Mr. Money Mustache is an online personality, a character of Peter Adeney who offers financial advice that aims to help people live frugally and retire early. The Money Mustache blog slogan is "Financial Freedom Through Badassity," and his personal finance advice often requires an independent, confident disposition that's willing to sacrifice. But the promised payoffs are huge, and their example of success is Mr. Mustache, himself.
The blog features posts by Mr. Money Mustache, its extreme character, and the Realist, his checks-and-balance opponent. While the Realist would have readers skip the once-a-week McDonald's and, instead, save $10, Mr. Money Mustache insists on doing it hard and fast. He'd push a family with two workers making $60k a year, each, to save $5,000 per month as a basic rule.
Born in Ontario, Canada, Mr. Mustache-Adeney's working life started with a paper route and continued steadily until he graduated from college and moved to the U.S.
At this point, he writes, with enough financial independence to cover a down payment on a house, he bought a fixer-upper with his future wife. With two incomes and a small mortgage, "we were on a treadmill that was pushing us forwards instead of fighting one that pulled us back."
In the following few years, his and his wife's savings compounded until they arrived at the striking moment in their story: instead of splurging on new cars, or vacations, the couple simply retired. At 30.
Mr. Mustache started writing advice from a relatively unique perspective: as a person for whom these practices worked, even thought it doesn't for the vast majority. His posts aren't the usual college commencement quotes from billionaires who offer generalities that most people already know ("work hard," "save money," "don't be afraid of failure"). The writing on his website is honest, often annoyed but optimistic and full of sarcastic humor.
He writes as a person who beat the system and is sick of reading news about how this or that—or the economy, a poor excuse in his opinion—is hurting people's lives.
"Your current middle-class life is an Exploding Volcano of Wastefulness," he writes, and with this realization a person should be able to halve their expenses (and, consequently, double their savings). The Mustache family saved two-thirds of their income and retired at thirty. Is it really that simple? Is it true retirement doesn't need to wait until you are pushing 70 years old?
You may have read books about the FIRE movement ("Financial Independence, Retire Early") but Money Mustache says most of people get it wrong. "A fundamental truth in society is that most people are pretty bad at math. At the core, these FIRE ideas are simply about taking some solid math, combining it with principles of human happiness, and then distilling it down into a list of simple tactics that will get you way ahead in all areas of life. The benefits go way beyond money," he writes.
His list of steps to early retirement includes such advice as: erase debt; move close to work and avoid cars, especially unaffordable ones (he advocates bicycles strongly); cancel the TV service; grocery shop wisely (with lots of coupons); escape expensive mobile phones; and much, much more. Oh, and an important one: "practice optimism."
Mr. Money Mustache also provides a retirement calculator to help people stop working and become early retirees.
"Optimism tricks you into trying more things," he writes. Hope and positivity are crucial keys to Mustachianism, because the way involves more sacrifice than most people feel ready to make. Optimism makes it all possible: "What do you do with all that extra knowledge? You succeed."
That's about as close to a commencement address as the blog gets. Most of its articles trigger action because of their unromantic bluntness. You know you've succeeded when you can write a sentence like this: "My wife and I just saved about 66% of our pay without really noticing it, and in under ten years we woke up and realized we didn't have to work for a living any more."
"But fast-processor tablet-phones are important, and cars are necessary, and you know what they say about vacations benefiting your health, and etc," we all plead.
Mr. Mustache acknowledges all of this desire and want, but he calls it just that. He emphasizes a focus on happiness instead of convenience. You're ultimately left with a choice between working most of your life to live conveniently, or sacrificing instant pleasures for deeper happiness and an early retirement.
Even with investing in stocks, he advises you to simply buy an index fund with low fees and get back to enjoying life. "If index funds really are the statistically best bet, why are there still thousands of brand-name mutual funds and hotshot traders out there?" Mr. Mustache: "For the same reason that Las Vegas still exists and people still drive SUVs. Humans are irrational creatures..."
Mustachianism recalls the old wisdom that happiness is the appreciation of what one already has. Mr. Money Mustache doesn't want people to live with constant spending guilt. He wants his readers to escape the grip of debt and material obsession, and understand just how close—how very close—they are to financial victory and personal success.
Every time payday rolls around, I’m on top of the world. Jeff Bezos-level rich - even though I’m anything but. And then somehow the very next day, rent is due.
The cycle continues. The next payday, bills for my apartment. I find myself without a surplus of savings since I just moved and newly-furnished my apartment completely.
Even more terrifying is the looming presence of the holiday season. Halloween’s officially over and before we know it, hello Thanksgiving…and then there’s Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s. It’s insane.
I’ve been feeling very British lately. Not in a Union-Jack-obsessed, “Keep Calm and Carry-On” way. I went through that phase in 2012 with everyone else… no thank you. And it’s not even a surge of patriotism catalyzed by the Queen dying — I’m firmly team Diana and team Meghan.
Now that fall is officially here, the holidays will sweep in and I’ll have to contend with the fact that I won’t be spending them with my family in the UK. I went home to London earlier this year, so there’s not much left in my travel budget for another trip across the pond. A few domestic jaunts might be in my future, but the closest I’ll get to England this winter is watching Love Island and Love, Actually.
So in that spirit, I’ve been filling my days with content from my favorite Brits. I’m listening to all the old British rock bands I grew up listening to, patiently awaiting the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rewatching anything with Michaela Coel in it. I even shipped myself an order of British Baked Beans, so you know it’s dire.
I’ve also been watching British YouTubers like Grace Beverley — my favorite. Generally, I only go on YouTube to watch Vogue Beauty Secrets and AD Open Door videos. But I’m so glad I stumbled on Grace. Her content is a mix of London lifestyle (what lured me in), relatable entrepreneurship, and mindful productivity. I’m not a hustle-and-grind-girlboss, but as a creative person in a 9-to-5, I need all the help I can get to stay plugged in. So, the video “how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmed” changed my approach to WFH.
Grace outlines her own productivity method: the to-do table. Instead of making a simple to-do list, she divides her tasks into a table that anyone can follow. As someone who’s survived with to-do lists for years, I recently implemented Grace’s method, and it’s revolutionized my workdays.
how to be really really really productive without getting overwhelmedwww.youtube.com
I follow her routine to a tee. Here’s how it works:
Essentially, she divides her daily responsibilities into four categories: quick ticks, tasks, projects, and non-negotiables.
- Quick Ticks: Actions that take less than 5-minutes
- Tasks: To-do’s that take up to 30-minutes. Probably don’t take too much brain energy.
- Projects: Long-term list items. These help guide your priorities, even if you’re not crossing them off in one day.
- Non-negotiables: Pick 3 things each day that you must get done. This is how you’ll truly measure success.
With everything written down and sorted, next address your schedule. Meetings, deadlines, and time blocks — whatever works best for you. Write it down. Then make a pact with yourself to stick to them.
This way of categorization provides a roadmap for prioritizing your day — making you far more productive. Have you ever spent the entire day on small tasks and then suddenly realized you hadn’t moved the needle on any task? Or do you spend way too much time on tasks that aren’t a priority? No more. With your non-negotiables laid out, you know what to laser-focus on and what to dedicate energy towards.
Also, it pays to know your working style. I’m not a morning person. Yet, I have to be up and at ‘em super early. So, first thing in the morning, I march through my Quick Ticks to warm me up. I set a time limit, so I can knock out some easy wins which is totally inspiring. Then I move on to bigger things without lingering on emails or admin. For others, it might be more helpful to tackle the big things with all that early-in-the-day brain power earlier.
Grace has great tips on avoiding overwhelm and burnout. My favorite is taking more intentional breaks rather than scrolling through social media. I call this scrolling “productive” because I’m “coming up with pitches.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves. It’s more productive in the long run to giving my brain a break with non-screen related stimuli.
Grace’s solution? Set a timer to read a real, an actual book. I’ve never thought of this. It’s a genius way to check off some books on my TBR and kickstart my creativity. After reading a good book, I’m completely inspired to write. So having books near my desk helps me step away from the computer during my lunch break for an actual reset. (And yes, the current books I’m reading are by British authors: Assembly by Natasha Brown, and Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalolu.)
In my pursuit of switching out my WFH set-up and getting my life together, I’ve engineered my workstation for success. With my new WFH essentials and Grace’s productivity technique, I’m revitalized for work — despite the fall blues and my melancholy about the pending holidays.
Here are the things getting me hyped for work and helping me crush my Grace Beverley-inspired to-do tables — no lists in sight:
Southwest Airlines Sale 2022
Pack your bags — Southwest Airlines is having a major sale! Fares are as low as $59 one-way if you book by October 3rd.
This end-of-summer super sale is a game-changer for your travel plans through the end of the year. Summertime travel gets all the glory. But why not take advantage of your long weekends, holidays, and PTO this fall. You’ll be surprised at how much travel you can fit in. Keep the fall/winter season exciting with domestic trips that give you all the excitement without breaking the bank. All thanks to Southwest.
Here’s the breakdown:
Where can you go?
You’ll find discounted tickets to and from most airports. Sale fares apply to cross country travel, and even Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean! Whether you’re visiting a new city or revisiting your last beach vacation, this sale has fares to make your travel dreams come true.
What do the fares cover?
Southwest Airlines has multiple fare tiers, each with various benefits. Wanna Get Away fares start at $59, while Wanna Get Away Plus fares start at $89. You can also find great deals on Anytime fares, which offer priority boarding and express lanes. Then there’s Business Select tickets for a luxe experience at an affordable price point.
Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member?
You may think these sale fares are too good to be true. Is there a catch? Do you have to be a Southwest Rapid Rewards member to access them? You’re in luck — anyone can attain these fares for a limited time.
But, insider tip, you should consider signing up for Southwest Rapid Rewards. With a free sign up, you earn points and miles with each trip you take. And with this sale, each dollar you spend on these discounted tix can stretch super far until you eventually earn free travel. The only thing better than a sale is free stuff.
So pack your bags and brace yourself for those chaotic airport lines. Everyone’s hopping on this deal so get on it. Don’t miss out — grab your sale tickets by October 3rd!
I’ve been browsing the Southwest Airlines site, checking out flights and dreaming.