all the time because like me she travels alone and wants to meet people of all ages.

        In my case my knee is completely whacked (true scientific description there) so for me, there have to be elevators and or ground floor rooms and baths. And I try to sleep alone-because Im a night owl who can stay up to two am and because I am a mouth breather (a kind way of saying I snore-a lot). If i could I would stay in a group room.

        Admittedly I prefer to be with people of all ages including twenty somethings when I travel. Below is the link to my first choice when I visit, SF. depending on the knee aspect. I can climb a floor once a day if I have to.

        http://www.sfhostels.org/fishermans-wharf/rates

        Reply
  • Claire September 3, 2014, 5:34 pm

    We’re planning to drive up from the Centennial/Aurora border area. We could fit 2 more people in our sedan, or take the minivan and fit 4 more. It looks like we’d go North through Aurora and hit Northfield, Commerce City, Thorton, and Northglen on our way. Alternatively, we could swing west into Centennial and then straight up I-25. If anyone would be interested in a carpool, please call or text me at 7-989-6530.

    Reply
    • Allie September 12, 2014, 11:47 pm

      We should see about getting a meet-up going in SE Denver! We are near Parker and Arapahoe. (Dry Dock could be a fun spot…)

      Reply
  • Mike September 4, 2014, 9:52 am

    Hey all, coming from Denver (NE Park Hill) and will have a spot or 2 in a Kia Soul if anyone wants a lift from east of downtown Denver to Longmont.

    Reply
  • Greg September 4, 2014, 10:42 am

    We’re excited for Saturday’s festivities. My wife and I are thinking about taking the FLEX bus from Fort Collins to Longmont, but the last bus leaves Longmont for FC at 7:22 p.m. One hates to leave the party early, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Are there any other folks from the Fort going down, who we could carpool with? Please reply to this comment, we can coordinate from there.

    Thanks,
    -Greg

    Reply
    • Kevin September 4, 2014, 4:02 pm

      Hi Greg, I’ve added myself to the carpool spreadsheet – I was planning to drive, stay the whole time (not drink too much) and I have 3-4 extra seats. The only wrinkle is, I am in the south-east corner of town by the highway (Windsor exit) – if you can work with me on where to meet up, I’d be glad to give you guys a ride!

      Reply
  • Marcia September 5, 2014, 10:25 am

    Wow, what an awesome summer!

    We took the train from Santa Barbara to Lamy, NM (24 hours, and not a sleeper) a few years ago with our son when he was about 3 or 4. It was fun, but I was not impressed with the food situation. Some day I’d like to repeat but with a sleeper car (well, two would be required now with the two boys).

    Sounds like quite a great traveling experience overall, but I can see how you’d be glad to stay home. I’d love to see an update on your new house/ old house situation too.

    Reply
  • jessica September 5, 2014, 1:03 pm

    Really surprised about putting little MMM back into public school!

    Is it to get him back in schedule to attend the specials when he’s back home?

    If choosing to school at all, why not go private in your community for individualized learning?

    Very interested to read the update on this!

    Reply
  • jessica September 5, 2014, 1:03 pm

    Really surprised about putting little MMM back into public school!

    Is it to get him back in schedule to attend the specials when he’s back home?

    If choosing to school at all, why not go private in your community for individualized learning?

    Very interested to read the update on this!

    Reply
  • Mrs M from NZ September 5, 2014, 6:00 pm

    Wow. I just finished reading all the articles and now feel I can comment. Thanks so much for this blog! I have never regularly read a blog before but I found MMM and was hooked. I am naturally frugal leaning but as a family we have started having conversations not about money but about happiness, and how to get ourselves even more of that in our already blessed lives. We’re still upgrading the house but now looking at a new build (with lots of learning and DIY for me) in an area walking distance to all schooling + university + shops & medical and an easy bike/run to my husband’s work (hugely reduced transport costs for the next 15 years guaranteed!) can’t wait to be brave with our money knowing that our frugality muscles are well on the way to being as badass as we can make them (still a LONG way to go! Fun times ahead). Thanks!

    Reply
    • Karen September 6, 2014, 8:42 am

      It helps tremendously when everything is in walking distance. I took a side hustle a few towns over and it cut into my auto budget so much that I took similar work closer to home. No sense taking work that cancels itself out. I try to do things in my town as much as possible.

      Reply
  • chc4444 September 6, 2014, 12:20 am

    It was so nice to see you sign off with the word “love”, I hadn’t noticed that before. Of course we love you too. Great that you got a long family trip. Your son will have fond memories of those trips. I know for our kids, being on the road and in the tent were the best times of the year.

    Reply
  • Karen September 6, 2014, 6:47 am

    That’s a nice way to stay busy and “neglect” your blog. ; ) This is very inspiring. I have to see if my friends will let me crash and borrow an extra bike so I can explore their town. A+ on family time and travel excursions. Glad the Triple M nickname stuck. LOL

    Reply
  • ElizabethBroomfield September 6, 2014, 9:18 pm

    Thanks again for a great time! My family had so much fun, and it was great to finally meet you!

    Reply
  • Andrew Hyde September 7, 2014, 5:09 pm

    Great to meet everyone and thanks for doing this Mr. and Mrs. Money!

    Reply
  • Christina September 8, 2014, 7:33 am

    Awww, MMM, I only just saw this post. A friend who used to live in Longmont told me about your blog earlier this year, and I’ve been reading it here and there (and enjoying it quite a bit too). I hope to meet you some day. Your neighbor on Carolina.

    Reply
    • Mr. Money Mustache September 9, 2014, 4:24 pm

      I’m sure we will meet! Come on up the hill or get in touch through the blog!

      Reply
  • Lindsay (Longmont) September 8, 2014, 1:48 pm

    Thank you for hosting the meetup MMM! It was great to meet you and Mrs. MM. Terrific talking to the few people I was able to meet in such a varied and interesting group!

    Reply

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