Millionaire Money Mentors Testimonials

From time to time I put a focus on the Millionaire Money Mentors (MMM) forums and want to share with readers what members think of it.

So I created this post as a place to keep testimonials from MMM mentors and members. Then when I want to cite testimonials in future posts, I can simply link to this one!

There are two parts to these testimonials. The first is miscellaneous testimonials which pop up on one thread or another as we’re discussing various topics. The second includes responses to a specific question a member posed to the group.

We’ll begin with general testimonials. Each was left by a mentor or a member (FYI, Mentors get just as much out of the program as members do) and is separated by dashed lines to designate one testimonial from the next.

Here we go…

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Thank you! I have already received so much value from joining this group. Truly life changing.

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The value of the site is amazing! I have learned so much. I only wish I had more time to read everything!

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I believe the price of admission to this site is already undervalued! The value of the content more than covers the cost and then factor in the ability to ask questions.

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[Member name] saved a poor college student (and me) tens of thousands of dollars with this gem [link to forum comment].

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Super excited for every one of these (AMA discussions). Thanks and great work putting together this list of incredible people. Well worth the price of admission.

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Just wanted to say, I really enjoy this forum. I’m finding that I spend more time here now than on all the other blogs I use to read. The amount of information here is phenomenal.

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I have a link to this group at the top of my browser and I pop in at least once a day. I have saved $160 using Bill Fixers so that one tip alone has almost saved me enough to recoup the cost of the subscription. I have also had a detailed private conversation about HELOCs with an amazing mentor which was great! I have helped a few people with Amazon selling (as you have) which is very rewarding.

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I couldn’t agree more. All the mentors have been so generous with their time and knowledge. Thank you ESI for creating this forum.

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I am writing to you to express my gratitude that I found your community this month. My membership is worth it. I don’t have anyone in my circle who is pursuing the same things I do so I turned to forums like this to connect with like-minded people to learn from. The advice I got probably saved me thousands of dollars. More power to you and the community for bringing everybody together.

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Just wow! This type of commentary blows me away. THANK YOU FOR CREATING THESE FORUMS!

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I like the age diversity of our group, and it seems the backgrounds from members and mentors are varied too. So much knowledge from each and a true willingness to share in experiences and expertise. I’m honored to be a small part of this world of dedicated leaders!

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MMM forum is amazing! It has proved to be extremely valuable and I recouped the entrance fee in minutes. It is really helpful to read about feelings and experiences of like-minded people. I highly recommend joining.

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Moving to ACTION—- this forum has already helped me move to action in a number ways because of the experts you’ve gathered.

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As a fairly active Mentor in the group I would highly recommend joining as my goal in being part of this group was to give back but at the same time being engaged with hundreds of very successful, smart and like minded individuals has provided me insights and ideas on things that have benefited me personally such as:

• Started to invest my HSA in equities and up $1,700 in the past month
• Invested 100K in my first multi-family real-estate syndication deal
• Helped organize a charitable giving idea that raised 8K for 4 charities

MMM has allowed me to stay anonymous and keep in stealth wealth mode but also talk and engage with some really smart people about topics I am very passionate and love talking about.

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It has been a great experience with a great group of mentors and members. Great advice on multiple income streams, a great book of the month club, giving advice and if you didn’t already have umbrella insurance and were in the forums I would bet you do now! Thanks ESI!

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I joined the MMM group because I didn’t have anyone in my life to talk about personal finance. The group has very quickly accepted everyone within and become much so much more. They are a community of extremely helpful, supportive individuals who share the good, bad, and ugly with everyone in the “safe space” of anonymity.

My first “win” from being a member of the community: I had been sitting on the sidelines trying to convince myself to invest in real estate for a year and a half. The MMM’s helped me to gain the confidence needed to get off the sidelines.

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I’m an active member. You seen others say it, and I’ll say it, too — with the MMM group I feel like I have “found my tribe.”

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The group celebrates everyone’s successes. It’s like having your own rooting section.

The group is as diverse as America – all walks of life, myriads of vocations – in this land of opportunity there are so many pathways to financial freedom. Within the diversity there is a unity – everyone is a striver, an achiever. Participating in the group by offering advice on subjects you know, and getting advice on subjects you know less, makes each person that much sharper.

I highly encourage you to join, and participate. For me, it was money well spent.

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I joined as one of the mentors and expected to just get a lot of questions from people who needed help or wanted advice. There is plenty of that too which is great and I enjoy sharing my experiences to those questions, but there is so much wisdom on the forums from both mentors and members that I am learning new things too which was not what I expected.

In fact I am not sure ESI will want me saying this but I spend so much more time on MMM that I don’t spend as much time here on ESI anymore. Frankly the content on MMM is just so much deeper, more engaging, and more relevant to me that I am drawn to it in a stronger way than I have been drawn to any other informational site I visit. It nearly replaces the content of multiple other sites.

I have never really thought about pay sites as paying for themselves. You pay for something and get the value from it. You buy a steak and eat it. You enjoyed the steak but are now out the money and that was worth the trade-off. It was only a few weeks into the site when member after member starting saying how they had already paid for their subscription or that they had received much more monetary value than they paid already. I kind of brushed it off as people who maybe were just a little eager to be complimentary and really enjoyed the site but they were probably exaggerating the monetary benefits.

But I have seen people report life changing decisions that they were already making that were going to bring large monetary benefits to them. I have since changed my opinion on the value proposition. Most places will promote a value proposition for their product and I find most of it to be exaggerated marketing. MMM has a real tangible monetary value proposition for a lot of people. I would argue probably for most people.

This may be one of the rare instances where you truly cannot financially afford to not be on this forum, and you don’t know how rare it is for me to even suggest something like that.

MMM has leveraged a gold mine of experiences that I am not sure where else you could get access to something like this. I am very successful but have never had the level of discussions around with so many successful people around so many issues that I have had here. I am willing to bet if I had been on this forum as a member 25 years ago, I would have gotten to where I am now in half the time. The secrets that everyone is always looking for that rarely exist? They are actually here, and they are real. They are being shared by those who personally did it, and they tell you how they did it and how to customize it to the specific situation you are asking about.

If you are thinking about it, you owe it to yourself to try it. You have a 7 day trial period so what have you got to lose? Nothing. But you do potentially have a lot more to lose if you don’t join based on the value proposition that so many existing members have already reported and that I personally witness every week.

It’s pure gold.

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Hopefully someone is reading is this who just on the fence thinking, well, there are so many personal finance groups out there, why should I invest in this forum membership?

Here’s why—- this is a steal. The best Black Friday money you will spend this year on something that you will reap rewards from. I sincerely believe this. It’s a terrific group of very smart and helpful people.

There are many private groups of HNW members who charge way more for membership and are not even close to the level of this forum. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be a member of a dynamic millionaire mentor community where members learn and sincerely contribute actively to help each other on their journey. There is something of interest for everyone who cares about money—-how to earn it, how to save, and how to invest it. If you can’t find something valuable here that is worth more than the price of admission, you are NOT going to find it anywhere else.

Don’t hesitate. I know we all hope to see new members join and participate in the forum. Invest in yourself and join. See you there!

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Initially, I only signed up for the monthly membership because I wanted to test the water. Thinking I can always cancel it if I don’t see any value. But I learned so much for the past two months, I decided to switch to yearly subscription and paid the $290 fee. It was money well spent IMO. So for those who are still hesitate, I say go for it.

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Joining the MMM forums was one of the best investments I’ve made in myself this year. The community has pushed my thinking about what’s possible—yes, in saving and investing and setting myself up for financial success, but also in my career and habits. I’ve learned about topics I’ve never even heard of before. I’ve gotten helpful advice from a variety of different perspectives on a personal financial situation. I’ve shifted my perspective on money and finance in a way that is hard to articulate. I feel more knowledgeable, confident, empowered, and inspired to reach my goals. I truly feel as if I’ve leveled up by joining the forums.

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Been pretty engaged on MMM. really enjoying it. Great interaction with folks asking to learn and from folks smarter/more successful than me willing to teach. This is a very low bar – but if you are going to be online, this far higher quality time spent here, as opposed to scrolling Facebook or Twitter. This place is positive, and can be very constructive/educational if you choose to make it so. Like it a lot, glad to be involved.

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It is amazing what even just reading though all the information on this forum has done to shift my way of thinking. Thank you for putting this together.

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I have been fairly engaged on MMM since the site started up. I am technically a mentor there, however I would say I am learning new knowledge far more than I am giving it out. Really enjoy the site. I recommend it. Lots to be learned there. And many folks that meet the criteria of “DECADES of PROVEN results in the exact field, methodology, and discipline they are talking about.

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Wow the advice on this board is pure gold. Most of us have one or two folks in real life that can or will spend the time to give us this wisdom. I had a family friend who was a Navy Captain provide me mid-career counsel to not get out of the Navy at the 10-12 year point. I was mid thirties, so about where [mentor name] is in his career. In hindsight, his advice was worth a lot of money to me over the remainder of my career (both military and corporate), but I could not have seen how that played out at the time. I trusted him.

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Here folks have concentrated access to amazing experience and wise counsel!

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In my experience most people (including myself) don’t have anyone in “real life” that can give the type of wisdom from a senior executive perspective or a senior HR executive and many other MMM members which is an incredible perspective as if you know how the “other side” is thinking it is that much easier to tailor your approach and messaging at these key career moments.

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ESI, BTW, I tried an experiment with this post.

I posted the exact same post on the r/investing sub-reddit. The dialogue and responses on MMM is 10x more valuable and insightful than Reddit. You have a little gold mine here that is providing a ton of value. I hope this becomes a big part of your portfolio of businesses going forward and you keep investing in it.

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Think about it this way – I have in my pocket, at all times, access to dozens of MILLIONAIRES and MULTI-MILLIONAIRES (it’s still wild to me, that I too, am one of these people now…major imposter syndrome as I sit here in my sweatpants and t-shirt typing this) who are willing to share their opinion on any variety of topics I made need help/advice on.

To me, that is the true value of this forum. I know [mentor name] will typically reply in 60 seconds, ESI within 5 minutes, and about half a dozen others in the first few hours. It’s incredible that I’m able to crowdsource/navigate some of the biggest decisions of my life, in real-time, from such a genuine source of consideration (i.e. no vested interests, ulterior motives, or skewed opinions of the situation). Pretty freaking amazing if you ask me.

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Every morning I look at the forums and realize, Man, I thought I was crazy. These people, Yeesh! Ha ha.

Being able to find like minded people in financial sense and relate to rest of life has been great! Sometimes, I feel like a 10 yo kid absorbing all the new wonders that are on the forums. Most of the time, it is not necessary financial ideas, but life ideas.

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I am very thankful for this forum. I’ve been able to ask critical financial questions that impact me personally and get responses from experts that have been there.

It has also motivated me to strive harder for that next NW milestone while still enjoying the journey. The MMM’s are so encouraging. This is the only place I feel comfortable talking about all this.

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I think this is one of the best forums out there. I think it’s incredibly valuable to get to have access to other like minded people and especially people who are further along than you. I think there is some additional credibility in these forums that don’t exist on other sites. Since you can read peoples millionaire interviews. There are possibility that someone could fake all that but who has that much time. I also like to see all you highly successful people with sometimes opposing viewpoints that entertaining and also educational.

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Every morning starts with a couple cups o’ joe, a banana and MMM…it is therapeutic and so incredibly informative. Feels good to be a member of this cool tribe!

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Over the last few months this exceptional crew has provided so many insights that reinforce or challenge my views. I appreciate the candor, trust, and generosity here. The discussions around real estate, in particular, are helping with my “Figure out how / if you want to start investing in real estate” goal for 2021. There is truly something for everyone here and I look forward to continuing my therapy sessions + helping others wherever I can.

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Since I wrote this & join the MMM community, I have learned so much! I already felt “advanced” in my knowledge, but I’ve learned I know a lot less than I thought! 😉

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ESI, thanks to your post I just saved over $730 a year by switching all our insurance to [company name].

Thank you very much! 🙂

And it’s not like I wasn’t shopping around before. Before reading your post I had asked my insurance agent to find me a better deal, but the best they could find among the companies they represent was saving me only about $300 a year.

To me that’s not worth the hassle of switching from an insurance company I know is good and dependable to one I don’t know anything about.

At least [company name] comes recommended by millionaire money mentors.

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I just want to thank MMM members and this thread as investing my HSA was not on my radar or something I would have thought about without this forum post and just crossed $11K in investment gains and the neat thing is I paid just under 11K for both my kids braces over the last 2 years so “feels” like I got them for “free” with investment gains which is a pretty neat feeling so huge Thank YOU!!

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Just wanted to say I love this forum. I read a quote someone posted (don’t remember who)…“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” Having a baby on the way after several rounds of IVF, I finally got the courage to ask for a raise and although not quite what I asked for, 20% is not too bad in my book. We are celebrating by buying some steaks to cook at home! Woohooo!!

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You and others here are “my people”. My life is better having “met” you and everyone else here.

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I’d like to share a huge THANK YOU to everyone who wrote an answer here. You have all given great advice and I am immensely grateful.

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The insight into people of this vast NW is like an interactive “the millionaire next door” and definitely maximize the opportunities here. The conversations go well beyond just money…

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Going through the MMM forum is kind of like eating a lobster for the first time. It looks intimidating, but just get started on whatever looks to be the most attractive starting point and you will be rewarded with juicy morsels. And ask for help, there are lots of people who are more than happy to assist. The support levels and good attitude of this community is really something special.

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The knowledge and wisdom shared on this forum is truly the gift that keeps giving!

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Thank you so much! We feel extremely grateful and blessed for finding our financial path over the last few years. Special shout out to ESI Money. We couldn’t have gotten this far without some help from our MMM friends.

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Thanks to our leader, John, and to the other ESI (MMM) team members….You guys have ALL helped me in so many ways….In fact, too many to list.

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So much gratitude to this group…to help motivate, educate and focus us. I’m really in awe on how far we’ve come.

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I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the candid open dialogue that we can share here. In my household/family this is not a subject that can be discussed with others. It is great to have a forum like this where I can be excited for other on their financial journey and continue my learning with such a great cohort.

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I am learning as much as I am giving. Due to contributing in MMM I am definitely smarter than I have ever been on many financial topics as well as have a real clarity on many things from taking the time to collect my thoughts and put them in writing.

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I’m so glad you’re part of this forum. Reading this response felt like a masterclass.

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The MMM forum has helped me become more generous. I have seen how mentors and members encourage others and give their resources to those in need. They have been excellent role models.

Two recent examples:

Two weeks ago, we were at the Dollar Tree, purchasing some treats for my kids. There was an older woman ahead of us who appeared to be doing her weekly grocery shopping. I asked her if we could purchase her groceries. She was a bit hard of hearing, so the cashier told her that I was paying for her groceries. She was so happy. Total cost was $29.73. When the cashier rang up our things, he asked how my day was going. “It’s going a lot better now,” I said.

Tonight, I was eating supper at a diner with my dad, who I am visiting in Nebraska. Two women with seven very young kids walked in and sat next to us. Similar to how I grew up, it was clear that going out to a restaurant was a BIG DEAL, and the kids were so excited to have someone else cook them food.

I have shared elsewhere how my wife, kids, and I ate at an Olive Garden when my son was one-day old, and how a random stranger paid for our meal. I wanted to pay back that favor, so I asked the cashier if I could buy their meal. The women and children never knew it was me. I saw their server say that someone had covered their bill and that he had no idea who did it. They seemed to appreciate it. Total cost: $101 + $21 tip. To me, it was a priceless experience.

Thanks, MMM, for showing me how to make a simple difference in people’s lives.

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I have learned a ton just by following along. And reading all this wisdom has caused some of my assumptions to have really been challenged, making me re-evaluate some ideas.

But by far the best thing is the camaraderie that occurs. I feel like I could meet up with so many of you and just pick up a conversation where we left it off.

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[What I like about the forums] is that I can talk and talk and talk about retirement scenarios, concerns, planning, etc. here and not drive my wife to drinking.

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I have REALLY learn a great deal from the MMM Folk. Broadly my take away is this:

When I talk personal finance topics with friends, family and in the past coworkers, I was likely the smartest guy in the room. That is fine but likely more helpful for them than it was for me. When I speak with almost any of the MMM Folk, I am at best a below average participant. Heck, I may be the dumbest guy in the room given any particular topic. Having access to knowledgeable people who openly share without looking to gain anything from me, is amazing.

Lately the MMM Folk have been helping me to learn how to relax a bit about money topics. As a fresh early retiree it is very easy to be hypersensitive to money topics. MMM is helping me to execute but with a increasing calmness. Breathe in, breathe out…

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[I’ve] always believed [that] Iron Sharpens Iron – and @ESIMoneyBlog has established a “Financial Foundry” where we can engage, have solid discourse and grow wiser as a result! I’ve become much sharper as a result of MMM and those who offer their insights and thoughts based upon personal experience.

And I value the environment of respect we hold for all who choose to venture, share and sharpen themselves here at MMM.

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Before joining I thought that I knew a bit more about PF planning than the average dude. However, the longer that I am here and the more that I read, the more I realize the less I actually need to know. This kind of has me thinking of that old early 90’s song from Ice Cube called “Check Yourself”.

Collectively we get to check yourself before you wreck yourself and help one another avoid those landmines that could derail sought after plans. You are welcome for that earworm. 😉

I’d like to thank each and everyone reading this who takes the time and commitment to one another to post and give back to the community to help one another stay checked.

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Here’s a post on how the MMM forums earned one member an extra $100,000!

How Has MMM Helped You?

This section includes some responses to the following question:

How has being a mentor/member of MMM helped you?

Some of the responses:

There are many little things: shopping tips, links to information on topics I am interested in, etc.

The comradery and diverse points of view combined with civility are priceless.

I think the biggest tangible thing I got was finding the resources to learn about selling covered call and cash secured put stock options contracts. I have picked up at least $60k in cash premiums, net after closing the contracts out in the past year and a half.

I think one of @ESIMoneyBlog’s posts on his dividend investing journey inspired me to reshape my portfolio into a majority of dividend paying stocks. Currently have about $60k/year of dividends streaming in that I reinvest into new opportunities, along with options premiums.

All in all, a pretty good deal.

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So many ways!

• Had two millionaire panels with awesome volunteers to share wisdom to college students
• Took a leap into a new job earning a lot more and actually having less stress
• Learning a ton about social security
• Learning everything from [mentor] (most interesting is SWR and teaching money to your kids) and wanting to be him when I grow up (seriously)
• Being inspired by people making big moves (thinking about [mentor])
• Hearing about what people would do differently on their journey if they could do it again and trying to apply that to my situation and values since I’m still in my mid thirties
• Having a vast amount of information that never runs out on so many topics
• Feeling camaraderie with this group. It seems silly at times but my friends I share with will give me a hard time: “yeah, what have your millionaire friends said about that?” Because of this, I’m hoping to make an in person meet up/event.
• Going from Dave Ramsey kindergarten education to MMM advanced degree…my brain still hurts on some topics.

I’m sure there are more but extremely appreciative to have this group and appreciative for @ESIMoneyBlog. Thanks to all members/mentors!!

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I have benefitted by learning more on how others are using ISE, dealing with investing strategies, sharing their outlook on their life and navigating family relationships. Through this group I’ve learned that the norm is to have dysfunction in the family especially when it comes to money and how different people in the family value and deal with this.

I’ve learned from others how there are different phases to raising kids and educating them about personal finance based on where they are in life.

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As one of the older members it’s too late to apply some of the wisdom floating around here, but I’ve made some friends that are worth a great deal. Also I believe in being a lifelong learner and there are a lot of things new to me I’ve been able to learn more about. It’s just a fun experience to be able to talk about financial things freely, that’s hard to do in many of my face to face relationships because pride, ego, etc. get involved when you talk about money. Here most everyone is already a success or definitely on their way there. It really makes a difference in being able to be open and honest.

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Thank you for creating this forum!!

I try to read most every thread even if it might not directly pertain to me (such as RSUs), as there is so much collective knowledge in all the wonderful folks here!

As to “concrete ways” MMM has helped me, there are many, however the biggest one is I am about to go into business with a fellow MMMer. We close in a few weeks, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise!

I know I’ll be asked about this, and as you know me I like to talk, however let me say that out of deference to my business partner I might not be able to say a lot more until a later time when we might decide to do a reveal. I think it would be okay to say we’ve been working on this for over 18 months, our starting point is in the low 7 figures, and we project “hockey stick” growth.

Please wish us well in our new endeavor! Thanks!

Let me also say a big thanks to everyone for giving me an opportunity to give back!

My son would also say thank you for fading the heat! Imagine if I didn’t have this venue, and I was dumping all my supposed profundities on him!

Seriously, I have learned so much from everyone, and hope I have said a thing or two that has helped others.

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Here are a few concrete things that are more ‘hard money’ benefits

• Got me to invest my excess cash on hand & set up automatic investing in my Vanguard account generating. I haven’t calculated the returns, and I’m sure it wouldn’t look great right now with the market decline, but it was definitely the right thing to do!
• Introduced me to tax loss harvesting, helped me offset $4,100 in realized gains, saving me about $700 on my tax bill
• Helped me recognize some issues with my asset allocation (too much in bonds for my age) and helped me maximize/optimize growth

Still “concrete” benefits for me, but not monetarily quantifiable (yet):

• The forum has become like a FIRE library! Any topic I am interested to learn more about, it’s out there! I “borrow” information constantly for myself and my family/friends. It saves me SO MUCH TIME in trying to research topics as I know I’ll get quality information searching here first!
• Career Advice – 1000% this will ‘pay dividends’ to help me on the E side of things. I value the feedback on this topic so much as I am not in a place right now where I’m interested to put more energy into additional income streams.

And on the personal side, I have to say the outpouring of support & empathy I see everyday is worth its weight in gold. Personally y’all have:

• Helped me navigate my situation with aging grandparents
• Helped to keep me focused on goals, grateful for what I have, and also willing to spend more on what makes me happiest
• Inspired travel destinations & activities (Upcoming Travel is one of my favorite threads!)
• Inspired me to invest in my own health & wellness

I agree – this place is the best!

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I have benefitted greatly with advice on the Earning side of things. There’s even a decent size thread for posterity with that episode. The support and advice was invaluable while the end result was a total comp increase of over $10,000 annually. While I had some help from my brother, this group provided me with enough confidence and insight to actually embark on that journey.

There have been plenty of other learnings that have had a less quantifiable impact. This forum is where I begin and end most days.

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I needed this place 30 years ago. For those of you keeping score, that was when I was starting my 30s.

Before this I thought forums should be free. I’ve been on [site] since the late 1980s (before the Web), and in the 1990s I moved up to dial-up BBSs and forums. In the later 1990s when The Motley Fool tried to monetize their forums then we all immediately left and moved to other free discussions.

When Morningstar’s Vanguard Diehards forum was plagued with malware in their ads and a couple of trolls — and the moderators wouldn’t moderate them — I watched the creation of Bogleheads. When it was clear that [these sites] would be excessively moderated, there was still the MrMoneyMustache forums and (eventually) Facebook groups.

It was “free”, and it was all worth more than I paid for it. Yet in 2020, it still seemed ludicrous to pay real money for a forum. I still feel self-conscious explaining paid forums to other people.

It turns out that I’ve been seeking this MMM forum for a very long time before it was built. All those years of free forums have made me recognize the real value of this place.

The first group that I’ve ever joined explicitly to talk about millionaire questions is Dave Jacobson’s (free) Millionaire Roundtable at Coach Connections. It’s a monthly Zoom call, and it’s very valuable for hearing origin stories and discussing questions. Dave and a few of his financial coaches get their value out of it by understanding the next levels of financial management and estate planning. However it’s limited by being a monthly Zoom call. I’ve gained many valuable connections from it yet the group’s conversations never really gain momentum outside of the call.

In a similar vein, my spouse and I are members of [a] Facebook [FIRE] group. (Her favorite part is the inspirations of Non-frugal Friday, a regular “Could we?” discussion at our house.) On the other hand it’s Facebook, and it’s far better for consuming content than for creating it or discussing it.

Before MMM, the only paid sites which seem worth the fees are for mastermind groups and for building businesses. As much as I appreciate their goals, I had no desire to write books or create content sites with the deadlines and hotseats of masterminds. I’m not interested in building a business. I’d rather explore financial independence and write about it on my own terms.

Ironically I was already spending money to [attend many other] events. I’ve made many friends there, and I’ve learned a lot about discussing financial independence. Yet those group conversations are pretty much suspended when the event ends…until the next event.

I knew @ESIMoneyBlog and [mentor] from their other sites (and FinCon) and their teamwork at Rockstar Finance. I joined here because I eventually (finally!) realized that I could afford the experiment. I’d already joined the BiggerPockets Pro membership, and I can afford that too, but it’s a real estate focus.

I also joined here because I’d intended (for months) to get around to writing a Millionaire Interview. I knew that if I paid real money for this forum then I’d taunt myself into finishing the interview before my membership renewed. And I did.

In the process of writing that interview, I realized that I couldn’t afford to not be in this forum…and after that epiphany the value really gained momentum.

It’s hypothetically possible that I could actually learn a few things here. (Old dogs, new tricks.) I haven’t learned anything totally unexpected, although I’ve learned a lot more about things that I’d already read a little about. For example, I’ve learned from you experts about real estate syndications and landlording…and those deep dives into the details have helped me confirm that I’m not interested in participating in either of them.

I already knew how pernicious Just One More Year syndrome is, but I’ve learned a lot more about it from people here who can already do math and assess risk. (JOMY is more complicated than it seems!) I’ve also confirmed all of the ways that financial independence includes the freedom to work, especially throttling back to part-time consulting instead of full-time employment. My understanding of that is especially important to explaining it to families.

I’ve belatedly realized that a paid forum is much more likely to avoid the trolls and haters that I’ve encountered on so many other sites. My first question here was about gifting our third house to our daughter and son-in-law. I can’t even imagine writing about that on [other] forums…let alone on Facebook groups.

Interestingly, my daughter and son-in-law are much more confident about this gift because a team of real no-foolin’ millionaires already understands these issues and has advised us on the best ways to complete the process. I’ll blog about it someday, of course with the permission of those two.

Among my first sentences written here were:

“I joined this forum to level up with our excess net worth. As my spouse and I start our 60s, I want to understand the issues of reaching $10M in our 80s.”

I’d be happier with throttling our net worth down to $2M (because our pensions are worth far more in cash flow) but now I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to handle $10M if it happens.

Over the last 20 months, this forum has become my safe space to discuss more of the “personal” in personal finance. That’s eventually going to lead to my third book, and you’re welcome to read it here as we create it.

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The #1 thing so far can’t be defined with any tangible value. For me the #1 thing is mindset. As a working executive in a Fortune 500 company, I’m surrounded by the hard-charging, high drive, high work ethic people, and almost all plan to work into their 60s, “don’t know what they’d do if they weren’t working”, etc. I’ve always been one of those high drive, high work ethic people, but man, the idea of working to 65…that is NOT me.

This forum helps me immensely with mindset — seeing the other side, people who’ve made the transition to retirement early, and loving it. It’s helped me balance the mindset and given me more focus on defining the retirement plan. That’s the #1 thing I’ve gotten out of it.

Lots of other things in terms of learning and understanding new things, but that’s the big takeaway for me so far.

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I’ve been having a blast learning from all the various stories and wisdom here.

I still go back and re-read all the advice people gave to me when taking on a new job, with a lot more disposable income.

Concretely:

• I’ve started doing a lot more dividend investing for long term cash flow
• I started saving for the down payment of a future house, slowly at first, but something
• I continue investing into the stock market to get a bigger egg before diving into real estate, and others thought this was fine.
• I love reading all the great articles [mentor] posts along with his summaries, the discussions around different topics I read through.

I only have two people who really understand financial decisions and care as much as I do in my circle, so having somewhere to binge read and talk about money as much as I want is wonderful.

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My wife and I started discussing early retirement about a year ago. Sites like MMM and The Retirement Manifesto helped convince us that early retirement was possible. We both retired at the end of April this year.

MMM also introduced me to real estate syndications. We’re currently invested in a couple deals with DJE Texas and are looking for more.

Lots of other things as well but those are the big ones.

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I too, had a hard time identifying a place where it was not a taboo exercise to discuss lessons learned and pitfall avoidance to fellow financial minded conscious professionals. I find this forum as a place to reaffirm future plans for my family and a priceless avenue which encourages supporting engagement and contrarian viewpoints. The few financial strategy discussions that I have in person are lead mostly by me being the teacher. Through this forum, I tend to be a student or at least receive a confirmation that my approach is sound and valid. I like this.

I have learned more about syndications and wealth transfer strategies. I also enjoy reading about philanthropic initiatives that fellow members are implementing. I also like that there are no ads shown to be distracted from the valuable conversations at hand. Thanks for making that a conscious choice with the platform, John.

I also enjoy forming the relationships, especially with the ones who are here in FL and elsewhere who would not mind traveling for an in person meetup. I’m getting [excited about] our upcoming “conference” in April.

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A short list:

• Confidence to finally buy rental RE
• Use an HSA and invest the money in said HSA
• Get over the feeling that I didn’t know enough to get to FI
• Stop feeling guilty about spending the amount of money we currently spend. Our plan was overkill, there’s no need to stress.
• Recognizing my original FI plan was overkill because my tax assumptions were wrong
• People value things differently. This is OK and doesn’t mean myself or anyone else is wrong. This helped my wife and I communicate better on money topics.

A follow-up THANK YOU to everyone here for making contributions to MMM and giving me a happier life. I have an outlet and entertainment source here that I never thought I would have.

I just finished up an hour conversation with a friend of my wife who has dug herself a very deep financial hole (CC debt in excess of her annual net income). She asked my wife if I would be willing to talk her through her rationale for the sale of her home to pay off medical and credit card debt. Honestly, she has made some pretty poor decisions to put herself into quite a mess, but she has no one to give her any sound advice and I am trying to help.

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So many ways:

Peers to talk to about life experiences we share.

Knowledge that would cost me so much time and money if I had to try and figure out how and where to get it myself. As an example: I just read the “When do you need a trust?” thread today. So much information. Yes, you need to subsequently work with an expert on the details, but you already have the ability at that point to think more critically about the issue because of what you learn here and you can suss out any BS.

Peers who think similarly to me. This is not intended to sound arrogant so my apologies if it does; I have one good friend that can talk to me on the same level of detail on some issues, not all issues and he gets overwhelmed sometimes and gives up on me a lot. And I’m pretty reserved on this forum. Reading the threads of others here is a lot like talking to myself but still different because its folks who think like me who have different life experiences and skill sets.

Mindset – Staying the course and knowing to stay the course takes discipline that gets a huge boost knowing others are also doing it and thinking similarly.

My marriage – she would probably divorce me if I did not have this outlet.

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I realized I am not the only one who made idiotic financial decisions over the years and still have financial stability. Ha ha. From reading many other MMM posts, it was all a learning experience and we all never went all in on one idea and blew our savings.

I am even more excited about retiring in two years. This has changed from 1.5 years. It was taken from MMM posts regarding streams of incomes. Others have many other streams of incomes. We are primarily pension and stock investments.

We even negotiated a pay cut the past year to gain more vacation time. That was from MMM posts regarding that you can’t get time back. Take advantage of the time you have now. We are taking more time off work to play pickleball, hiking, and taking trips.

And the biggest one of all, you all are hilarious and easy going in your own unique way on financial topics. In general, society feels financial topics are always so serious. I can’t count the number of times I have chuckled and shared the funny stories with my wife.

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This group has gotten me:

• Onto MaxMyInterest for cash
• Helped me set up my donor-advised fund
• Given great real estate council
• Coached on bundling charitable contributions, see #2.

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One area MMM helped me was realizing my imposter syndrome was not uncommon. Hearing from other folks with high NW numbers helped me feel more at ease with the idea that maybe we really have made it (Even though I still feel like an imposter! There is just now way I am really a rich guy…can’t be true!)

Two of my favorite threads:

• Imposter Syndrome at Work
• FIRE Impostor Syndrome

Also love this place as a more positive time killer as opposed to Facebook or Twitter scrolling. Enjoy both reading and interacting with the folks here.

I’d say MMM saved me at least $1,000 on taxes last year.

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Between general discussions with @ESIMoneyBlog or rounds of advice from [other members], I have found a deeply fulfilling place to discuss finance. But it’s also more than that as well. I have asked for feedback on improving my future hometown, running for non-partisan political office, and other sundry topics. It’s just nice to have a conversation (virtually) with thought-out answers in a civil discourse. Thanks for being an outlet everyone!

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Enjoy this forum daily. I wish I had found you 10-15 years ago.

The two biggest topics that have been helpful/fun would these:

• Instead of being passive and taking the usual 3-5% annual pay increase from my company, I discussed with my wife that since it seems everything at work runs through my desk I am going to stand up for myself prior to my annual review and point this out to my manager. Turns out I got more than a 10% increase just about the time inflation blew up. At least I am treading water. My manager agreed that I am the point man for [many topics]. He stated upper management notices.
• This is selfish, but has been fun to do. A couple of times I have purchased meals for a table of unknown people out for lunches. Nothing big (less than $30/ea) but it’s fun to watch them search the room for the source. As Karma works out I came out ahead in a drive thru, as someone bought my order for around $8 and I paid it forward for about $5.

Enjoy everyone and how we can all disagree civilly on some topics. America needs more of this.

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I’ve always subscribed to the statement – “in the Abundance of Counselors There is Wisdom”. Subscribing to MMM has allowed me to find significant and “actionable” financial wisdom accelerating my retirement (or new life journey) decision to March of next year. As one of the seasoned members here I have met, engaged and conversed with many finically successful individuals on my life’s journey. But they don’t come close to the vast amount of honest, insightful advice and sage council offered here. Specifically I’ve become much wiser in real estate and dividend investing; and as an active care giver of two widows the conversations on care giving were priceless! Thanks all!

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I almost feel like I need to detail how MMM helped me financially. I’d rather talk about how it helped me mentally.

MMM is like an advanced $$$ class. I’ve read money articles in the MSM and in PF blogs. I’ve figured out budgeting, saving, paying off debt, investing, side hustles, etc. and made my first million. I feel like around this point in time, those articles in the MSM and PF blogs generally stop being meaningful. Occasionally you come across a good article, but the next level advice is far and few between.

I didn’t feel like I had any resources to go to with my specific questions to get quality answers. And I didn’t feel like I had anyone to challenge me to grow outside of my comfort level. MMM provides a safe space for all to ask and contribute, and a wide range of experts – people with real life experiences – to talk to and ask questions.

MMM also allows me to offer advice to others – people who actually want to hear what I say and willing to listen my opinion. It helps to satisfy that inner voice within me that wants to help and give back.

As you grow your net worth higher, you need to start having “discussions” on what the next move is. You can’t just follow a blueprint – everyone’s situation is different. The MMM forum allows multiple people with different viewpoints and backgrounds and experiences to weigh in – and that allows you the individual to weigh all options and make the best decision for yourself.

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This sounds like hyperbole, but I really think MMM has been instrumental in several MAJOR life decisions the last few years.

Firstly, and I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, the idea that I have dozens of MILLIONAIRES accessible within minutes in my pocket at all-times is mind-blowing, especially when I think about it from the perspective of myself in 2015 at 30 years old, just finding out about FIRE, but REALLY suffering from the loneliness that came from not having anyone to talk to about this stuff. And really talk to – not just some Facebook post (which isn’t nearly as personal or provides enough context), or the occasional in-person meet-up which consists of some introductions and a guarded sharing of information.

I’m always amazed at the depth and well-though responses I can receive to any question or idea within just a few hours in these forums.

Essentially MMM helped me stick it out when I think I had full-on COVID/2020 fatigue, this thread SINGLE HANDEDLY convinced me it was okay to buy a house again…and then I was able to complain (and ask for suggestions) on how to here.

More recently, it’s helped me switch between decisions of going “for it” and trying to be a time martyr and make as much money as possible or go the alternate route, and essentially semi-retire/go SlowFi.

So yea, I think my life would look very different right now if I hadn’t found these forums a few years back. It’s definitely helped me in my search for balance. And I’ve loved being able to connect with people over real-life zooms/calls and develop genuine friendships via the private messages.

And even with being able to give back with my syndication knowledge/adventures I’ve developed over time, it’s actually helped me personally as VALIDATING the sums of money I’ve pushed from my portfolio into them (other than the always appreciated, but forever skeptical [mentor’s] counterviews). When I started in MMM, syndications were still so new to me, and I really was nervous if I had made the right decisions – but being able to have all these other super smart, successful people show curiosity, I knew I had to be doing something right.

Thanks @ESIMoneyBlog and all the mentors/members who make this a one-of-a-kind place!

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Aside from echoing the many posts regarding having a forum of well-informed, like minded experts that freely share expertise, here are a few specifics to pile on:

• I doubled my savings rate after reading through the journeys of others. To be sure it also helped that my income has risen dramatically, but without MMM I likely would have grew spending more than savings.
• Real world advice on how to help take care of my aging mother financially, including specific advice on how to manage her accounts after gaining POA.
• Psychological support when I was feeling low in the depths of COVID, feeling burnout, and needing pep talk.
• Superb advice on handling an expat assignment, including advice that will save me a ton in taxes.

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I just joined as a Mentor/member in April so fairly new to the forum and probably one of the oldest at 72. I’m not really a great writer but have enjoyed posting to threads that I have experience or knowledge to share with likeminded people. I have enjoyed reading posts from the numerous contributors that are thoughtful, insightful, current and relevant to the topic, and without pre-judgement. The forum has brought to me a group of “friends” that I’m proud to be associated with. Since joining MMM, it has helped me in at least two ways.

MMM has reminded me to look at I Bonds again. I have $50k in I Bonds bought years ago and were at inflation rate plus 1.1%. I have been sitting on cash with small returns of 1.2%. MMM motivated me to purchase $20k in I Bonds (me and spouse) this month and will get 9.62% interest for the current period to bolster the return of my cash holdings. Will now probably do the same in 2023 when I become eligible again to purchase.

I learned that I was able to include a new roof on my home in the adjusted basis of my home. I made a post and then I did some research to expand my knowledge, and IRS DOES allow a replacement roof to be added to the home adjusted basis. It is classified as “extending the life of an asset”. I did a $24,200 roof replace 18 months ago. I now updated my adjusted basis to include that amount. I plan to sell in a few years and will exceed the $500k capital gain exemption, so this will be helpful to reduce my future taxes. Without MMM I would be missing out in a few years when I sell, to the tune of $3,600.

Thanks, MMM.

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That’s it for the top responses on that specific thread, but here are a couple more quotes that I picked up from a thread on checking for unclaimed property:

• Thanks! I just found 1,400 dollars in the CA coffers. Insurance dividends.
• Found $100 for me and $350 for my wife! I’ll mail in the forms.

Most Important Learning

This section includes some responses to the following question:

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from MMM?

It was posed by a member for all to comment on and here are some responses…

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For me the most impactful is probably What Comes after ESI? The ISE Phase of FIRE as it was almost like it was written for me for where I was with how things were unfolding and of course would have read that on ESI Money but being in the group made it a no brainer to start to catalog my journey/thoughts ISE – Invest Spend Enjoy and get some great support, insights from other members which helped with the mental journey which for some (especially me) is as challenging as the financial side of things.

The top idea that impacted me personally was Do You Invest Your HSA Money? as it was something that I had not really considered as well as the overall strategy of deferring taking out expenses so I could let the $ grow tax free. It was a “blind spot” I had and very quickly changed course and in less than 9 months am $6.5K “richer” due to it.

Several other threads have opened my eyes to the realization that in some circles I would be considering to have expert level knowledge when it comes to finance/money but in reality have so much more I can (and plan) to learn about. The more you know about something the more you realize you have left to learn.

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The most important thing I’ve learned here is that more money makes you more of who you already are. In a good way and in other ways.

I’ve also learned what to discuss with our lawyer (and a CFP or CPA) about giving a big chunk of our assets to our daughter and son-in-law now instead of during probate.

Finally, related to the top sentence, I’ve learned that the financial issues which people worry about on the way to FI do not always disappear after reaching FI, even when they’re far past FI.

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I am not sure I can put my finger on a single topic, but for me I’d say it’s been a couple fairly high level things:

• Specific informational assets for future endeavors. Examples off the top of my head: the real estate thread is a goldmine, the syndication thread and the ongoing group experiments there, all about hedge funds, digital assets, and the estate planning legal advice.
• Human assets – there are a number of individuals that have offered specific-to-me advice/support in either PMs or in threads, which has been immeasurably useful, kind, and game-changing. Having that access is priceless. In the long run the help I’ve already received WILL change my outcomes. Thank you friends and mentors! Of note, there are also a number of people that I feel make an extra effort to be supportive and encouraging of others routinely without question. Extra heart to you – you know who you are.
• Mindset – this is an understated incredible contribution of this group – conditioning of a successful wealth-building mindset. It happens all day long through the collective wisdom and perspectives shared, and it’s invaluable if you don’t have a natural environment for it otherwise (I imagine few people do). I REALLY like the deep respectful scrutiny discussions undergo, which represents an element of mindset rigor, but more importantly an environment where constructive conflict brings out best thinking.

The sum total of the parts is like having a whole new set of navigational tools and a panic button for good measure. So I guess I’d say overall I’ve learned how to better navigate. I’ve got further to go, but what a lifeline this has been!

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On the financial side, the forums have helped me make a couple great moves (at least great IMO):

• Like [member] noted, I invested my HSA funds due to the advice of the group. It’s now worth close to $30k more than it was when it was in cash.
• Thanks to [member] and others, I have started investing in real estate syndications, which are way more passive than my own rentals (as well as spread out by location, type of real estate, and time). I think these have the opportunity of making me happier (less work with my management company) as well as potentially might earn more (as they unlock the equity in my rentals which I sold).

On a personal level, there are even more benefits:

• I have made some great friends, many of whom I expect to meet in person one day. Looking forward to that for sure.
• [Member] has challenged me (and all of us) with the ISE philosophy, which was part of the reason we sold our rentals and why we may be looking at moving.
• Many, many others have challenged my thinking and had me consider alternative points of view. I generally still go with my original thoughts when deciding issues, but I do like hearing differing opinions just to keep me honest.

If nothing else, I love having a group I can bounce ideas and questions off of. I feel sorry for those out there who are trying to build wealth on their own, by trial and error, when this group could save them thousands of dollars and years of their lives. Hopefully we can grow the group so more people benefit from the wisdom here.

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One of the things I loved that you called out is the “deep respect” as that is sadly becoming more and more rare in society and especially online and the really neat thing about this group is that it is filled with successful people, from many walks of life, some with FU money so can say what they want and most anonymous which makes it easier to be not respective and confrontational yet what I have seen is a group of smart, successful, hard working, humble, thoughtful, learners and sharers, willingness to hear opposing viewpoints and in reading many posts over the past 9 months and getting to “know” people by their repeated interactions it is no surprise why so many are successful as that skill set is a become more and more rare.

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I’m 55 and retiring later this year. This group has been very helpful as I only have 1 other friend who retired early. MMM is where I can read what others have done (most important) but also read how others are going through similar thought processes including doubts

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I love the in depth analysis, diversity of POV’s, the candid sharing of personal strategies, and most importantly the humbleness of this group. So many discussions are ego driven (in real life and online), but not here. I learn something new everyday with the underlying thread that this journey is not a linear path. And, when curve balls happen, it’s good to know I have this group to rely on and help me think through things.

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This forum is a very rare place to be able to interact with people that have figured out a path to get where they want to be in life. The conversations and MI interviews prove that there is not one path, but some consistent traits that lead to FI. Most revolve around the tenants that ESI has been exploring and reporting on for quite a while.

It has also been very interesting to pick up what others have read/are reading. Reading (including audio) seems to be a key tenant along the path to FI. It would seem that “The Millionaire Next Door” is one of the most read books among our group, then it branches out to other personal finance/investing, philosophy etc. type books that inspire the ESI fundamentals.

Personally, I pick up tips about how to manage investment vehicles and accounts (the HSA conversation is a great example), along with strategy on things like options trading for fun and profit.

For me, it takes the place of the old “Fat-Wallet-Finance” community, only on a much more civil and enjoyable note. I truly appreciate the tolerance of different personal perspectives as some of us “bite our virtual tongues” from time to time in our responses.

I think the absolute best thing I get out of this, though, in the occasional opportunity to help someone else that is not as far along the path. It is harder to find a place to do that in real life, where someone actually wants advice.

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Having a simple framework allows for quick or in depth decision making on what to do during retirement. It made me more confident that my wife and I have more than enough to retire early, and start enjoying life more.

Also the following:

• Learning more about real estate investing and being more prepared for investing in real estate once the market corrects.
• Understanding the health insurance options during early retirement (and Health Sharing).

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I am amazed at the level of really great questions and intellectual and genuine caring responses.

I love reading humble brag to hear of people sharing achievements.

Thinking and planning for the shift in E,S,I to I,S,E is not somewhere I would be without MMM.

Die with nothing has given me so much to think about.

Thanks to an absolute incredible community and for ESI money putting it together.

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I really appreciate having a forum of “overachiever millionaires” that provides an outlet for sharing personal and financial goals that most of my family and friends wouldn’t understand, nor appreciate. There are not very many places where one would feel comfortable to share their thoughts about their money with others so openly and honestly. I have also enjoyed hearing and reading about members who have “retired early” and how they made that transition. Their daily stories has been encouraging and inspirational. I too enjoyed the book “Die with Zero” although I wholeheartedly agree that it is not a book for someone who hasn’t learned how to save and invest.

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I never talk with family, friends, or colleagues about money and I ignore 99 % of what mainstream media writes about money. I appreciate a forum where people that have money talk about topics that are related to money.

[Member] and Die with Zero have left me thinking about how to transfer my wealth so that others can enjoy it while I am alive.

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I’m so grateful for this community! I chuckle when I think about how I was uncertain if I wanted to pay $25/month to join. I’ve gotten so much value.

My biggest learning is about myself. Through this community, I’ve learned I need (want?) accountability for long-term aspects of decision making. It’s not that anyone is checking up on me, but if I post something here, I always get encouragement and good ideas for making the best choice for me in the long run. This is true about when I asked for help with my inheritance and when I asked about a sabbatical. It’s so nice to have a community that doesn’t know me super well, but is definitely invested in the best choices for me 20+ years down the road! Left to my own devices, I definitely overvalue the short-term. Thinking more long-term has made an impact on me.

I have also learned about so many new topics, as many others have said. I’m researching a backdoor Roth this year. I’m not looking to do a real estate syndication at the moment, but have really enjoyed learning through others in real-time. I’m also going to ask my sister if she’s investing her HSA money! (I currently don’t have this option at work.)

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I’m in awe at the different paths to wealth and to see the different personalities behind these paths in action.

It’s clear to me that the path to significant wealth is to be an owner of a business that is growing rapidly.

I like to see different levels of what is “enough” to people. It looks to be a combination of the amount and the age of the individual. There has been plenty of great content that details that we need less than we think we do and that should help put our “enough” level in check.

I appreciated the feedback that most mentors who have participated in the 529 plan would not do this again and this helped validate the approach that I took.

Happy to be part of this community!

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When I first became a part of this community, although I knew there were so many varied paths to wealth, I was a little concerned with groupthink amongst the millionaire community.

However, after a few “passionate” discussions about healthcare, RE, and oddly enough, checking account balances & cul-de-sacs, I love the differing opinions brought forth and individualistic thoughts on almost every subject. LOVE absorbing the info, expanding my own realm of possibilities & watching thought processes evolve in real-time. Thank you to all of you that are making this possible for me day-in and day-out!

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I have learned a ton about all sorts of topics, but for the most part, we’re happy with our retirement portfolio and haven’t made any significant changes. This is probably somewhat age / net worth / season of life related and I think younger folks here may be more likely to implement changes for an improvement in wealth building.

Topics of most interest to me are related to retirement (spending, income, activities – travel) – safe withdrawal rates, die with zero, 4% rule, health insurance, and when to take social security etc. The psychological shift to spending in retirement is not something that comes easy to many of us after decades of saving. I also feel it’s far more complex than the accumulation phase of building wealth. These topics are less often discussed on retirement blogs or books which focus most of their information on the ESI. I found that the ESI is actually much easier than the spending and enjoyment side of retirement.

That being said, there are so many great discussions on this forum that I spend hours here every week. I very much enjoy discussions with folks who have ‘a little money’ or who are working on their way to having ‘a little money’. As has been mentioned many times, a lot of what we share here isn’t something we can share with friends or family for a host of reasons.

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Honestly, I would have to say that I’ve learned more about the importance ISE —- when I started following ESI and was invited to join the MMM team, I was still in the accumulation phase and never really developed a plan for spending (de-accumulation) —- thankfully, many members of our group were struggling with this phase too. And the lessons started flowing —

Not sure who posted on the board a while back, but it said something like this, “when you’ve won the game, why keep playing?”

This simple question stopped me dead in my tracks and really pushed me in a different direction. While in retirement, spending is equally important….

So, for the last 7 months, I’ve been retired, and I’ve moved (slowly), from ESI to the next important stage/phase of ISE.

FYI — I’m on track of adding an additional $500,000 + to my NW —- all while not going to work a single day. All bills have been paid in full each month too.

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• I started writing covered calls again after a twenty year absence (+25k last 5 mths. on 80k exposure representing less than 1% n.w.). Thanks for all the book and video suggestions!
• Updated n.w. on ownership of biz (+2m).
• We ( wife and I) were on the fence to sell a property and those members here who are debt free inspired us to make the move this past quarter (we are now debt free).
• Suggestions on other financial blogs and papers. I started reading Barrons from a suggestion which has lead to several profitable trades.

These are just to name a few ideas that were sourced here.

So THANK YOU!!!

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I actually used some of the feedback and guidance in the group to earn “less” (or nothing) as feedback and discussion helped me mentally process test driving retiring early.

One of the things I love about this group is there were truly something for everyone if you are open and will to consider various viewpoints as a great mix of people at different parts of the journey.

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I learned real estate is not for me, even syndications because I just don’t have the natural interest in it that it would take to become well educated.

This place has been a big help because as wonderful as it is suddenly to be entrusted with seven figures, it’s also a lot of pressure not to mess it up. And there’s been no one in real life that I could really discuss it with, while here I can see how people in a similar position to myself handle things.

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I’ve learned that folks here have made financial mistakes, taken hits, and bounced back. This has been important, inspirational, and steadying for me. I made a bad move at the beginning of the pandemic with a panic sell, and I probably missed out on $80k of the ride back up. At the same time, our net worth has broken new all time highs this year, and we’re building out our financial plans never to be in the place we were last year again. I’ve gotten my real estate strategy validated by folks like [member] and [member] who are much further down the path than I am, and I’m making tactical moves to adjust in response to what I’m learning here. It’s great to be able to engage with folks here who geek out about these calculated risks on the entrepreneurial side of things – not many of my close friends can really relate.

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I can’t express enough the gratitude I have for this forum. I just discovered this thread by reading the ESI post this morning. Where do I even begin? Whether it’s [member] or [member] helping with my real estate strategies or the conversations with [member], [member] (especially our book recommendations!!!), [member] (what a small world on that one!!), [member] and of course [member] (thanks for all you do for our brothers and sisters…it’s amazing the service you give vets). And of course [member] for helping me with our soon to begin stock market competition.

I even enjoy my debates with [member], who at times disagrees with me. Their opinion is well reasoned, researched, and presented in simple terms.

The respect I feel and see in the forums is unmatched. So, thank you ESI for giving us this forum to share our stories, talk about things people shame and consider ‘taboo’, and give us the outlet to build such a wonderful community. In this world where everything is hyper partisan and discussion turns to vitriol and hate, this place has remained a calming presence. Thank you everyone for accepting me here, letting me post and reason and express my opinion, and I hope this keeps growing. God willing, I hope to meet many of you in the future in person at a conference or ESI meetup. Thank you!

The People You Hang Out With

Let’s end this from a thread titled, “Hanging Out With People Who Help You Grow” by one of the members…

I know this has been a topic we’ve discussed in passing at times on the forums, but a Tweet that I read yesterday (from the only Twitter account I actually read since I don’t have any social media accounts nor particularly care for it in general) reminded me why I absolutely love MMM:

“Hang out with people who make you realize what a long way you still have to go. That’s not discomfort, that’s growth.”

I didn’t/don’t have much of this in my daily personal interactions (apart from MMM of course), despite actively seeking it out in those around me. When attempting to chat about many of the worthwhile topics that have been brought up here, many of my colleagues, friends & random strangers just…can’t.

At times I am pleasantly surprised when I actively engage others and am duly educated on a subject, old or new, but a majority of my encounters are simply intellectually underwhelming.

It’s easy to say, “Hey, just hang around & interact more with people you want to learn from.” But reality isn’t quite that simple. In fact, the only reason millionaires typically discuss ideas with me at all is because I literally “pay-to-play” with them each month on this forum. lol.

Every single one of you are experts of your own experiences, many of which I will not, or physically can not, experience on my own. There is something I can (& most likely already have) learned from each individual here who has shared those experiences with the rest of us.

Therefore, I just wanted to thank all of you that have made me feel “uncomfortable” over the past couple of years, challenged my thinking, broadened my scope of knowledge in general, and reminded me how far I still have to go. Really appreciate you folks!