Complainypants -- MMM

Complainypants -- Mr. Money Mustache 

Back in 1987 the Houston oil economy went bust and along with the economy, my husband lost his job and we could no longer afford the house/pool/neighborhood we were living in. We sold the house for exactly what was owed on it, losing 15 years worth of equity, and moved into a smaller house. We lived on savings and some part time work while I finished Pharmacy School. My husband knew that to continue in the oil industry was going to be very iffy. So during my last year of Pharmacy School, he started In Pharmacy. That meant that he didn't work for 3 years. 

I decided then and there that this was not going to happen to me again.  I made the startling discovery that the best way to get out of debt was to stop spending money.  I decided to pay off one bill/credit card at a time and I made a chart of when bills such as auto insurance, flood insurance, and homeowners association fees would be due so that I would have the money to pay them. Christmas was bound to come around so I started a Christmas savings account. It was difficult but with perseverance we got out of debt and even paid off the house once we were pulling in two incomes. We did this before I ever heard about Dave Ramsey and his baby steps. I absolutely agree with him on his program for getting out of debt. 

The new guy on the financial scene is Mr. Money Mustache and I love him too. What I especially like about him is when he calls whiners Complainypants. It isn't easy to get out of debt and build an emergency fund and save and invest so that you have money to take care of yourself. It is much easier to make excuses and sit around and complain.

 I see this in so many areas of life today -- so many people whine and complain instead of finding ways to make their situation better in ways other than financial. We become obese and diabetic because we won't exercise and go to Weight Watchers (or something similar). We don't maintain our homes or vehicles and then gripe because things fall apart. I see people buying cigarettes and lottery tickets and wonder why they are broke.  They think they have bad luck but what they have is bad habits.  I think it was Thomas Edison who said that the harder he worked, the luckier he got.

I will now step down from my soap box...and onto the exercise bike...