I'm a big fan of Mr Money Mustache. If your wallet pinches uncomfortably, if you find yourself weighed down by consumerism, if you loathe working a Day Job, you really need to check out his hardcore badass financial advice.
He recently had a case study about Joe Average wanting a better life. A few people commented about how MMM's philosophy doesn't benefit the poor; they are not his target audience.
I disagree. Anyone who wishes to improve their financial situation would benefit from reading MMM, even if they can't apply everything he recommends at the present time.
A simple raising of one's financial awareness is what he advocates.
Normally I don't comment on his awesome posts, but I had to say this:
I’m a faithful reader who didn’t know a lot of what MMM preaches before I started reading his blog. My cousin pointed him out, and I went hard-core, and now I’m happily Mustachian.
It all comes down to awareness and education.
When I was a child, my father got injured and was out of work for a while. We lived in poverty. Boy, did it sting!
In university, I spent a few years as an impoverished student because I was not financially savvy AT ALL. (Woe, my ignorance.)
Post-uni, I got a job with a decent wage, but was frivilous in my spending.
Twenty years later, I am now educated, thanks to MMM, and I’m much better off. I’m looking at early-ish retirement BECAUSE I GOT EDUCATED.
Sure, I practiced a brand of frugality in my poverty years, but that was due to necessity and lack of choice. The moment I wasn’t so poor, I went back to foolish ways.
I believe that MMM can benefit those in poverty by educating them on ways of good, better, best.
Last year I read an articles (not related to finances, but to making choices) called “Good, Better, Best”. (Go google it, if you like. It has a religious slant on it, but the advice is sound for all walks of life.)
We all make choices. Lots of people make poor choices, which is why they struggle to make ends meet on a US$100K+ salary. Some choices we make are good. What we need is the wisdom to stand back from our choices and determine if our choices are good, better, or the best we could make.
That’s what MMM’s advocating here. I’m always pointing the impoverished to his blog.
Sometimes we can’t help finding ourselves poor (like when my dad got injured and couldn’t work). But if we have the best mindset, we do not have to remain in poverty for long.
It is the difference between me blowing $40K one year with nothing to show, and me now able to live plus invest with $30K.
So, yeah. I share this with you now, because greater awareness gives you a greater chance at happiness. New Year is coming up. Don't you have some resolutions to make?
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Her Grace's resolutions are simply to keep doing what she's been doing, as her view is long-term.
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